The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-02-27
RIVER & HARB0R APPROPRIATIONS

Whenever the discussion of any
measure appropriating money TO,
works of public Improvement
comes up before Congress, and es-
pecially in the case of the river and
harbor bill, we hear again that old
argument about wealth and taxes.
The South, said one of the men,
bers of the House the other day,
pays only 30 per cent of the taxes
of the country, and yet asks for
more money for the improvement
OF its harbors than the North. In
one form or other we hear this ar
gument every session, and of all
the propositions before Congress it
is the worst and most inexcusable.
If this government was based on
wealth; if a mans political power
depended on his fortune, or a
States influence on the amount of
internal revenue it yielded to the
government, then these gentlemen
might have some faint-yery faint
excuse for pretending that the
appropriations for the harbors of
State Should be in exact propor-
tion with the taxes it yields, and
not in accordance with the necessi-
-ty of its rivers and harbors. But
this has never been the case. When
the South was the richest portion
of the Union, when Louisiana and
South Carolina, in proportion to
wealth, were ahead of Massachu-
setts and New York, they never
laid claim to any more political in
duence or power on that account,
and always abided by the demo-
cratic doctrine, that the people,
not money, ruled, and that the
government undertook public en-
terprises and improved It's rivers
and harbors because this was need
ed, because the improvement would |
be of value and interest to the
commerce Of the country, and not |
because a State paid so much in |
internal revenue or customs. This |
latter doctrine will bring about the
most extraordinary results. Lou
isiana, with its 1900 miles Of navi-
gable streams, with 24OO miles more
hat could be made navigable at
small cost; New Orleans, the out
ct of the entire Mississippi Valley
will receive less for rivers and har-
,ors than Colorado without a mile
# navigablc water, simply because
hat State pays more in taxes.
Such an argument will never
tand, and the members of CON-
'ress who propose this division Of
he river and harbor fund as if it
vas stolen plumber, will soon find
necessary to desert this PROPOSE
ion. The true principle of river :
nd harbor appropriations cannot
e doubted ordisputed. The gov
rnmcnt ought to undertake such ,
Enterprises as are of the greatest /
enefit and value to the people,
'ithout regard to where located.
N unequal division of the appro- ,
ration naturally follows. Amin ,
ind State docs not need as much d
one bordering on the coast; and .
State filled with rivers and streams y
likely 10 get moro and ought to
t more than one which is river :
80. Michigan nearly always fig E
res 1t the head of the river and y
arbor bill, Is It consists Of two !
sninsulas fronting ON two lakes, 2 2
It'll = greater coast line than any I,
her State in the Union. This is Il
oper, and no one can complain
It or inquire how much tobacco :,
whiskey the State manufactures. !, !
he Mississippi river and its trib- !,
aries, which are of interest to =
ore people than all other rivers r
d streams in the country togcth- e
naturally come in for : large Z
n. And the South should also. E, E.
or nearer three fourths b,
Our Atlantic seacoast lies south ~
Mason and Dixon's line; two q
irds Of our navisable rivers are e
the Southern States. Including = =
- 4 ~