The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-17


ouiremeuts of the growing commerce of
the lakes is not stirring up such enthusi-
astic faith. on the part of those who see
the opportunities of New York slipping
away from It as to cover up in any MEAS
ure the profound dread which has been
finding expression for 50 long.
Within a few days representatives OF
the Canal ASSOCIATION of New York, ac-
companieds sbs~ representatives of many
of tbs. cities Of. the. state. waited up5n
Gev.-elect Odell to voice the complaint
which prevails among the people that the
interests of cities and state alike are
jeopardized. by the wretched policy pur-
sued toward the canal The chief spokes-
man of those several delegations, the
chairman of the Canal association, after
reviewing the condition of commerce in
state and city,. since the decline set in
most strongly, said the Canadian canals
would attract more and more Western
traffic until the state and city, and even
the nation, wopld, feel the need of a COM
petent canal system even more than it
does now. He attributed the failure of
the Brookiy1f'wharf and. warehouse to the
decline of canal traffic. and said that the
falling off in the business done over the
canals had decreased the value of real
estate in the city.
The only immediate outcome of the in
teryiew was to secure the assurance of
the governor-e1ect that he would make
the canals the subject of special mes
sage to the Legislature after he was in
stalled in office.
New York must sooner or later bring
to an end the dog-in-the-mange policy
which it has pursued toward the West
in the matter-of the utilization for mari
time traffic of the splendid canal system
of the state The needs of our internal
commerce cry out daily against keeping
the canals IN leading strings. If the
TO the ambitious purposes which have at
all times animated the Dominion in its
canal policy the record would be much
more damaging than 1T is. But even with
what has been done, Montreal has reach
ed point at which that city threatens
to control ere long all the traffic on the
lakes which seel0s-a~foreign outlet.
The Western states have been outspok-
en- for years in their demand that their
commerce may be permitted to reach for
eign markets through a Ship canal main
tanned within American territory. Con-
gress has shown the most favorable dis
have been made from time to time es-
tablishing the feasibility of ship canal
around. the falls. But at every point the
great state Of New York, exercising con-
troll over the canal system through which
alone an American shipway may be es-
tablished connecting the great lakes with
tide water, has blocked the great enter
prise.
But the country will still continue to
insist on its demand that the great Amer
lean inland sea shall be made available
for the. benefcent. uses to which the
growing commerce has long die
tated that it shall be applied. But moth
ing short of the most persistent urging
of their claims will be effective in even
fastening the time when the vessel laden
in Duluth may, without breaking bulk.
unload at any of the ports of the world.
1t is 10 congress that the American peo-
pie must ultimately look for the con-
summation of this great purpose; and if
congress wills it the stupid policy which
has thus far cost New York so much of
her prestige must come to an end.