The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-06-07

could have been brought to our Eas.
tern waters over q route Of 5000 miles
and with comparatively little risk of
encountering q feet or squadron okthe
enemy. But no such safe and short
route being available, Capt. Clark was
compelled to sail his ship nearly IL, 600
miles around Cape Horn, encounter
ing not only the dangers always Incl.
dent to that voyage, but the chances
OF an UNEQUAL fight with a Spanish
feet. There were few intelligent citi.
zens in any part OF this country who
did not feel, as they watched and
waited, day after day, for news from
the Oregon, that the nation had made
q sad mistake in putting off the con
struction of the Nicaragua Canal.
Men who had, for various reasons, op.
posed the Nicaragua project became
converts to it before that wonderful
voyage-the most remarkable in the
entire range Of naval hIstory-was
ended.
Our geographical position, while it
has many great advantages, imposes
on US either the cost OF maintaining
what would practically be two navies,
one for the Pacific, the other for the
Atlantic coast, or the construction OF
q water way through which the whole
or a part of the ships on either cost
may pass to the other in any emer.
gency. In the long run it would be
cheaper to construct the canal than to
build and maintain duplicate fleets if
there were no other use for it. But it
is q fact susceptible of demonstration
that the canal ought to be constructed
for commercial uses. In this connec
tion it is pertinent to cite an extract
from an interesting and valuable pa.
per by Capt. A. 8. Orowninshield, u.
8. NJ, entitled, ''The Dream of Naviga
tors:
"The moment that a waterway is
opened across Central America, the
producers of our Pacific States will be
brought 5000 miles nearer to a market.
It is a well known law of trade that
neerness to a market will stimulate
production. The enormous grain pro-
ducts of California and Oregon are now
taken to Europe around Cape Horn in
sailing vessels, a long voyage of one
hundred and thirty days, which the
canal would at once reduced to fifty
days. What other argument than this
statement is It quired to show the i'm
portance of the canal as q factor in
developing our Pacific coast States9
The opposition Of the the ~transconti-
mental railroads to the construction of
the canal is based upon the fallacy
that it's existence viii operate 10 their
ipicry. This is q fear without founda
ton. On the contrary, the canal will
be OF benefit to those roads, for what,
ever tends to increase the population
Of our Pacific coast and develop it's re
sources, as the canal will surely do,
must necessarily help the railroads,
which have never been able to carry
any Of the grain and lumber products
from California. Oregan and Washing
ton to any Atlantic port.
Grain and lumber, the reader must
understand, have not q value in pro-
portion to their weight which will al
low their transport by rail across the
continent to an Atlantic port, where
they must go on their way to a Euro
peran market. For years past there
have been exported annual from Cali
@fornia and Oregon nearly a million
tons of wheat, every bushel Of which
has gone around Cape Horn"
Had any of the leading nations of
Europe-Gre treat Britain, France, Ger
many, or Russia for example-been sit.
uated as this nation is with regard to
the proposed waterway, it would have
completed and in operation while we
have been talking about it. OF course
we r not bound to do as other ma
tions would have done in our place.
But when the argument Of example is
supported by the facts Of commercial
expediency and military necessity it
assumes a shape that must command
attention.
It is curiously apparent in war times
that women are mor incorporate