Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-31
The River and Harbor BIN.

The River and HarbOr BILL
The river and harbor appropriation
bill is now in the hands of the President.
1t sppropriates for the improvement OF
the rivers and harbors of the country
nearly $19, 600 0OO-the largest sum, we
believe, ever voted by Congress for this
purpose. In view of this enormous and
reckless expenditure of the peoples
money, there is some probability that
Mr.. Arthur may interpOse his veto to
the bill, and it is announced from
Washington that the chances are
about equal for and against his
approval On account of the useful pro-
visions of the bill-the Improvement of
the Mississippi, and of the streams and
harbors which are recognized as neces-
sary to the commerce of the country
and the draining of the Potomac flats,
which are claimed to fill Washington
with malaria, thereby endaugering the
valuable lives of American statesmen
the measure may receive the Executive
signature. Still there is no doubt that
the people are greatly inclined to grum-
BILE at the 1ecklessness with which
their money has been voted away for
the alleged improvement of mud creeks
and branches scattered throughout the
country. aud which. if the entire surplus
of $50 600. 900 in the Treasury were
expended upon them, could not possibly
be made navigable for anything much
larger than canoe. This will naturally
be a strong inducement to Mr.. Arthur to
return the bill to Congress vetoed.
Much as we would dislike to see the
sums appropriated for the Mississippi,
and for harbors like our own, the i'm
provement of which is conceded to be
essential to the prosperity of the entire
country, jeopardized by veto, it must
be admitted that this river and harboT
bill as a whole is one of the most out
rageous swindles ever perpetrated upon
the American people by even Republi-
can Congress. If the streams included
in the bill could possibly be rendered
available for commerce it would be a
different matter, for then, sooner or
later, the people would get their money
back with interest. But as it is, the ma
ioritv in Congress, knowing that the pro
vision for the improvement of the Missis
sippi would necessitate an unusually large
outlay, and that this and other meritori-
GUS items would most probably command
the success of the bill, loaded it down
with all sorts of amendments, and their
purpose in doing so was manifest. They
knew tina. the alleged rivers which they
claimed needed the public money to rem
der them navigable could never be sue
cessfully improved, but the opportunity
to get their arms up to the elbow in the
money lying in the Treasury vaults, and
distribute it around among their COIL
stituents, so as to make capital
for themselves, was too great to
be resisted. Hence it was that
every Radical Congressman-and doubt
less a good many Democratic ones also
began busily searching the maps of
their respective districts to ascertain if
they could not find thereon some creek
of which nobody knew anything, but
which would afford a pretext for a
Treasury raid. We shrewdly suspect, too,
| that it was not alone to thus make per
sOnal political capital that instigated
our Federal Legislators to adopt this
course. They saw in it also splendid
chance to secure a campaign fund at the
peoples expense, for this money, if
the bill finally becomes a law, will be
distributed pretty generally throughout
the Northern and Western States, and
that it will be expended less for the
ostensible object for which it has been
voted than for securing Republican sue
cess in doubtful districts, hardly admits of
doubt. The effort thus to secure parti-
san campaign fund at the expense of the
| x-payers of the country is simply infa-
mously outrageous. 1t may be, too,
that besides these objects of the majority
in Congress in loading down the river
and harbor bill with all sorts of wild cat
amendments, some of the Republi
can members, knowing that the South
would this year - and for
the first time in nearly century-re-
ceive considerable benefit from the bill,
desired to kill it, and took this means of
doing so. If this theory be true they
will find themselves badly deceived,
since the improvement of the Southern
rivers and harbors provided for in the
bill are absolutely necessary, and
even if not carried out now, must
| sooner or later be effected.
Look at it how we may, this
bill must reflect discredit on the
party in power. If Mr.. Arthur ap.
proves it, the people Will understand
that he is impelled thereto by circum-
stances, but they will not be likely to
forget the effort made to, through it,
rob the Treasury either for the benefit of
individual politicians or to procure a
campaign fund to be expended in
securing Republican success. If he
vetoes it, the people will realize that
work most important and necessary for
the general welfare has been thereby
prevented, and they will know full well
upon whom to place the responsibility.
Under any circumstances, therefore,
whether the bill becomes law or not,
it will prove an unfortunate piece Of
legislation for the Republican party.
7. hoe olroo5x, boo,, oDponncad nv tela-