The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1913-07-26
Unchanged by War.

saw here the same strenuous and sim
pie gentleman they had known before
ever the war began.
It was through the opening of the
Potomac, after all, the thing nearest
his hand-that q way was found tc
cure the country of its malady Of
weakness and disorder.
Washington had been chosen presf
dent Of the Potomac company, that II
might have the advantage both of his
name and Of his capacity In affairs ;
and he had gone upon tour OF in
spection, with the directors Of the
company. to the falls of the river In
the summer of 1855. keeping steadily
to the business he had come upon
and insisting upon being in fact 8
private gentleman busy with his owr
affairs, despite the efforts made every
where he went to see and to enter
tain him; and it presently became
evident even to the least sanguine
that the long-talked-of work was real
ly to be carried through.
Plan Riciicuied by Baltimore.
A visitor at Mount Vernon in the
summer Of 1855 found Washington
"uuite pleased at the idea of the
Baltimore merchants laughing at him
and saying it was a ridiculous plan
and would never succeed. They be
gin now. says the general, to look 8
little serious about the matter, as
they know it must hurt their com
MERGE amazingly"
The scheme had shown it's real con
sequence in the spring of that very
year, when it brought commissioners
from the two states that lay upon the
river together in conference to devise
plans Of cooperation.
Commission at Mount Vernon.
Both Virginia and Maryland had ap
pointed commissioners, and meeting
had been set for March, 1855, at Alex
andria. For some reason the Virgin
ian commissioners were not properly
notified of the place and time of con
ference. The meeting was held
nevertheless, minority of the Vir
ginian commissioners being present
and, as II to give it more the air Of 8
cordial conference Of neighbors
Washington invited the representa-
tives Of both states to adjourn from
Alexandria to Mount Vernon.
There they sat, his guests, from Fri
day to Monday. He was not formal,
of the commission; but conference
was not confined to their formal ses
sions, and his counsel entered into
their determinations.
Wants General Conference.
1t was evident that two states were
not enough to decide the question.
submitted to them. Pennsylvania, al
least, must be consulted before thu
full line Of trade they sought could
be drawn from the head-waters of thu
Ohio to the head-waters of the Poto
mac; and if three states were to con
suit upon questions of trade which
concerned the whole continent, VIII
should not more be invited, and the
conference be made general
Such was the train of suggestion
certainly, that ran in Washington
mind, and which the commissioners
carried home with them.
A Tour Of Inspection.
Every sign of the time served tc
deepen it's significance for Washing
ton.
Just before quitting the army he
had ridden upon tour of inspection
into the valley of the Mohawk, where
natural way, like this of the Poto
mac, ran from the northern settle
ments into the west. He knew tina,
the question of joining the Potomac
with the Ohio was but one item of 8
policy which all the states must con
slider and settle-nothing less than thu
policy which must make them an EN-
and petty confederacy
The commissioners did not put al
that they had heard at Mount Vernon
into their reports TO their respectiv,
assemblies.
Trade Movement Spreada-
They recommended only that, be
sides cooperating with each othe
and with Pennsylvania In opening
way to the western waters, Virgini;
and Maryland should adopt uniform
system Of duties and of Commercial
regulations, and should establish UNI
fum rules regarding their currency
But the Maryland assembly ;tse1
went further. 1t presently informe
the Virginia legislature that it ha
not only adopted the measure
recommended by the commissioner.
hut thought it wise to do somethin
+ more. Delaware ought to be consult
ed, with view to carrying a atraigh
water course, by canal, from Chess
peake bay to the Delaware river; ant
eince conference could do no harr
and bind nobody, it would be as wei
to invite all the states to confer wit
them, for the questions involve
seemed far-reaching enough to justif
1t, II not to make it necessary. Go,
ernor Bowdoin Of Massachusetts ha
that very year urged his legislator
I. to invite general convention Of tn
states in the interest Of trade.