National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-01
THE INUNDATION.
CAN PROTECTION BE AFFORDED 2

To the Editor Of THE REPUBLICAN,:
The unparalleled food now devastating several
OF The States bordering upon the Mississippi River
having aroused public attention to the importance
OF congressional action in regard to that great
artery of commerce, will you allow me TO empha.
size the magnitude ofthe interests at stake, well
as the necessity for prompt action on tho part OF
the Government, by few pertinent facts and fig
ures2 II will be admitted that no government can
owe higher duty to its citizens or subjects than
the obligation to protect their lives and property
and this obligation becomes only the more imper-
alive when the citizens or subjects, as the case
may be, have faithfully performed their duty to
the government by meeting all needful burdens
and exactions. If this proposition be accepted
the claim of the jewellers in the great valley of the
Mississippi upon their Government for protection
TO life and property stands upon an immovable
foundation
SINCE THE INAUGURATION
OF our system of internal revenue these Valley
States have paid into the National Treasury more
than billion and third Of dollars in the shape OF
internal revenue Alone to say nothing oftheir pro-
portionate share of import duties and other bur-
dens. The internal revenue thus paid by the
States lying in the Valley Of the Mississippi cons
tutes more than halfo the entire amount collected
from all the people of the United States, and when
We remember that the commerce borne upon the
broad bosom of our inland sea Is greater in
amount and value than our entire foreign COM
merce II would seem that the demands which
come to Congress for the improvement of the Mis-
sissippi river and the protection OF life and
property upon its banks, should be entitled to
more respectful consideration than is to be i'm
piled from the words "job,' Subsidy" raid on
the Treasury" &C., so freely applied to appli-
cations for an appropriation for that river, Sup
pose 1t should cost fifty millions of dollars to
make the navigation Of the Mississippi
SAFE AND CERTAIN,
and at the same time protect the lives and the
property of the people VINO dwell upon its banks
So far from IFS being robbery of the Public
mating IT, II Will only be return 10 the people OF
one twenty seventh of the enormous sum they
s Ssys of u tf The sSes Of %
Arkansas and Louisiana, noS suffering from the
greatest Hood known TO this COuntfv, have since
the war produced largely over 80 0O0.iS bales OF
cotton, thus adding more than s8,OOOOOO,0 20
the national wealth. Aud right here l may say
that II the nlluvial delta OF the Mississippi be
protected from inundRtiOn the States named arc
capable Of producing more cotton annually than
has ever been grown in one year by all the cot
ton'producing States combined
IN ADDITION TO THIS WEALTH GIVING
product Louisiana has enough of the the best
sugar lands in the world, II they can be protected
from inundatlOn, to produce annually more than
100000 tons Of sugar where we now produce les
than 100000 tons ana more than 100 100000 gallons
OF molasses where We now produce only little
more than l2OOOOO0 Of gallons. In the year 1880
we imported 73O,5l9 tons of foreign sugars and
900 gallons OF molasses, while In the single
State of Louisiana we have the capacity 10 pro-
duCe more than double what the entire country
now consumes, thus keeping millions Of money
paid for foreign sugars and molasses ut home
thereby enriChlng our own people instead Of pour
ing our wealth into the lap OF strangers, lt APP
pears TO me that the facts herein embodied arc
worthy OF the attention Of Congress, and II you
Mr, Editor, will aid me in reaching the ears and
ne eyes OF that august body YEN Will 2tlSast