The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-05
Tn. miss,.slpp, Lsvsss.

ceeds of the cotton tax levied shortly after
the war, a tax which was always felt by them
to be oppressive, shall be devoted to this
purpose. We consider this proposition only
a sort of ft-handed way OF getting large
appropriation. The cotton tax yielded
about sixty millions; the money is no
longer in the Treasury it has long ago been
expended, and when anybody now suggests
that the proceeds of the cotton tax shall be
given to improve the Mississippi he, in
fact, only says indirectly that he would like
to get sixty millions of dollars. formerly
paid into the Treasury by the planters OF all
the cotton States, to improve river which
runs by few of them. What he wants is
sixty millions. II the Southern men Will
take our advice they will moderate their de-
mands in this matter. They do not need
sixty millions; the work can be done, ac-
| cording to the highest estimates, for forty
five millions, and we believe it can be ef-
fectively done for much less.
| We have few suggestions to make to
| Congress and to the people of the States
especially interested in this question.
In the first place, we hope the present
| Congress will not consent to any small APP
| preparation OF two or three millions for
wasteful patchwork on the levees. Long
| experience teaches that this is only to throw
money away. 1t is time to begin to adopt
a thorough, well considered and scientii-
cally correct system and to work upon that
until the whole is completed. Congress
ko kha ,,1,n X
ought to call to its aid the services of expert
engineers, and when it makes an appropri-
ton this should be to begin the real work
never yet begua--of leveeing the whole
river in permanent and effective manner.
We do not believe the country will object to
the expenditure of large, even very large
sum, for this object if it can be satisfied
that the work is to be well done and will be
effective when completed and so far rs COM
pleted. But it will look with just dislike
and suspicion upon any attempt to repeat
the usual petty appropriation which has SO
often formed part of the general river and
harbor steal.
thorough and permanent !evee system
must begin, as oil authorities admit, above
the mouth of the Ohio. 1t must probably
be extended for some distance up from their
mouths in all the lower affluents of the
great stream. It ought to rectify, SO far as
can be done, the course Of the river and in
doing this we suspect a great deal of very
rich land could be redeemed and made sus-
ceptible of cultivation. 1t ought to embank
the river in such q manner rs everywhere to
aid it in securing out its bed, for otherwise
the levees will have to be made higher
every few years; and if the federal govern
ment is to do this work, rs seems necessary,
it ought to undertake it with the under
standing that when done it shall lay n tom
mage tax sufficient at least to keep the whole
great work in repair. ~-
Fortunately Congress does not need to
delay for preliminary surveys and investi-
cations. 1t has before it the elaborate re-
port OF the United States engineers, Gen
erals Abbott and Humphreys, which con-
tains not only the facts of the great river.
but also matured plan for its improve
mcnt. Besides this there is another plan.
put forward by Captain Eads, of jetty fame,
United States engineers and holds that on
his own theory of the river he can embank
it more cheaply and far more effectively.
1t ought not to be difficult to decide between
these two plans indeed, if it were not that
Captain Eads appears to be winning nota-
BILE success with his jetty system at the
mouth OF the river, against the opposition
of the United States engineers, it would
probably be thought needless to consider
either his ideas or his arguments AS it is,
he ought certainly to be heard.
Another piece of advice We have to offer
levees, and doubtless this will be n great
advantage to them and eventually to the
country, but it is going to cost good deal
OF money. Let them be a little careful not
to ask too much for other objects. Neither
Congress nor the country is in the humor
for great expenditures, and if proposition
to appropriate dozen millions or so for the
improvement of the Mississippi should turn
up in company with hundred million
river and harbor omnibus bill and n lot of
subsidies the whole mass would fall and
necessary and proper work would be delayed
and perhaps put off for years. The country
is not rich enough to be wasteful, but it is
rich enough to carry on all necessary public
improvements, and such we believe the
leveeing of the Mississippi and the Harlem
River improvement to be. The danger to
such enterprises when they seek public aid
lies in getting mixed up with jobs Of various
kinds and being condemned because they
are found in bad company.
In thus cautioning the South against
making extravagant or miscellaneous de-
mands on the federal Treasury we must not
be understood as looking upon improve
ments of the, Mississippi as Southern or