Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-31
OPPOSITION TO MIsSIssIPPI KIyEE
IMPROVEMENT.

IMPROVEMENT.
Every now and then come Eastern paper
breaks out into TRADE upon The improve
ments making at the national expense in the
Mississippi river. Men Of science and skill
have studied the problem the river presents,
made themselves acquainted with the dlit-
culties TO be encountered, and they nave
demonstrated the way Of overcoming these
difficulties. These men haze put their pro-
fessionsI reputation upon the plans 'hey
have reccmmeded, and after long and care
full inquiry and thorough examination Con
gress has taken the matter in hand. Not
witbstsndiDg all This, sIn ali souls who have
not the understanding TO comprehend, OF
still more, who are determined to misappre-
bend, every few weeks start out with The
most sbsurd objections to all that il dsne
and is doing. The Mississippi problem ie
not always cOmprehended, even by ihose
who are we'll acquainted with that river.
To such as have not that acquaintance,
unless they are we'll versed IN certain
hydr ostatic principles, the problem requires
profound study and thought, bui-Iike the
we find persons whose expressions show
the bitterness Of their ignorance upon the
subject, pronou9cing the most absurd and
unwsrrantsble adverse conclusions. There
are two snimatipg motives for iheEe InI>rep-
reeentations: one is The absurd Jealousy
many business men in the East feel at the
thought OF the Mississippi river being
sazvigatgOp The
other is the effect Of disappointed feelings on
the pert of persons whose proposed plans
for the improvement OF the city were reject
ed. 1t is impossible not 10 feel some symps-
thy with men who devoted thought and toll
for years to the great object OF improving
the river for purposes of navigation, but it
was impossible that ali could be successful.
Some one plan, taken as whole, necessarily
proved better than the rest, and it was he
duty of those having the business ia hand
to select that plan and carry il out
Such being the case, for the disaI-
pointed ones TO seek sort OF revenge by un-
Justly depreciating those who had succeeded
in the contest, and to raise up opposition ard
obstruction 10 the successful plan being car
ried out, is neither wise nor justiiable. The
opposition of the East TO the improvement
is generally to be found only among those
narrow minds that think that what the peo-
pie Of the Mississippi valley glin il
commerce by the extension OF BUSH
ness on the great river, will be 50
much taken from their railroads aud
their commerce. The futility of such
an objection Is apparent on the face OF ii.
Suppose that in the frat instance the COM
merce Of the East should lose something
that it POSSESSES now,-f the increase Of BUSH
ness in the Mississippi valley results in in
crease of products, of trade, of exports along
the Gull of Mexico and to South America,
thus cansing new cities to spring up and O,d
ones 10 ircrease in population, and thous-
ands Of acres Of land 10 be cultivated that
now lie ids. would not the East do an amount
of additional business with the valley that
would compensate for such loss over and
over again? But there would be 10 such
less. As soon as The river is 80 far opened
az 10 admit Cf free navig alton ct all tImes, q
degree of activity aud progress will spring
up that will at once immensely increase the
demand fer geods from the East. Short
sighted indeed are they OF New York, or
Philadelphia or Boston who regard Missis-
eippi Improvement as a blow aimed at their
commerce. Prosperity in the Mississippi
valley means activity 10 Eastern trade.