RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS » 



I live in and have the honor to represent a congres- 

 sional district about the size of Delaware, that does not 

 have a yard of navigable water in it. It is covered with 

 the richest soil on the face of the earth and, in fact, if it 

 were proposed to dig a canal through that district as wide 

 and as deep as the one proposed by you, the people would 

 hesitate about spoiling so much good land. At a banquet 

 a few years ago in the little city of Pella, a gentleman 

 was called upon to give a toast to the town. He said, 

 ' 'Here's to Pella; she spoils a good farm." 



Gentlemen, you must remember that the edge of any- 

 thing is only valuable when it is the edge. What makes 

 Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Wilmington im- 

 portant is the fact that they are upon the edge of the 

 great West. Two hundred years ago my paternal an- 

 cestor settled on Indian Creek, down in the lower corner, 

 the jumping-off place in Delaware, and I have always 

 felt an interest in Delaware ever since I heard its name. 

 Now, this enterprise that you are interested in is valu- 

 able because of the great country in the rear which has, 

 through these channels, an opening to the outside world, 

 and here you will stand and take toll as our products 

 come and go. Down at Norfolk they are planning for a 

 great exposition to commemorate the settlement of 

 Jamestown, which was the greatest event that has oc- 

 curred since the birth of our Savior. There it was that 

 the first commonwealth was founded. There it was that 



i Speech by Hon. John F. Lacey, of Iowa, at Board of Trade banquet, 

 Wilmington, Delaware, January 9, 1904. 



