The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-05-20
River improvement.

0CIJ"SOt NAVt Sdu w aiNUtuIO
has lately made Il speech in the
Senate Of the United States in op
position to any and all appropria
tons tor building Levees upon the
Banks Of the Mississippi river to
protect the lauds in the valley OF
the Miss issippi from overlows
and foundations. AS Senator
Morgan lives in a State that has
40 rivers of any consequence. and
10 lands liable to inundation from
the foods Of the Mississippi his
speech can occasion no surprise
to any M acquainted with the
~antecedcnts OF EoLrbon Demo
cracy.
From the foundation Of this
Government down to 1861, the
Democratic party, standing upon
what they were pleased to term
the rights of States, steadily op
posed any system Of Internal I'm
provements by the General Gov
ernment, asserting that those
vera the duties appertaining to
individual States, and not to the
United States. In the meanwhile
the Democrats of the North uui
ted with Those of the South in OPP
position to any appropriation for
any public works in the Southern
part Of the country, whilst enough
OF them always tripped up, just in
the nick of time, to carry any ap-
preparations asked to improve
some little creek or spring branch
ia the Northern section OF the
Cnion. The consequence was,
that, whilst millions wen, to the
improvement and benefit Of the
North, the South got nothing.
The Democracy, az Il soothing
}plasteF' to their constituents rode
over the country cursing Henry
Clay, the latchets Ct whose shoes,
they were unfit to buckle.
Aud now the dried up branches
of this stupid Bourbon tree pre-
tend that they can find no authori
IT, TO Justify TIE Congress III ina"
gurating measures aud furnishing
means 10 save the ~alluvial lands
of the Mi>siSsipp Valley from pc
riodical foods aud disasters. An
lhority has been found however,
to expend millions on top Of mil
lions, to clean out, and improve
tue channel Of every Western and
Northern tributary that flows into
the Mississippi river, SO that
when the fo0ds come, the water
held back by no obstacle, rushes
falsously and Immediately into
the main river III such volumes
that the channel cannot Garry it
off, causing it 10 spread all over
the valley, carrying ruin desOla
ton and misery in lis course.
IT authority Gait be found to
throw all the rains Into the river
at one dash. why can hone be
found to enable the Maih river to
transport them at once into the
Gulf OF Mexico, But Mr.. Morgan
and his narrow minded cOmpeers
pretend that the Government
must not build levres because
, that will improve the lands adja
! cent to the river, protected by
. them.
t Does not the expenditure Of
2 thousands Of dollars improving
: the rocky and shallow streams ul
!. North enhance the va.ne Of the
4 lands on the sides OF Those streams!
Is there any difference to the land
holder, whose lands you double ol
q 9uad,uple in value, whether you
, 60 it 10y blowing tie rocks out Of
: the bottom Of the crct ks or by
= building levees on the sides of the
, river. Such selfish views are Oh.
worthy the notice OF progressive
, men, at this day.
The Mississippi river mus,
be improved the fertile valley
on either side must be protected
, from such disasters and suin az
have visited the inhabitants ther,
in 1882.
This is y settled point. 1t is NJ
: longer II question of argument
> MI. Morgan may make such speech
cS as the one referred to, to his cor
stituents in Alabama, but if ht
lived in Louisiana he would never
uake another speech in the hall,
of Congress after his present tern
expires. No man OF such views
Can ever receive any future SUI
/, port IRON the voters of Louisiana