The Rock Island Argus., 1881-10-29

would be contented with anything that had
an appropriation In it, while another
wanted the money all to themselves and
were unwilling to divide.
The scene at ST. Louis is just such an
other. The convention was called for the
purpose of advocating the further improve
ment of the Mississippi river. In order to
make the convention national, delegates
were invited from every quarter. At once
the trouble arises. Delegates from Missis-
sippi river points will have nothing but
the river taken into consideration. Those
from the Missouri and Ohio, insist on the
'larger tributaries Then comes along
the smaller tributary men, and want to
strike out the word larger" and insert
''navigable," meaning thereby anything a
scow will float in. Then others arise and
want creeks improved that are not nav
igable but can be made so, that is by an
expenditure of more money than any ben
fit that would ever come out of it. And
so it goes on al aauseam. The truth of
the matter is that the whole of his busi-
ness is grand fraud. We do
not for a moment wish to be understood
as being in opposition to internal improve
ments. Anything of that nature that is
a benefit and useful we heartily second. We
belive in improving the Mississippi; we
believe in building the Hennepin canal;
we believe in improving the Ohio and
Missouri; anything that will yield return
on the investment. But the way in
which these improvements are secured is a
fraud it is a farce, little worse than steal.
1t is the old story of ''you tickle me and
l will tickle you" When the question of
securing an appropriation will come up N
Congress next winter something like this
win ensue
The member from this district will prob
ably move that money be set
aside to build the Hennepin
canal Then member from some point
on the river will draw him aside and sug,
gest that if he will consent to an amend
ment which will look to the improvement
of the river, all the river members win
vote for it, There the Ohio and Missouri
members win have their amendments in
serted on the same conditions. After that
the members who have in their districts
smaller streams will likewise secure appro
as the price for their votes,
until in order to secure votes enough to
pass the bill and its multifurious amend
ments; every district in this western coun-
try, which has creek in it big enough for
q mud cat to swim in at high water,
will rejoice in the possession of an appro
priation to improve that creek. In
this manner was the lost river
and Harbor bill spliced together; it was a
steal, q bare faced fraud, and
yet Mr. Updegraff of Iowa was the only
river member who had the man
hood and courage to fight it. We here in
Rock Island had an appropriation in the
last two years of taoeI0e thousand dollars to
and .tioe hundred was spent in dredging out
the harbor in front of the city; where the
rest has gone to is a conundrum.
If bin could pass congress, that was in
aid of some needed improvement alone,
It would be right, but to saddle such aid
with money and supplies in aid of Col. Sci
Iers scheme is an outrage. Every congress
man knows that there is nothing he can do
that viii so help him at home and increase
5he chances of his selection as securing
IN appropriation for his TOWN district; and
SO for the sake of that appropriation he
puts price upon his vote in aid of
schemes that otherwise would be meritori
ous. If the river convention in St. Louis
would act in favor of one project, throw
Ill others aside and try to carry that pro-
ect through congress on its sown merits it
would set good precedent. The project
would doubtless fail, but that failure would
De honest Any buying up of votes by
adding amendments is dishonest, and u
fraud.