The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-11-21
The OHIo'S DOMINION.
Gov. McCorkle Says the Valley
Should Rule the World,
Only the Improvement Of Her ,dmira-
BILE Waterways Needed to Bring
SS.aut this Eryiabip Position.

OuOulQ NulS llO NOilut
Only the Improvement Of Her ,dmira-
Bile WATERWAYS Needed to Bring
thaut this ERyiable Position.
| Gov. w. A. McC6rkis, Of West
Virginia, addressed the Ohio Valley
Improvement association in the
| Chaniljer Of Commerce in Pittsburg
last week on the Importance
of improving the natural water
ways tapping the Ohio Valley.
He began with the declaration that
there is no section of the United
States which Possesses such great
natural wealth as the Ohio
Valley, by which statement he meant
the territory constituting the water
shed of its tributaries. He main
tanned that political questions which
concern the people Of the country
had as their foundation stone, trade
and commerce, Commerce, he adds,
dominates tile United States, "Giye
us a free outlet for our trade, he
said, ..and we will dominate the
world. Let the American reach out
and he will ask for no favors IN get
ting his share Of the worlds trade.
Gov. MacCorkle ,.e.lared that rs
a necessary condition for expand
Ing trade the great natural arteries
must be made seryiceable to man $
need by locking and damming the
streams, so Chat transportation for
products will enable them to be
placed in the worlds markets in
competition =ith those of England.
He said that every trade route Of The
world is under Englands control, and
her shotted guns cover every ship of
other nations which sends products
to the worlds markets to compete
with her. He maintained that equal
" important to the Ohio Valley as
the improvement of the Ohio was the
construction and American control
of the Nicaragua ship canal, and the
Ohio river and Lake Erie ship canal.
The completion of these projects, it
is asserted, would give to the people
who have the greatest abundance
and the best quality Of coal known
to mankind an outlet to the North
by the way of the lakes, and to Cen
trail and South America the Islands
of the two oceans, and Japan, China
and Australia. The completion of
these projects will multiply the in
dustries Of the Ohio Valley and give
dominion to its great industrious
population over the trade of the
world, as it now dominates the Uni
ted States. The price of British
coal at all the great markets of the
Pacific, South America, Asia and 9th
er points was given, and the price
at which Pittsburg and West Vir-
ginia coal could be supplied at the
same points, if the Nicaragua canal
were built, estimated. The difference
was about 80 per cent. in favor of
the Ohio Valley. The United States,
the Governor said, should declare to
the world that the Gulf of Mexico is
a closed sea and notify other nations
that it is going to maintain that
declaration. Concluding, Gov. Mac
| Corkle said.
"This is world of commerce, not
warfare. Give us the iron of Lake
Superior, by means of cheap trans
portation, and an outlet for our coal
and the products of our manufacture
and the smoke will weave cloud
wreathes around and over Pittsburg,
and the clangor of her machinery
will mingle with the joyous song of
the thousands of werkmen who will
have employment II months in a
year instead of six. We can supply
all our own needs and those of half
the world outside, if we have but
cheap transportation for the products
of our hands and brains and hills.
We of the Ohio Valley, the seat of
power in this vast empire, have been
too modest~if1 knocking at the doors
of the American Congress, and have
made no demands for the recognition
which we have a right to ask, not
only for ourselves, but for the popu-
lation of our common country. Let
j Congress know what we have to
offer. and how small is the cost of
making these improvements in com
parison to the great profit they Will
bring on the investment by the Ma
, ton, and we shall reverse the condi-
tions which now exist as regards the
trade of the world.
The convention of the association
during the day was largely attended.
John Bindley, President of the Pitts
; burg Chamber of Commerce, wei
coined the delegation on behalf oil
the chamber and the Coal exchange
, and President J. L. Vance responded
} on behalf of the association. A
minute was offered by G. B. Hart, Of
, Wheeling, on the death of Capt. CIV
} Bachelor.
In the afternoon brief address
was made by Brig. Gen. G. G. Craig
: hill. chief of the engineer corps Of
the United States army, who has
I charge of the improvements of the
| Ohio and it's tributaries. He said
he was in favor of making such i'm
} provements as would make the rivers
navigable all the year, and promised
5 the association that as an official and
t citizen he would lend assistance il
the work to be accomplished.
3 Congressman b. b. Dovener, o
| West Virginia made brief talk, il
/! which he pledged his hearty co-opera
, ton in achieving the further objects
of the body.
r The committee on resolutions re
' ported negatively on the paper offer
& ed by the Evansville delegation
! suggesting that Congress be asked t.
r authorize the appointment of al
a Ohio river commission; recommend
e ing resolution submitted by Johl
: /. Shaw expressing approval OF tn
Ohio river and Lake Erie ship cana
I. project, and asking Congress to Civ
!. the bill now on the calendar favora
4 bic consideration, and commendin!
the general principles Of the bill
n which is to be submitted to Congress
+ at the forthcoming session, defining
l. the conditions which must hereafte
Il be conformed to regarding the con
l. struction of bridges across the river
to the mouth of the Ohio. The bill
n provides that channel spans shal
:, ,,nt no sbortar than ZOO feet and tha