140 POLITICAL LIFE -VI 



the State ; people asked the meaning of it ; various exag- 

 gerated legends became current, one of them being that he 

 had thrown the gavel at me personally ; and Mr. Wheeler 

 became president of the convention. 



But before the close of the session another matter had 

 come up which cooled still more the relations between 

 Judge Folger and myself. For many sessions, year after 

 year, there had been before the legislature a bill for estab- 

 lishing a canal connecting the interior lake system of the 

 State with Lake Ontario. This was known as the Sodus 

 Canal Bill, and its main champion was a public-spirited 

 man from Judge Folger 's own district. In favor of the 

 canal various arguments were urged, one of them being 

 that it would enable the United States, while keeping 

 within its treaty obligations with Great Britain, to build 

 ships on these smaller lakes, which, in case of need, could 

 be passed through the canal into the great chain of lakes 

 extending from Lake Ontario to Lake Superior. To this 

 it was replied that such an evasion of the treaty was not 

 especially creditable to those suggesting it, and that the 

 main purpose of the bill really was to create a vast water 

 power which should enure to the benefit of sundry gentle- 

 men in Judge Folger 's district. 



Up to this time Judge Folger seemed never to care 

 much for the bill, and I had never made any especial effort 

 against it; but when, just at the close of the session, cer- 

 tain constituents of mine upon the Oswego Eiver had 

 shown me that there was great danger in the proposed 

 canal to the water supply through the counties of Onon- 

 daga and Oswego, I opposed the measure. Thereupon 

 Judge Folger became more and more earnest in its favor, 

 and it soon became evident that all his power would be 

 used to pass it during the few remaining days of the 

 session. By his influence it was pushed rapidly through 

 all its earlier stages, and at last came up before the Sen- 

 ate. It seemed sure to pass within ten minutes, when I 

 moved that the whole matter be referred to the approach- 

 ing Constitutional Convention, which was to begin its ses- 



