The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-06

In the advocacy of a deep through
waterway between the Northwest AMI
the seaboard this section of the coun-
try has hitherto stood almost alone 1t
has had to fight against powerful cor
porate interests and against the local
jealousy of centers that feared the dis
ruption of their business by the change
in methods of transportation. The
Northwest has had no ally. Buffalo,
as point of transshipment, breads the
Improvement of lake and canal navi-
cation. All the great trunk lines be-
tween New York and Chicago fight II
as they fought every endeavor to
cheaper the cost of transportation be-
tween the people of the West
and their Eastern markets by i'm
proved waterways. We have pressed
forward steadily toward our mark, but
have been told, and had too much rea-
son to believe, that it was useless for
us to suppose that our great scheme
fer a deep waterway would be
carried through in the face of either in
difference or hostility for generation
to come.
1t appears likely now, however, that
we shall have a powerful and an unex-
pected ally. The people of New York
city are waking not only to the i'm
portance of what this move would
mean for them, but to the dangers
that threaten them from the competi-
ton of other cities, if they do not
possess themselves of this offered ad
vantage to control the commerce of the
continent. All the New York papers
are beginning to show glimpses of ap,
probation of the idea that an alliance
between the metropolis of the country
and the Northwest to push forward to
completion the deep waterway is
reasonable policy, and one expected to
mature in the early future
An article in the Tribune, recently.
points out that New York is entering
upon a larger and more vigorous
growth than ever; that she has need
to be more than ever on the alert
against rivals emulous of her glory
and eager to capture her trade, and
that the most important item in hold
ing her own with these will be the
completion of the deep waterway from
the head of navigation on the lakes to
the mouth of the Hudson. 1t says that
eff New York is to remain the chief
commercial city of the continent it must
have all possible means of communica-
ton with all parts of the continent, by
boat as we'll as by rail" 1t point;
out the interest which the whole West
ern country feels, or ought to feel, In
having the great port of entry of this
country made accessible, by land or by
water, to the far interior. 1t looks for
ward to the alliance which we have
pointed out in these significant words:
Some of the most earnest advocates of such
improvement of New York's commercial IA
cilities are representatives and senators from
far-distant states, who in such advocacy are
seeking the welfare of their own constituents
Surely New Workers themselves should not
be less active and earnest in promoting the
welfare OF their own imperial city.
In making the fight which is to con-
summate and hold it's commercial Sill
premacy, New York must fight OUT
battles for us. To secure the compile
ton of through waterway is to trans
fer the advantages of Buffalo, and of
all the cities that now share in the
East and West traffic by lake and
canal to Minnesota 1t is to place US in
dependent of all possible railroad COM
binations and the schemes of rivals
and to combine upon our territory the
advantages of East and West; the
signal union of being at once
close to the producer and his
broad fields, and also practically at the
door of the worlds market. The great
est step in the material development
Of this country will have been taken
when the Northwestern through water
way shall have been completed. In
working toward that we may be con-
fident that we shall have, from this