The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-05
Rivers and Har,ors !,

RIVERS ana Harbors.
The declaration OF Mr.. Cox, OF New
York, IN the House Of Representatives on
Wednesday last that the Democrats as a
party arc in favor Of the Improvement OF
the Mississippi river, \ worthy OF special
notice. Mr.. Cox is one OF the gentlemen
who Al the last session OF the House de-
nounccd and rldiculed the bill which was
passed making appropriations to rivers
and hsrbors. No doubt some persons will
be unkind enough to remind us that Mr..
Cox Is an aspirant to the Office OF Speaker
Of the next House OF Representatives, and
in order TO be successful in his candidacy
must get the votes Of good many south
cru members, and as Mr. RANDALL, much
more prominent candidate than Mr.. Cox,
has the support Of most Of the Democratic
opponents Of appropriations for the I'M
yproycment Of rivers and hsrhors, the latter
has found il necessary TO make friends on
the cptcr side.
This suggestion would apparently do in
justice 10 Mr.. Cox, who has always, we
believe, avowed Willingness TO Ate lib
eral appropriations 10 the Mississippi river.
But 1t would rot be unjust to him to say
that he has received new light upon the
subject. and all at this session find rivers
other than the Mississippi to bcwoithy Of
the attention OK Congress. Mr.. Cox has here
fotort been too exacting in his require
mcnts. lie demanded rivers running
through two or more STATES, or very large
rivers, when he was asked TO vote for n
yiyef-and-harhor bill. lie viii hereafter,
we Infer from bis remarks OF Wednesday,
manifest more liberal feeling on the sub
iect
Any evidence is gratifying which tends
10 show that the wants OF the South arc
hereafter to he taken into consideration III
distributing the benefits OF the General
Government amongst the people OF the en-
tirc country. In ante-bcllum days strict
construction Democrats from the southern
states rnade II a rule toeote, with Few en-
cepuons, against all appropriations for the
Improvement OF rivers aud har5ors. They
would not even vote money TO improve the
rivers at their own doors. J0BS s. CAsKIE
and JAMES A. Seldom, who in those days
represented the Richmond district In the
House OF Representatives, both babltually
voted, II we are rot mistaken, against APP
pppriating any OF the nations funds TO the
Improvement even Of the James river. Ii
was question Of principle with them, and
they proved true to their conscienccs.
The northern congressman, on the cou-
trnrv. whether Democrats or Wings, gene
rally even in these days took al the money
they could get for their constituents. 1t
was the worst kind OF "absenteeisn."
The money collected in the South was cx-
PENDED in the North. Fortunately the
revenues OF the National Government were
thea small compared with what they now
are: and consequently the South was not
impoverished by this bad system of col
iecting money in orr section and expend-
ing IL in another. But it was even then an
evil Of no little magnitude. We suppose
that a hundred millions Of the pation's
money have been spent in the northern
states for every ten millions spent in the
southern States.
The results OF the late war between the
states have removed nearly all these ques-
tlons Of constitutional construction. 1t
we're insane folly to refuse appropriations
now for our rivers on such grounds. The
Federal Government surely has the right
to improve our rivers IL it has the righ: to
tax the products OF plantations, TO deny
TO planters the right TO cell where they will
the tobacco grown on their own land, 70
dlct;ae the manner in which our elections
shall be held, to prosecute our best citizens
in Federal courts, TO appoint marsLals and
supervisors to overawc our voters, aud to
do all sorts OF acts which before the wa
were clearly unconstitutional. Let us have
= paternal Government Ii We are to have
centralized despotism.
What win the metropolitan press say
q! Mr.. Coxs 1t does not matter what; for
we suppose the congressman from the city
u New York care less what IL said about
fhoir votes and speeches by the papers OF
that city than the congressman from any
other city or section care for home criticism.
With TIC Nation, the Erenin5 Post, the
Commercial Advertiser, the Times, the
Tribune, snd often the Herald, advocating
tie measures OF the Republican party, that
city nevertheless regularly every year mani
tests magnificent contempt for those pi-
pcrs by rolling up Democratic majority
al fifty thousand or more. We take it for
Granted, therefore, that Mr.. Cox viii not
trouble himself 10 attempt to placate those
enemies OF riyer-and-harbor bills.