Year: 1878

Water Transportation Routes BetWeen the East


and the West an Imperative NseesSItY-The


Railroad MOnOpOllsts Opposed to the Best In.


terestS Of the Country. ..


Senator wndomhas received very interesting
and valuable letter from Ex-Governor Horatio
Seymour In regard to internal water transporta-
tion In the West The whole country has been
stirred up about the kind Of money we shall use.
However grave this may be, 1t is a little matter
compared with the question Of our ability TO sell
TO the world what we raise on our lands II we
can do this we shall have all the gold and silver
we want. II we fail to do this we shall be poor,
our credit will be low and our money will be
&c arce and poor We are TO raise more grain than
we ever have raised. The changes Of times are
driving men from the cities into the country
TIL ose who come from Europe are mostly those
who will till the soil like state things exist
elsewhere. War may, for time, make call for
our grain, but we must not count upon war
which may not take place, and which, In any
event, will soon be over. Can we then sell our
grain In EurOpe2 We can, If It does not cost too
much 10 get 1t there, and this will turn upon a
very small sum. The question Is Motif II costs
three cents more To get 1t to market, how much
this will tax the States Of the West-but will this
little change stop the sale Of our grain abroad
The men who know most about this trade say
that at most times II will. II three cents profit
can be made 1t will be bought. If not 1t will be
left on the hands Of our farmers to bear down the
price Of that which we use In this country. II 1t
costs three cents too much to carry grain, we
shall lose millions of dollars. II the West does
not sell is grain 1t cannot buy Of the East what
the East has to SELL The wheels of commerce
will all be checked.


To show you what the reduction Of one half q
cent bushel will do, send you the report Of the
Comptroller Of this State, which proves that,
when about year ago the toll was changed from
a cent and half to cent per bushe, 1t brought
back the trade to the Erie Canal / wish you
would note the fact that this was not due TO the
large crop of last year. Less grain was sent to the
seaboard In 1877 than was sent In 1876, up 10 the
time the canals closed What the canals gained
last year the railroads lost namely, about 180O0,.


We do not know that there will be O war be.
tween Great Britain and Russia, but all must see
that we are TO have a long fight with Russia for
the markets OF Europe and upon this turns the
whole question OF the revival Of the trade and
prosperity of our country.


Can our railroads give us victory?


No one thinks OF them more highly than do.
We cannot do without them. They have uses OF
their own which water routes cannot meet. On



and do charge more than they should. They have
cost too much. They cannot live unless they
make pools with each other. In other words,
they saw openly that 1t is not their policy TO car
ry for q low price and thus make trade but to
carry less and charge more. They cannot make
pools with water routes, because each man owns
his own boat. For this reason English railroads
have bought up English canals to get them out of
the way. They have done this in other countries
in Europe They have tried to break down the
lake, river and canal routes In this country They
will fail aB to the great lakes and the Erie Canal


Isend you report made by Mr.. Richmond, Of
Buffalo which will give you facts Of great value
as to the great lakes.


do not know enough Of the Mississippi river
TO speak about 1t. l hope It's trade will be kept
up. 1t may turn some from New York, but II will
be for the good Of the whole country, If 1t keeps
the railroads In check. There must be a steam.
boat route from the Mississippi river to the great
lakes. 1t will not only carry much grain, but 1t
will do much good by keeping down charges.


once had an interest in this question. have
none now. only care for the good Of the coun-
try. am too old to take an active part in this
matter


I hope you will keep the lead you now have
You know more than most men about It, 1t deep
ly concerns your State, and your position In such
that you can do more than any other man. You
live at the point where the greatest water routes
of the world can be brought together, and from
which they diverge-one to the Gulf OF Mexico
and the other to the harbor Of New York. Just
now most men think that water routes have lost
their value. The truth 49,, they grow in value as
new railroads are made. The Erie Canal was
never worth so much to New York as 1t is to-day.
It carries at a low rate and makes the railroads
do the same.


am very truly yours, &c.


HoRATIo SEYMOUR.