The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-09-28
VOICE OF
THE -
p e e
AN OPEN LETTER.
North Judson. Ind. Sept a7

I
To Hon. Henry A. Barnhart. Hon.
John L Norman, Hon. f. d. Crum-
packer and Hon. John B. Peterson. can
didates for Congress in the 10th. and
18th Indiana districts Gentlemen:
AS voter of the 18th Indiana dis
trict 1 take liberty of addressing this
communication to you concerning a |
matter of great Importance to many |
voters of both these district. and as
the subject is one upon which the rep
resantative who shall be elected will /
be called upon to act in his official
pacity when the next Congress as /
sembles. / assume that you will not i
consider it impertinent If asked by /
your constituents to give some public /
expression of your purposes now, in the
event of your election. Seven of the
counties of your districts border the |
Kankakee River In which the rock |
obstruction to domestic and interstate |
commerce as well to drainage and |
sanitation exists, at the boundaries uf
the states of Indiana and Illinois, near
Ncmence, Illinois. The subject of tn. |
removal of this obstruction and how !
to accomplish the work has for more |
than half century been discussed !
more than any other by the people of
the Kankakee valley and has received |
1coS dttchtlOH tidn any ObleT Dy tIcii
representatives in the hall of 1egis-
lation, in fact their representatives, in
Congress have been voiceless as the
grae in respect to it, Notwithstanding
that Congressional records are full of
presidents that justify and call for di-
rect appropriations of funds from Ma
| tional treasury to effect the removal o.
this obstruction.
The Illinois river is but a continue
ton OF the waters of the Kankakce
and Desplaines rivers and hundreds of
thousands of dollars have been appropri-
ated by Congress for the Improvement
| of that river and at the last session
/ of Congress provision was made for the
improvements of the Desplaines. The
laws of Indiana connot be made to have
an extra territorial force so as to re-
quire cooperation on the part of the
state of Illinois in the work of remov
ing this obstruction any other diff
eulties in the way of commerce between
/ the states ever been a proper subject
! for legislation by the state, although
| the legislature of Indiana upon the
| recommendation of Governor Porter.
one of its ablest Governors did in 1881
and 1883 make inadequate appropria
lions for the purpose of removing tn.
| rock. The people of the Kankakee
Valley entitled to as much con
sideration as are the people in other
parts of your districts and they do not
/ complain because their representatives
| have been active in securing apprn :
priations for the Improvement of har-
bors along Lake Michigan, or for ques
tionable public enterprise along the
Calumet, nor because public buildings
among them a Federal Court building
in which term of court has never
been held, have been aided by the gen
eral government, but they are GER
tainly justified in complaining about
the neglect to include them among the
deserving beneficiaries of public favors.
: They are certainly as deserving of no :
) tiee as are the beneficiaries OF special
legislation in other parts of the United
; States, and much more deserving when
1t is considered that their benefits are
only incidental to a work that when ac-
complished will promote the general
} welfare. The Kankakee River is. TO
say the least, important as Tadpole
Creek down in Georgia, Raccon Run n
Louisiana and Mosquito Harbor down
in Mississippi for which river and har-
: Dor bills CARED appropriations 1t mat
tiers not whether other subjects you
.insurgent" or stand pat" trust you
, may not take ofrense if you are called
: upon to show your hands" on this
subject of a congressional appropria-
t ton for the removal of the Momence
rock and incidentally those of you who
have served in Congress may If yo1
f choose explain why you have been Sc
quiet about this matter heretofore.
Respectful yours,
A ]. BURWELL.