The Osceola times., 1882-03-18


A universal appeal to the General
Government is being sent up by the
people and Press Of the country for
an appropriation for the protection
of the Mississippi Valley from future
overAows. If further argument in
favor Of such an appropriation were
needed than those already advanced
by almost every newspaper in the
land, we would mutely point to the
general destruction, dcstilution and
devastation wrought by the break
ing of levees and the flooding of the
country. But, in our humble opin-
ion, the proposed application Of the
necessary appropriation to the build
ing of levees alone will never accom-
plish the object sought to be gained.
The levee system ha. proved TO ho
a failure; the Eads Jotty system,
without constant dredging to oremovc
the sediment deposits is also a failure.
The futi!ity Of the mud-hanks have
been too painfully demonstrated du-
ring the past few weeks, and unless
they are built i'm connection with
some outlet or waste system, such as
the typographical nature Of the coun-
try would indicate, and as is being
so ably advocated by Capt. John
Cowdon, Levees of themselves can
but always be a source Of apprchen-
sion during times of high water, lest
at any time, with the pressure Of the
supcrabundance Of water confined in
a narrow channel, they should break
and endangcr, not only the property,
but the lives Of those living behind
them. Capt. Cowdon's idea is, that
you can't pour barrel Of water into
a quart cup without running it over.
Those living in front of the leyces
are in less danger and have less cause
for apprehension than those living
behind them.
The following extracts on the sub
iect we clip from the Western Live
Stock journal, of st. Louis:
The present disastrous overflow
and the mpllncholly condition of the
Mississippi Valley is the best argu-
ment in favor of outlets. Let the
Destroying foods be turned out.
The n. O. picayunc, a ictty and
leyec organ, and opposed 10 outlets,
points out the escape Of the floods
down the Atchafalaya ms the only
hope Of escape of the country below
the mouth OF Red River. The last
dispatches from Washington repre-
sent Capt. Eads as advocating the
slosure of this outlet, SO that the de-
struction below will be complete.
We agree with the Globe Demo
crat that Congress has no coustitu-
tional right 20 build a lcvce ON the
Mississippi to protect from overflow.
The benefit is local and the burden
should be borne by the local inter
ests. Yet the system proposed by
the Commission (Which means Capt.
Eads) under a technical name is in
reality the ievce system in disguise,
while the ietty organs in Louisiana
openly advocate the Levee system.
If one-tenth of the money spent
in the last ten years, in the states of
Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana,
in vain attempts 20 keep up ieyees.
or oue-6fth of the money squandor-
cd by the government on the plans
of engineers in the same psriod, had
been devoted to relieving the chan
mel and drawing off the floods through
outlets, the great basin would be to-
day hike a pleasant and fruitful gar
den, instead of a wide waste Of howl
ing waters.
The Globe-Dcmocrat in yester-
days issue makes u feeble plea in ia
vor of the system of protection from
! ovprnot, t,r,Dosad bv tho pivor Cow, .