The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-12-15
NOTHING FOR THE INTERIOR

COA0bA AOt&OA VI tAC snip VI Uua -
canal across Florida, which has been
discussed for fifty years or more. is
unworthy of prosecution by the Unit
ed States government.
We are not surprised When did
the United States government ever
consider the wants OF the interior?
When did it ever recognize it's exist
ence, except for the purposes OF ex-
plctation?
This unanimous opinion Of the
board of engineers is another direct
and palpable slap in our face. And
we deserve it. We sit with out hands
tied and permit our congressman 20
expend millions upon top Of millions
for the seacoast cities and not one
penny for the improvement OF thls
great inland empire. with no word Of
protest until it has grown to be a
dictum that all the moneys collected
from the great body of the people
must be appropriated and expended
in the improvement of our harbors.
for the benefit of ocean-going traffic.
Not one cent is appropriated or ex-
pended for inland traffic, and such a
thing as national highways is not
known in the vocabulary OF the Unit
ed States government. II is the great
missing link.
We are told, in so many words. IN
this report that we are not worthy OF
consideration, and we are led 20 be-
lieve that the project would not have
been considered in the first instance
had there not been a remote posi-
bility of the canal becoming valuable
as feeder to the ports of Jackson
vile, Fernandina and Savannah
We are told. in so many words. that
we are not "fittin'." The interior is
only to be considered as Il can be
exploited for the building up OF our
seaport cities.
All of our traffic, all of our incom.
ing and outgoing freights are hauled
over our railroads-they get toll
from every pound of freight in
coming and outgoing, while the
freights at the seaport cities are d.
vided with the steamboat and steam
ship lines. But the railroads do not
acknowledge their obligations 20 us
and throw their protecting SHE'D
around and about us and join hands
with us in building greater cities
and in the building of which they would
be the largest benencaries. No, not
on your life. Short sighted as the
policy is, they exploit US. They DIS
criminate against us in their freight
rates in favor of the seaport cities.
They pursue the policy of killing the
goose that lays the golden egg.
Why don't we grow the same as the
seaport cities? Because we are in the
hands of the Phillistines. We have
got a rope around our neck, hand
cuffs around our wrists and bail end
chain around our ankles. This is the
position the interior is in.
And all this thing is unnatural II
is against the course of the natural
order of things 1t is brought about
by the policy of those we put in Of
fee, and because We do not hold
them to account.
If the states are to build their own
highways and dig their own canals.
why not improve their own harbors?
Why not say to the federal govern
ment: Hands off-all or nothing?
Why feed one and not the other? It
lis of no more benefit to the people of
Florida for the federal government to
take money out of it's treasury and
improve a harbor in Maine than il is
to the people of Maine for the federal
government to take money out of its
treasury and build a national high
way in Florida-not bit. They are
both on the same plane.
This we are told is not govern
ment of special privileges" The
dickens it isn't 1t is nothing else.
and it is time for the interior to have
bite at the cherry. Why, the har-
Dor of New York has had its hands
in the federal treasury up to its arm
pits ever since the government had
an existence. Why has it not been
made to take care of its own harbor?
1t is rich enough. The federal treas
ury is an eleemosynary institution,
and is so considered by the seaport
cities, so let us who are residing in
| the great inland empire demand our
share of the swag. That's about what
| it is. And if it is a pork barrel, why
should not its contents be equally
distributed?
Because this great canal. hundreds
of miles in length, that will benefit a
great empire, causing reduction in
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