The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-02-02
OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
patluCah News.

VI lHE MISDlcOlIIl.
Paducah News.
What will be the outcome of the Missis-
sippl river improvement is yet a matter Of
doubt. There arc energetic western men
in Washington doing all they can to have
the matter considered separately and as an
original proposition, but the Committee on
Commerce persistenty objects to this mode
OF settling the matter. They desire that it
shall come into the Omnibus River and
Harbor Bill and let the Mississippi take its
chances with all the little creeks and mill
dams of the North. This committee is COM
posed of Gibson, Louisiana; Washburne,
of Illinois; Townsend, Ohio; Harr, of Mich
igan; Guenther, of Wisconsin; and Rich
ardson, Chandler, Ward McLane and Ross,
of the Eastern States; Page and George, of
California; Reagan of Texas, and White, of
Kentucky.
The construction of the committee indi-
Gates that no concessions will be made to
the West, and that the same old plan of
giving the West bite while the North and
East gorge themselves will be adopted
The demand of the Western men has been
formulated. They want appropriations as
follows $3,000,000 from Cairo to New
Orleans; $1,000,000 from Cairo to
St. Louis, and 100000 from Cairo
to st. Paul, This demand is very moderate
considering the fact that the mississippi
is the greatest water thoroughfare in the
world, and that il passes through the great
est grain and agricultural region now
known, and that its uninterrupted naviga-
ton will benefit such large area of the
territory of the United States Nothing un-
reasonable is asked of the government
New York harbor alone has had more than
ten times that amount of government money
bestowed upon it to improve and make it
secure, and all the coast harbors north have
been accommodated in the same way. Now
the west and south asks q pittance from the
| government to improve great national wa
ter thoroughfare 1000 miles in length,
which passes through nine or ten of the
largest and finest states and territories on
the continent, and it is only just and
proper that their wishes should be complied
with. Let the creek and mill dam propo-
sitions which come from the north be con-
sidered by themselves and stand upon their
own merits, and let larger and more inn
portant propositions be also considered sep
arately. But, if the committee is obstinate
and obdurate, and will not listen to reason,
let us not pursue the dog in the manger
policy, and because we can not get all we
want, vote against all appropriations for
the improvement of our rivers and harbors.
A half loafis better than none to hungry
man; therefore, if we can't get all we want
let us take all we can get and patiently
wait till treason resumes its throne,n il
there is any such thing among northern
members. 1t is likely something decent
will be done towards the improvement of
our great water thoroughtare and if such
is the case it is quite as likely that the un-
navigable creeks, and the mill dams of the
MOTH will as usual receive the lions share.
After while, however, it will dawn upon
the minds of the middle and New England
States that there is largo population liv.
ing on the west and on the south Of them,
and that these people will ultimately assert
their rights, and maintain them.