The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-24
The Government and Rivers

The Government and Rivers.
Various measures are Submitted, and
all ID the interest Of private advantage,
for Government action in regard to some
of the principal rivers OF the West. One
of these schemes is to induce the Gov
ernment to undertake the building OF
leyees along the Mississippi to restrain
its waters from overfowing the lands
ofthe South. This will require millions
OF money to build, and other millions to
preserve. The money proposed to be
lands proposed to be protected are the
lands Of private individuals. And why
public money should be taken for pri-
vate advantage, is in such case a nat
ural Question not easily answered.
We are told that the magnitude OF the
undertaking is beyond the reach of any
private means. And SO it probably is.
But that dues not imply that the work is
Of such high and imperative necessity
that the Government must at once as
6umC bAO ACppOub1UlilbJ VI eO fdou uh Ch-
terprise. 1t so happens that other riv-
ers overflow their banks. 1t has so
happened, and within the twelvemonth,
that farms have been desolated, crops
ruined, and their owners subjected to
Immense losses, by river inundations in
the Ohio Valley, on the Wabash, in
Maine, and in Massachusetts. But no
no one has uttered a word about asking
the general Government to appropriate
the funds OF the nation to dixie the banks
of those rivers in order to protect lands
liable to inundation from their overflow.
And yet these also would be undertak-
ings beyond the scope of private means.
Before the war, the leyees Of the Mis-
Bissippi were the works of States, as
well as of private liberality. The lands
enhanced the wealth Of the several
States concerned, and added largely to
the taxable property of such States.
Those States always have been and still
are sensitiveiy jealous of the interfer-
ence of the National Government in
State affairs. And yet their representa-
tiyes now modestly ask the National
Government to build, or, rather, rebuild,
the public works of those States with
national funds. But not word is whs-
pered in favor of applying national
funds to like works on any other river.
Were 1t 30 that such appropriation of
the public money were requisite to i'm
prove the navigation of that river to any
important degree. the claim for national
aid might well be presented; both be-
cause the nation at large is directly in
terested in the subject, and because the
subject itself is one which the Constitu-
tion has specifically charged upon tie
duties OF the Congress OF the nation.
But when such appropriations come to
be sought for as a means of bettering
private estates and for promoting indi-.
vidual interests, the subject assumes
altogether different aspect, and such
rs to remove 1t beyond the jurisdiction
Of Congress.
Another feature OF Congressional in
reference with our rivers is in the mat
tsr Of granting permission, to private
corporations to impede navigation by
The construction of bridges across nayi-
gable streams. TO this, our Ohio River.
by reason OF its solid banks and fixed
Bhannel, seems to be peculiarly exposed.
A measure is even now pending for the
construction of bridge here at our own
city of such character as to effectually
sbstruct the navigation OF the Ohio. This
Is proposed in the interests of our South
Brn Railroad enterprise. While It is
true that this road is q favorite with
the city, it does not follow that our
citizens would consent to the destruc-
hon of our river navigation for the sake
sfthat road, or any other. To build a,
railroad bridge as now proposed, without
Rdraw for the accommodation of steam
boats, would be suicidal thing for Gin
pinnati. 1t would virtually make Lou
Jsville the head OF navigation on the
Ohio River.
The Ohio has already suffered too
much from this indifference of Congress
as to protesting public commercial in
terests dependent upon the navigation
Of this important channel Of Interstate
communication. Other bridges con-
nected with private interests are spoken
Of and contemplated of such a-character4
as must ultimately render the Ohio
River an unnavigabis stream for any
craft beyond a scow or dredge. The
requirement. Of these vested rights in.
private corporations by special grants
from Congress will hereafter be the
source OF infinite mischief, hardship,
ana wrong to public interests In con-
nection with the navigability of rivers
such as the Ohio. 1t behooves our Con-
. sressmsn to see to It that these great