The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-25
Only o Crumb.

The river and harbor appropriation
bill in Congress furnishes curious illus
tration as to the distribution of the pub
lie moneys. 1t is a heterogeneous mass
Of items, without any regular sequence
or order, and is so arranged as to secure
the support of the requisite two-thirds,
as few members will dare 10 vote against
an appropriation for their own districts.
The total appropriation amounts to near
ly 81, ,00O,0 900, in addition to which there
is q great number of new surveys order
ed, which will be the sources of new
appropriations next year. Of course,
many of the appropriations are justifa-
bic and necessary, but it is believed that
So, 100000 will cover the entire amount
of these, while the remaining S., 1000, 900
can and ought to be saved. Thousands
of dollars are appropriated to make rivers
and create harbors where nature has
scarcely given the hint of them.
AS has been customary in the manage
ment of government money, the North
ern States are given the lions share.
Leaving out of the account the SS40, 900
for the general improvement of the Mis-
sissippi River, as belonging equally to
the South and North, the Northern States
are to receive from this appropriation the
sum of S3,7S9,300, while the Southern
States are given $2,335, 500. The ine-
quality becomes more apparent when we
reject that, III past years, the dispropor-
ton has been even greater which leaves
more necessary work to be done in the
Southern States than if this section had
been drawing its quota regularly. In
fact, the figures are more nearly equal
than for many years, for the reason that
Southern Democrats are making their
influence felt to some extent, and we re-
gret to say in most partial manner.
Let US examine the figures to ascer-
tain how the case stands. This distribu-
ton is proposed as follows: Alabama,
$103, 900; Arkansas, S265,O00; Florida,
1000; Georgia, $4,000; Louisiana,
$4,000; Maryland, S93, 900; Mississippi,
$4,000; North Carolina, Sl35, 900; South
Carolina, $1,000; Tennessee, S461, 900
Texas, s2S3, 900; Virginia, $210, 500; West
Virginia, s272,000. Only the pitiful sum
of five thousand dollars for the river and
harbor improvement of South Caro-
lima, and what makes the matter more
humiliating, the crumb thrown in this
direction is set down to the credit of
Daddy Gains District Not that the
sable individual from Charleston has any
further interest in the matter, except to
cast his vote for the general scheme, and
thus help 10 swell the number of votes
pledged for this distribution.
1t will be exceedingly difficult, for the
reasons already assigned, to accomplish
any serious changes in the bill now be-
fore Congress. But the manifest injus-
tice of the measure as it now stands will
induce our Democratic Senator and Rep
resentatives to make the effort, at least.
If the combination already formed can
be broken up, so that each item of the
appropriation bill can be scrutinized and
discussed, there will be some chance 20
increase the amount for South Carolina.
Charleston harbor alone would demand
ten times the sum allotted, if the interests
of our commercial metropolis are right
fully consulted, and there are other To-
calities deserving recognition. Why not
make the Congaree and Broad Rivers
nsvigable for light draught steamboats, !?
Cblumbia Register.