The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-02-04
!. The mississippi River system.


District, delivered very strong speech
a few days ago, in favor of giving the
entire jurisdiction over the subject Of
improving the Mississippi river and its
tributaries to the Committee on Levees
and improvements of the Mississippi
River. and on the general subject of i'm
proving the navigation of that stream
and its tributaries. In discussing the
subject, Mr.. Chalmers said:
The internal commerce Of the country has
been growing so rapidly that il now equals
the external commerce, and IN many respects
their interests are divergent The railway
commerce has increased so rapidly that II has
created a necessity for the improvement of
water-Toutes OF transportation to lessen the
railway exactions IN rates.
again, the rapid and recent increase in our
exports of heavy productions, such as wheat,
corn meat and cotton seed meal makes 1t es-
sential TO improve the facilities of water car
riage because these heavy products are I'M
able to pay the cost of railway ira nsportation,
and these are principally produced in the
States bordering the Mississippi RIver-and
its tributaries. These States have been class
fled in the census as the Mississippi River
! system and the Pacific system and this Mis-
slssippi River system contains Los, 3S3 square
miles. and exceeds the area of the other Sys
( TENS combined by $50, 303 square miles. This
Mississippi River system Is not only great in
territory but equally great in population, and
under the census as it now stands las a ma jor-
ity OF the electoral votes, and when the new
apportionmeut is made that majority will
be largely increased. The interest OF this
system - one, and it is unified and bound
together by nature. Ii is interviewer by the
Mississippi River and its tributaries, which
percolafe and sustain it the veins and ar
teries percolate and sustain the human sys-
= l. och, L.
through a single channel 10 the sea, bearing
+ upon their bosom the rich productions of its
varied climates 10 the markets OF the world !;
and If there IS any one interest in the United
States which demands separate consideration
+ by separate Committee it is the improve
ment of the Mississippi River and its naviga-
BILE tributaries.
/ In this connection | ask the Clerk to read
/ the following extract taken from the memorial
OF the Convention held ia Quincy, Illinois, In
October, 1879.
The Clerk read as follows:
/ In 1879 the total production of wheat in the
/ United States and Terri cries was about four
hundred and fifty million bushels. OF this
amount the Mississippi system produced over
three hundred million bushels, nearly twice
much as the others combined. OF corn the
whole country produce. in round numbers,
fifteen hundred million bushels; the Missis-
/ sippi system produced nearly twelve hundr
million, or four times much the Others
/ combined. OF other cereals of cotton and hay,
.
hogs, and Of all products not included in man
utactured articles there was produced in the
river System an amount in value exceeding
one and half billions OF dcllars a sum
that staggers the ina gination TO contemplate
/ The summary would not be complete without
considering the manufacturing interests and
/ capabilitie, of this region. Careful calcula.
lions, recently given 10 the public by emf
nent stafistician, detailing the growth and
progress in this particular, shows that it will
soon equal if il does not surpass, the older
communities in the orth and east. few
facts Of growth will Indicate what the near
alone, which in 1850 had less than one hum
bred miles of railroad, and few or no furnaces
produced as many iron rails as the entire
country did in any year prior to 1860.
Ia the same year the four States OF Illinois
Missouri, and Kansas produced 276, 703 tons
of rails. more than 30 per cent. of all made in
the UAited States. In that year the total pro-
duction of rolled iron of all kinds in this
country was $50 SO tons OF which the States
of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan
Missouri and Kansas produced. one-seventh
The price obta ned for the surplus fixes the
value of the whole production, the home
markets generally rules at the price of the
foreign, less the cost of the transfer. Thus the
saving to the people of the valley who till the
soil of one cent a hushel on wheat and corr
for the year 1879 would, according to the
figures of production, aggregate sum total OF
cearlv S15,000G00 1t is not unreasonable tC
;
the Mississippi River will lessen the freight
carriage of cereals alone to the seaboard al
least five cents bushel, which gives, in
round mum beTS 9t5,U50.U0O per year on the
present yield Your memorialists are, there
fore free to declare that the cost of the i'm.
provement, whether it be ten, fifty, n hun
bred millions Of dollars, will not deter the
people by its magnitude since the saving to
the producers and taxpayers, on two articles
alone, viii annually equal the highest sum.
Mr. Chalmers Mr. Chairman there are
still other reasons why the appropriations for
this Mississippi River and its tributaries
should be taken from the Committee Com.
merce and given to a separate Committee
The rule, as proposed by the amendment
limits the appropriations TO navigable waters
There will be no danger, therefore, that the
money of the Government will be thrown
away in dry creeks aud spring branches. All
admit the constitutional power ofthe Govern
ment to make Impro ements of these great
nayigable steams; and those of us who desire
their improvement are unwilling that our APP
preparations shall be ieopardized or stigma
iized by association with the Kiskiminetas
If it is necessary that appropriations for such
steams ; the kisk nctas should be carried
in omnibus We are unwilling that they
shall ride in cur bus or at our expense.
There is still another reason. The Com
mittee on Commerce was created for the pur-
pose of considering external commerce; and
II NAV sometimes hap pen that the interest of
the Atlantic sea-eost commerce and that OF
the Mississippi River system much OPP
posed 10 eaCh Otuef tnlt IL WOulu be unFalr 10
permit any enc committee to represent both
/ interests.
Every Committee of this House should be
actuated by the same motives and should be
equally anxious TO do just exactly what is best
for the interests of the country. Nor am an
advocate of that other doctrine, that n mere
reduction of expenditures without regard to
the interests of the country is either wise
craftsmanship or popular legislation. The
people of the United States are neither idiots
nor niggards; they are perfectly willing at
any time TO justify and sustain any proper,
constitutional, and well-guarded appropria-
ton of money which promises to develop
largely the resources Of the country.
The Eads' jetties gave a deep-sea en-
trance at the mouth of the Mississippi River
and the whole ountry has applauded the ap-
preparation.
The Mississippi River and its tributaries
should be deepened. 1t is a work of great
national Importance, and yet, as has been
well said this great channel through its en-
tire extent, is to-day, impeded with wrecks
checked with sand-hars, hristling with snags,
and millions of dollars worth of property
have been kept out from the markets of the
I world in consequence. Only last fall il was
stated that firm in the city of Saint Louis
had failed for large amount because thew
had sold wheat which they had in hand but
could not deliver from want of water on the
bars. of the river.
Mr.. Chalmers. To proceed, sir, l have sim
ply TO say that reduction in the cost of trans
portatlon IN two single articles, wheat and
corn, will more than pay in every year the
I appropriations that have been made for the
/ improvement of the Mississippi River and
the reduction in the single item of insurance
will more than pay hundred times over for
pulling all snags out of the Mississippi River.
/ And yet, while 500 600. 900 have been, through
the bills coming from the Committee on Com
merce, expended on other rivers and harbors
only S7000000 have been expended on the
/ Mississippi River and its tributaries as
stated by the Quincy convention. This alone
should entitle us to the amendment we ask
/ This is certainly, then, great work of ma
/ tional improvements, one which even the most
strict constructionist in the House could main
tain and it deserves therefore separate con-
sideration it deserves that its interests
should be taken. away from that omnibus bill
which carries along with it many appro-
priations that you, sir, and others are unwil-
ling TO vote for.
The Representatives of the Missis-