The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-16
THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT.

tNeW orleans DemOcfat.)
The New York Times strongly opposes
the improvement of the Mississippi river,
on the ground that it would chiefly re.
dound to the benefit of the western cities
and states, while the expense would have to
be borne in large part by other sections 1t
thinks also that some large railway interests
would be injured by il and that the cities of
the Atlantic coast would not be benefited
The Times is an able paper, and we are as
tonished to find in its columns all article so
utterly destitute Of reason and logic. We
would not have been surprised to find such
narrow views expressed in the columns of
some journal edited in the interest of, and
owned by, the eastern railway magnates,
who are beginning TO feelthe competition of
the river route; but we thought that, out
side of politics, the Times entertained
broad and statesmanlike views.
Fortunately the interests that are involved
in and which demand the improvement of
the great national and natural commercial
highway are too numerous and powerful to
be successfully opposed any longer by the
once irresistible power Of the north anC
east in congress. New York and the east
ern Atlantic cities and the eastern railwa
interests car no longcy dictate and shap
legislation on the subject OF internal i'm
provements; the voice of the west anc
northwest and south and southwest viii
hereafter be heard insisting upon fair anC
equitable expenditure of the government
funds-the peoples money.
The inhabitants of the Mississippi valley
cannot be further deluded into the belle
that the improvement of He'll Gate IS {
matter of national Importance, and that thu
Mississippi river is only small stream o
purely local importance to cities of thu
west and to New Orleans.
They will enter respectfully but earnest
ly the protest made by the Indian in tn
well-k known transaction in which the whit
man rendered him the buzzard every tim
and as carefully retained for himself tn
turkey. They have been, so to speak, to
10! these many years RECALLED on buzzarC
and now naturally call for change of
diet which is neither appetzing nor health
iul.
To drop unsavory metaphor, however, W
may say for the benefit Of the Times an
those who, like 1t, oppose the improvement
of the river that little more than one-ha
of the entire population of the Unite
States are deeply interested
this matter and propose
secure such legislation as will maxi
the Mississippi the grandest carrier
the world, blessing to this whole cou
, try and to the world at large. The hui
} dreds of millions of dollars that have be-
saved TO the producers of the west since Il
ietties were built have had the effect
=, building up a powerful support for u
river route, and the fact that grain Can
shipped to Liverpool from St. Paul, Min
via the Mississippi, cheaper and to bett
advantage than via railways and canals, b
gained for the river numerous and pow,
full friends. The east has been fairly su
ported for years past by government none
appropriations have showered thick al
H. fast upon her and she has Jared SUMPTION
n lyevery day. There are other guests at u
banquet, however, who, though forced
= sit below the salt heretofore, propose ne
to assert their just claims to a fair share
10 Al L.