196 Wisconsin State agricultural society. 
to pay tax upon the notes, thus taxing our property twice. This 
is unjust and ought to be remedied, as it it a heavy burden on the 
debtor class, and raises the rate of interest on those purchasing 
real estate. But I must turn from this unpleasant subject, for if 
I were to figure up the hundreds of millions collected of us every 
year in the shape of national, state and local taxes; if I were to 
show that our national government collected of us during the 
last ten years eight billion eight hundred and eighty-five millions 
of dollars, or an average of $885,000,000 a year, some of you 
might begin to think that our republican form of government had 
become an expensive luxury ; therefore, I will speak to another 
subject that we, as farmers, are interested in. 
Cheap transportation to the markets of the world, is one of the 
greatest wants of the present age. Not only is this true as re¬ 
gards the interests of the farmers, but all ether classes are inter¬ 
ested in having cheap rates of freight. The consumer as well as 
the producer, will be benefited. But whatever increases our ex¬ 
ports, so as to bring into our country large sums of money, will 
be beneficial to every one. If this was generally understood and 
acted upon, I think there would arise a call from all over the 
land, that would awaken to a sense of his duty the most obdurate 
old bourbon that now holds a seat in the halls of our national leg¬ 
islature, who opposes'legislation on this question. 
How to accomplish cheap transit between the western states and 
the Atlantic seaboard, is attracting the attention of some of the 
ablest minds in every section of the union. Self-interest will lead 
men in different localities to favor schemes beneficial to them¬ 
selves. The improvement of the Mississippi river is advocated by 
those interested in its commerce. The Wisconsin and Fox river 
improvement, has many advocates in our state. But by far the 
largest number of our people would be but little benefited by that 
improvement, even if it should prove practical, which I very 
much doubt. The various water routes from the lakes to the At¬ 
lantic have their advocates. It has heretofore been considered 
that canal transportation was the cheapest for heavy bulk freight, 
which is not liable to be injured by heating or moisture, which is 
sometimes the case with new crops of grain, or grain which has 
