Year: 1877

loo, 100000 acres of land lavished
upon them for public Improvement,
while the West proper and the
South, entitled to more aid than
those sections, have received less
than one tenth of the amount. The
West and the Southwest are nearly
unanimous upon the subject of
national


FINANCIAL POLICY.


They insist upon the restoration
to honor of the old silver dollar
that formed part of the coin in
which we promised to pay bond
holders. They say that with the
recoinage of silver and the adoption
of government paper currency,
based not only upon gold and sill
yer, but upon tue faith, honor and
aggregate wealth of the country,
there would be a practical resump-
tion of specie payment without any
law on the subject. At the same
time the creditors of the Govern
ment would receive coin, just what
was nominated in the bond" or
gre 'nbacks, if they preferred, which
would be just as good. With a
large balance of trade in our favor,
there need be no fear about specie
to pay the interest on our bonds in
Europe.


TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.


The West and South Invest are
also interested in demanding such
increase of transportation facilities
as will enable the people to place
the products of their farms and
mines in market without losing half
their value in freight. The Missis-
slppi River, the natural channel of
commerce in the West, and which,
with moderate expenditure, would
furnish with its tributaries nearly
10000 miles of navigable water, is
comparatively useless in the present
obstructed condition of it's channel.
Western Representatives are unani-
nous in asking for such improve
ment of this great river and its
leading tributaries as will render
them available for the purposes OF
internal commerce.


EXTENSION OF RAILWAYS.


But even this would not supply a
tenth part of the transportation
needed now or in the near future of
the great valley. The waterways
must be supplemented by railways,
and there must be rivers of iron,
offering easy transit and transpor-
tation to every part of the West and
South. While the North and East
are gridironed with railroads, the
West and South with much greater
needs have vast districts of country
entirely destitute of this agency.


A SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY.


Amongst the present and press
ing needs of the great Southwest
is transcontinental line of railway
that shall be an open thoroughfare
between the Mississippi and the
Pacific. line free from discrimina-
ton, combination and extortion,
whose competitive influence would
save the country more than ten mil
lions a year in exoroitant charges,
now levied upon the people by the
Union and Central Pacific roads.
The Texas & Pacific Company have
already completed about 500 miles
OF such a road in Northern Texas,
and to speedily complete this road
over the 1900 miles between Fort
Worth and San Diago, ask the Gov
eminent, not for bonds or money,
but for a guarantee OF interest on
their own construction bonos to Sc
cure the sale without sacrifice, thus
enabling them to build the road
cheap and furnish cheap rates. To
secure this guarantee they propose
to give a first lien on their property,
the proceeds of the sale OF their
laads, of which they have is, 1000, 900
sores dunstsd by the ss4te Of Tex