Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-13
A Separate Bill for the Mississippi
River

The Senate committee, appointed at the
last session Of Congress 10 examine and
report upon the Mississippi river i'm
provement. are now discharging that
duty. There is no doubt that the commit
tee will report that the improvement
ought 10 be continued in accordance with
the plan adopted by the Mississippi RIVER
Commission. The committee are friendly
70 the Improvement. and il they were not
they could hardly make an unfrlendIy re-
port after seeing what the work already
done has accomplished. and what i Ger
tain 70 - accomplished when the plan Of
the River Commission 5 completed. The
improvement Will cost, Of course. a very
large sum, but the benefits which navi-
gable channel at all seasons Of the year,
from -. Louis 70 the Gulf, viii confer
upon the entire Mississippi Valley are 50
great that the cost ought to be a matter
II secondary consideration. The great
trunk lines Of railway, however, which
lead from the West 10 the East, and the
business interests Of New York city. viii
in the future. as they have in the past,
oppose the Mississippi improvement in
every possible way. These railways want
10 carry the grain Of the West TO the
seaboard. and New York wants To
handle it. With an open river 70 the
sea the grain Of the West will follow that
route because it is cheaper. The attacks
inspired by the railways and the press Of
New York on the last appropriation for
rivers and harb0rs defeated the river and
=rr l. c.Fea rod
that the last Appropriation was a steal,
because it was so large, and when the
time came for making another apprOpria-
fion timId congressman shrank from doing
their duty. OF the last appropriation
S4.oG0.000 was for the Mississippi river,
and if the appropriation for that river is
put in the river and harbor bill next Win
ter. the bill viii be as large, if not larger,
than the bill Of 1852. II will be attacked
bv every hostile interest. and the attack
viii be effective in proportion to its
amount. The Mississippi requires as
idrge an appropriation as in 1SS2, and
probably larger. The public work all
over the country need large appropria-
tiOus. because there was no appropria-
tons last session.
Il Is impossible, therefore, 10 make "A
small river and harbor bill. The Missis-
sippi river ought % be dealt with in a
separate bill. Outside Of New York there
is no great opposition to the Mississippi
improvements II Is now strong enough
20 stand alone and it would fare much
better by being dealt with alone. If it is
provided for in the river and harbOr bill
IL will not get near a. much as it viii if 1t
Is dealt with as separate measure.
Alone, il would get all the support il
would have in the river and harbor bill,
and would besides get the support Of a
majority Of those who oppose the river
and harb0r bill. Ii an Appropriation for
IL Is put I'm the river and haTbOr bill, the
amount Of the bill will be 50 large that it
may De defeated. Rather than risk the
chance Of defeat the friends Of the other
public works may Join the enemies Of the
Mississippi Improvement and defeat any
further appropriation tor il. The Senators
and Representatives who are anxious 10
secure appropriations for Georgia, Florida
and south Carolina rivers and harbOrs for
instance, while they are anxious to do all
they can tor the Mississippi river, will not
je0pardize their own interests in trying
to help the Mississippi Improvement, and
what is true with respect To the Congress
men mentioned may be true as TO others.
The Mississippi river is important enough
70 be dealt with as a separate measure.
and If it, friends are wise they Will insist
upon dealing with it in that way.