Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-06
THE PLAN OUTLINED.
[ Continued from First Page.

Mississippi below the alluvial deposits and
carving or making it carve for itself course
in the underlying clays, thus securing to the
lower river States good drainage and free
dom from washouts.
Subsequent papers will contain drawings
OF the sectional balanced automatic mov-
able dams, portable jetties and balanced
| quick-acting locks; and further, demon
stration of the fact that only by lowering
the bed of the Lower Mississippi below the
level of the adjacent land can we be assured
of safety from future disasters too APPALLING
to be imagined.
In order that these navigable waters may
not threaten the health of the inhabitants, it
will be further necessary to pass laws for
bidding the cities on their banks to sew
er into them. There are at present in
practical operation systems of sewerage sep
aration which have been demonstrated by
years of successful practice to be profitable
business enterprises from the valuable
fertilizers which are saved, aside from their
beneficial effect upon the public health, and
in view of which it is a reproach to US that
we continue to pollute our streams with
what we could readily convert into a source
of wealth.
The Federal Governments Work.
In order that such system as is here out
lined should serve the purpose for which it
is created, it is necessary that it be operated
by authority in accordance with we'll
digested plans. 1t would, therefore, prop
erly be under the permanent control of the
Chief of Engineers of the United States
Army, manned by trained men, enlisted and
of rank according to their several stations,
and operated with that vigilance and pre-
cision which is best attained by military
discipline. An outline of the method and
its mode of operation will be suggested in a
later paper.
1t is beyond question that this is public
work beyond all precedent in its cost,
extent and far reaching effects upon our
country and upon our people.
Since the time of the Roman Empire
there has never been suggested any system
of national roads, and the first thought of
MANY people will doubtless be, that this is
an undertaking too vast for our energies,
and too expensive for our means; and
that it is proposed to pledge the Government
to vast outlay to attain ends, one
of which at least, that of securing means of
transportation, had best be left to private
enterprise. But to that argument it may be
replied, that il one man, a citizen of the
United States or an alien, were in position
certainly to lose his life unless speedily
succored, and if it were In the power of
our people or our Government to
rescue him, we would move as
one man, pour out our money
aud risk our lives to save him. Such
deed appeals to our humanity and to our
love of glory. 1t stirs the popular heart,
and the successful rescuer is enshrined in
song and story among the heroes OF our race.
Demanded by Generosity and Justice.
We are humane people, loving one an
other and serving one another to the
extent of our ability. and the
first appeal to justify works of
this character must be an appeal to our
humanity and brotherly love. Instead of
pressing to save one life, to accomplish
which the people would undoubtedly spend
millions, it is proposed to save thousands of
lives; instead of rescuing one man from
danger it is proposed to rescue a whole
nation from certain death; instead of carry
ing food and succor to handful of perish
ing heroes in an Arctic hut, it is proposed to
carry redemption to million people in the
fever-stricken regions of the South. This
action is demanded not less by generosity
than by justice.
The action of nature and the accidents of
history have SO organized the Mississippi
Valley that at recurring periods the drain
age OF the populous and prosperous North
ern portion. 1t is not justice for the North
ern portion to reap the benefits and leave to
the Southern portion only the losses and
misery. We ought at least to provide a
suitable sewer to our own houses and not
drain our waste water upon our neighbors.
property.
The inhabitants of the high and we'll
drained Northern section should assist, in
proportion to their wealth, to provide a
system of drainage which will insure to all
the inhabitants of the Mississippi Valley
an equal chance for health, and not, by
sinking their responsibilities, entail upon
the dwellers in the Southern section the cer-
tainty of yearly recurring fevers.
A Strictly Constitutional Undertaking.
To the argument that it is not proper
function of government 10 undertake work
of this nature, let us reply that it is the
proper function of Government to assure to
its citizens life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, as was publicly set forth upon
we'll known occasion. No one can question
that this work will save life; no one can
question that 1t will insure to all
the people of the Mississippi Val
lev a liberty they do not at present
enjoy, and that is, the liberty of free ex-
change of products one with another. At
present no extended traffic or intercourse is
possible except along the lines of very
highly organized railway system, the nature
of which requires to the successful discharge
of the duties of a common carrier, such per-
fections of organization, such far-reaching
combinations, and the command of such vast
sums of money and armies of organized
laborers, as to be limited to very few
people. These people, by the nature and
duty of their position, are entrusted with
powers greater than should be entrusted to
any single citizen in constitutional Gov
ernment. Their action has repeatedly
shown that they yield to their temptations
and subvert the powers at their
command from a proper purpose-that of
common carriers-into engines of oppression,
of robbery and of corruption. Instead of
serving the natural growth OF the country
they retard it in one place and grant to
their favorites and co-conspirators in
another place privileges and iavors, which
are paid for by the people, thus robbing the
people to enrich the favorites of the corpora
tions and the officers thereof. The desire to
make dishonest profits has led to unjust
combinations, to attacks upon public and
private morals, upon the public purse, and
upon the property of private citizens, and to
selfsnly endangering the lives of railway
employees and the people indiscriminately.
The Crimes of Corporations.
There are few crimes which have not
been committed by corporations in the pur-
suit of illegal gains; not because the officers
of the railroad corporations are weaker or
wickeder than other men, but because their
temptations are greater and because they
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