Water-ways

Deaií Sie: I am glad to see that you hold your ground with regard to water routes. In a littlo time the public mind will be with you. In this State there has been a great change in the views of our people. High tolls, frauds aud other abuses had run down our cacáis to a point so low that most men thought their days had gone by, and that they would beof little or no use in the future. The railroads pushed them hard to get them out of the way. Ia 1870 we began to fight for low tolls. Atter a time they were cut down from 6 to 3 cents on a bushei of wheat from Lake Erie to the Hudson river. This was done af ter very hard work to bring it about. They were then put down to Ij cents, then to 1 cent over the whole length of the Erie canal. No one now makes war against these very low tolls, and a very large party has grown up which asks for free cañáis. Grain can be carried, and give the boats a fair proflt, for less than the tolls paid the State a few years ago. Six cents a bushei is enough to pay the State, the boats and all charges. The whole country has been stirred up about the kind of money we shall use. However grave this may be, it is a little matter compared with the question of our ability to sell to the world what we raise on our lands. If we con do this we shall have all the gold and silver we want. If we fail to do this we shall be poor, our credit will be low, and our money will be scarce 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. Those who come from Europe are mostly these who till the soil. A like state of things exist elsewhere. War may, íor a time, make a cali 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 sell our grain in Europe against those who raise grain in Europe ? We can, if it does not cost too much to get it there, and this will turn upoc a very small sum. The question is not, If it costs 3 cents more to get it to market, how much will this tax the States of the West? but, Will this little change stop the sale of our grain abroad ? The men who know the most about this trade say that at most times it will. If 3 cents proflt can be made it will be bought. If not, it will be left on the haads of our farmers tabear down the price of that which we use in this country. If it costs 3 cents too much tocarry grain, we shall lose many millions of dollars. If the West does not sell its grain it cannot buy of the East what the East has to sell. The wheels of commerce and industry will all be checkcd. To show you what the reduction of one-half a cent a bushei wili do, I send you the report of the Oomptroller of this State, which proves that, when about a year ago the toll was changed fromlj cents to 1 cent per bushei it brought back the trade to the Erie canal. I wish you would note the fact that this was not due to the large crops of last year. Less grain was sent to the seaboarcl in 1877 than was sent in ] 876, up to time the canals closed. What the canals gained last year the railroads lost, namely, about 18,000,000 bushels of whert, We do not know that there will be a war between 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 a victory ? No ond thinks of them more highly than I do. We cannot do without them. They have uses of their own whoich water-routes cannot meet. On the other hand, without water-routes they will and do charge more than they should. They have cost too much. They cannot live unless they make pools with eaah other. In other words, they say opeöly thftt it is not their policy to carry for a low price and thus make trade, but to carry less and charge more. They cannot mske 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 iñ Europe. They have tried to break down the lake, river, and canal routes in this country. They will fail as to the great lakes and the Erie canal. I do not know enough of the Mississippi river to speak about it. I hope its trade will be kept up. It may turn some from New York, but it wiil be for the good of the whole country, if it keeps the railroads in check. Thero must be a steamboat route from the Miasissippi river to the great lakes. It will not on]y carry much grain, but it will do much more good by keeping down oharges. Just now most men think the waterroutes have lost their value. The truth is, they grow in value as new railroads are made. The Erie canal was never worth so much to Now York as it is today. It carries at a low rate, aDd makes the railroads do the same. I am very truly yours, etc.,