The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-09-04
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 1913

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 1913.
Removals. of Government OGciats--A NoUet
Schsme--Ihe Florida EUerglades--Senator Vest
cott-Great Destruction Of Snakes, Aaiga-
tors, dc.-Ihe Democratic dssembldge Last
Night-A Dialogue Bet,ceen I1co Members of
Coagrcss-Ihe Steamships.
The removal of B. F. Butler, for his political
heresies, does not surprise us. The walking pa
pers of Marcus Morton, collector of the port of
Boston, were made out to-day dozen others,
"of the same Sort" will shortly keep them COM
pany.
An interesting report was made by the Commit
tee on Public Lands, two days before the adj
Journment Of Congress, and has just been issued
from the press. The navigating interest, and the
mercantile interest," of the Atlantic cities and of
Mobile and New Orleans, should not lose sight of
the valuable suggestions contained in it for the
prevention Of wrecks on the Florida reefs
Statements of an authentic character show that
more than million of dollars worth of property
is annually lost on the reef.
The draining of the everglades, or rather the
cession of that region to Florida, is the primary
subject principally treated OF in this report; and
visionary as the scheme was thought, when
Senator Westcot, last year, first brought 1t for
ward, he, has, in our opinion, made a case so
strong that Secretary Walker, Commissioner
Young of the Land Office, and the Senate COM
mittee on public lands, by Judge Breese its chair
man, have yielded, and endorsed his project. A
report by Mr.: Buckingham Smith, Of Florida,
who was appointed by the Secretary of the Trea-
sury, in 1917, to examine the glades, figures con-
splcuousy in the document, and is a well written
and able paper. dozen Of the first officers of
the, army and navy, and of citizens acquainted
with the locus in qno have given letters speaking
in the most favorable terms of the project The
Florida Senator, If he succeeds in effecting his
be known in history as "Old Everglades Just as
Col. Benton Is as sold Bullion" General Jackson
as "Old Hickory Colonel Johnson as "Old Te-
pbe Tyor as od dRS%ngn and
rons:" If one half of his predictions be realized,
the distinction OF having. conceived and brought
forward the measure, will be one that any States
man of any country might envy 1t is to create,
rasses swamps, fens, and snk-holes, a new
State, greater in extent than Rhode Island and
Delaware put together, and larger than the
resort of all kinds of imaginable reptiles, from the
mantle. or sea-cow, Tor walrus, species Of the
phoca weighing two thousand pounds, one Of which
Col. Harvey killed In lsi0) down to the tiny mus
quito and sand fly, and including every variety of
snakes, and choice assortment OF alllgators,
frogs, and terapins, lizards and bugs, and trans
mognfy IT INTO orange, citron, lime, lemon, pine
project, even in this day of wonders. What are
we coming to-! Steam engines, lightning telegraphs
railroads, and the daugereotype, have been invented
annexation Is pretty well understood, and is now
a
we have plan to make new country, out-and-
out alb ora, or rather ab Sranpo' We should not
be surprised were some genius to propose to make
new planet, and set 1t agoing in 1" ethereal
emptlye right to all the lands in 1t, and If 1t can
be arranged and settled IN advance that there shall
be no dispute about the Wilmot proviso principle
of free soil. 1t is said that the chief drawback to
the senator's feelings OF exultation at the fair
prospect of the good success Of his scheme Is that
it will cause the cruel destruction Of myraids Of
innocent "varmlnts" The determination of ALI
gators and snakes that will be occasioned by the
draining Of the everglades, will be beyond con-
ception. They will be unswamped by the process
he proposes, and tumbled, not into the Potomac
where he wanted to tumble President Polk about
year ago, but into the briny ocean; which, it Is
supposed, would be as disagreeable to them as
Salt River to the vanquished politician. A geolo-
CYST has limited the draining the gades of seven or
eight feet water from region of hundred and
fifty miles in length by fifty In width, may possibly
occasion an upheavlng OF the limestone rock be-
meath and thus relieved from the superincumbent
quake. 81 don't care fg." said the senator in
reply, "for your earthquake. If Congress will
give my State the land, or drain 1t at the public
expense, they may pass an act directing an earth
people from raising lines for the punch-drinkin9
Yankees and, upon the whole, prefer 81 ght
sprlnkling OF earthquakes and volcanoes; TOR tney
would give US some variety and scare on the aDo
lIonists."
Should nothing more interesting be presented as
the substance for letter, may again advert 10
the subject in my next communication.
On Thursday, the Rough and Ready Club, as
you have already been informed, heid meenngm
lauded and Gen. Cass abused, by the wing menu
bers OF Congress. Last night. per contra, a large
crowd was on the free soil' IN front of the plat
folm, near the U,ion Office, where, among other
eyposed bv two other members OF COnQre S. Messrs,