The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-28
OUR ENGINEERS AND THEIR WORK.

In taking stock Of our political and mate
rInl condition ne affected by tho accession OF
the Democratic party to power In Loulaana
| th@la ia perhaps no moro gratifying item IN
tho Inventory than that which eouttina tho
| record ri tho labors and achievements of our
Aingincer Department. From time to iimo
the DEMOCRAT has calleI attention tothlasuF-
| j"Ct and endoavorod To keep before tho people
| the admirable and economical management
| Of tho poopl0's money In thla most important
| branch Of government. We have shown TINT
| although tho Nichols administration camn
into onioe Mt time when tho levnnn were
probably NJ their worst whom tho wholesale
devastation of tho gront food Of 1871 had
boon added to by tho very high water of M,
and again or ts76 although thu Democratic
government was oompGllod to appr0ach II
problem Of This magnitude and difficulty with
greatly diminished means, the result has
hcen really astonishing Altar less than three
years We find ourselyes with our levee aya-
tom practically oomploto. Tho Morganzn
lcvoe has not hNen rohuilt but only because
tho commissioners or tho dstrrt requested
that IL should be- left untouched Tho Bonnet
Carro creyaaa,7 still rNmalna. and this Ia to bo
regretted. though itR effect upon planting In
terests Is practically inapproeIah.o. but other
wiso tho entire leven ayatem has boon re-
habiltated and II now on better and moro
permanent basis thnn IL hna heen for very
many years. Tho only quarter In which We
arc Threatened undor my ordinary circum-
stances Is through tho Crrvaesos In tho south
onetorn corner of Arkansas where the leve.4
are still down nud where there ia no protection
against high water A Hood entering through
these breaks would find It's way Into tile
Macon mud subsequently. II OF very grnat vol
umn into tho renaas. and thus overflow one
uf tho largest and most valuable cotton dis
trlClR In tho South. This. however, cannot BE-
guarded agninsL by any leven building south
Of Tho Al ltnnaag limo. and must ho provided
for hy adopting tho bin to cretto the inter
state levee district rs heretofore explained In
these columns. Apart from this contingency,
tho nlluvlnl llnds OF tho MIsgssippt valley
within tho boundaries Of Louisiana ar, rca-
sonahy safe from danger Of Humiliation, nnl
upon this showing tho people arc to to cor
daily congratulated
Viewed IN any light. however, tho situation
is certainty cradltnha In II Ugh degreo 10 the
Chief Engineer. Major Il. Nj Iarrad and to
his assistants. Majors Richardson and EIar-
dc. These gentlemen compose tho Board or
State Engineers. and II is 10 their professional
SKILL their executive talent and their unre-
mltting industry and zeal under tho super |
Vision OF Gov. Nichols, that tho State Is |
indebted for tho gratifying contamination
AB they have laborod with diminished and |
often inadequate means, SO have they gone
thoir ways modestly and without ostentatlon
or vangloriousnoss. They have boon content
to let their work spoak for thcm md, white
recognition thus obtained Ia often more tartiy
than that which Is oxtorttd by solicitation, IT
Is unqueRtionahly tho most honorable and
These gentlemen will retire with
The outgoing administration. AMI 1t Il unror-
tunnte that only two of them arc eligible,
under tho new constitution, for roappoint-
ment. Major Iarrod holds an important
post upon the Federal Mississippi River
In which. however, he can CON
inue his great services to tho people of
Louisiana whilo serving the nation nj largo
ho now constitution provides In article i53
hat no ono holding an office OF trust or profit
lndcr the general government or under any
u tho other States. or under any foreIyn
power, can ut the same time hold an Office OF
rust or profit under the State OF Louisiana.
This would of course disqualify Major Har-
cd SO long as he retains his Federal position,
which we trust may DO until the great work
by Congress shall have been
concluded. But tho two geu-
lomen who have been his eoadjutors during
h. past two and n half years still remain,
nd we know Of no direction in which tho In
ominR administration could look for more
apable conduct of the public business or with
~ tn rrfnrn,, q IL tho rallL lie nj