The Progress., 1893-07-08
where she will stop over day or two.

part of "a politicians par
Il urur, IL ga -tro"g ar-u-
m,ut AGAINST women entering ~u.h 20
dcid. \ woman may Give m lrunN'
but in a vali~c-ucvel'
NIr. blanchard on the Lc,c" Question.
SHREVEPORT. La. July ,. lN93.
Editor PEoGRE,S: Returning from
Washington yesterday. attcran absence
Of two weeks. my attention j. arrested
by editorial. in your columns on the
subject Of lcvec. and outlets, wherein
am asked whether favor lcvoos ~
means Of protecting the valley oi the
Mississippi river from floods, or favor
outlets. or the two combined.
shall attempt no discussion OF these
questions at this time, nor do under
stand you to ask that discussion. on |
desire merely to know my position on
them.
For many years have laborcd dill
gently in Congress to bring the Federal
government to the full recognition oi
/ it. duty toward, the Mississippi river
| considered it, dutH - the great river
to be two-fold: first to improve its low
water navigation: second 10 oprevent the
river from becoming terror to those
who dwell in It's lower valley. ! rcco@-
nizrd that the floods which 50 greatly
damaped us i'm Louisiana were not the
result of the rainfall on our state nor
any half dozen States Immediately north
of us: but were the result Of rainfall on
that vast area extending from and in
cluding part of the State of New YORK
I to far away Idaho in the distant North
west. All the water that dcscends on
this immense drainage basin must una
( il, way to the sea througl the soil oil
e the State Of Louisiana.
; As the Mississippi river, therefore
u drains two-thirds of the area OF the
5 American Unions indeed the great
y sewer. or drainage canal OF this whole
.couutrv-it is but right that the hanc
!. of the Federal government should DC
: mt forward to stay it from becoming az
Il instrument Of destruction - those Wh'
y inbabit its lower valley. The power
Congress to improve the navigation O
the river was admitted by all
'h Ths power of Congress to do tina
:" , which is necessary to ba done to pre-
- vent its Hoods, was and Is strhnuoueI
is denied by many in and out OF Congress
-. step by step tn opposition tothe la
he fer has been broken Gown until, in tn
~ last Congress. we succeeded in Pa'.in
NJ an act which authorized an cNprnditW
IN If ten millions of dollars in four yea
'tr ON the lower river. and the wording
~ this act is such that this money II 70
- expcnded for the twO-fOld purpose
.nd improving the navigation Of the rlv
and protecting its valley from Hoods.
Some fourteen years ago. before | e
49,, tered Congress, that body hai pass
ost an act creatinx the Mississippi .rlV
urs commission ana placing the great rlv
,ch under its jurisdiction. They were
do study the river, its phenomena. the la
her Of its currents. etc, and provide pla
fall for the improvement of its navigate
ION They were even. at that early day,
was rectcd to 90 further and enquire c'
cerninc its floods. their cause, the D
'a,,, methods of their prevention, etc II
a., commission was to be composed OF
,,,n oineer officers of the United sta
las coast and geodetic survey and oi
the or two two gentlemen in civil life,
any engineers.
The commission was duly appoint
her The great engineer, Eads' was one
ings its first members. They entered NJ
'ha' the duty assigned to them.
he' Theirs was the province of say
wy, what treatment should he applied to
' river to improve its navigation and |
vent its floods.
Mine was the province, with 9th
nsrs of securing from Congress the mo
eek. to enable the commission to do its VIC
ARP, In the domain of hydraulic engine
er is ing | am a layman. | do not assume
been saw what is the best treatment to az
While 70 the river. | leave that to the el
val neers who are given the matter
ue- charge. For many years men OF
'aus profession of great ability have STUD
,.h,e the river: they are still studying it.
.eva- We should not become impatient.
{ has is not to be eXpecteu Vla' ereaO !,
of a raj feature of the earth, like the
has sissippi river, can be curbed and
ac- strained and harnessed in few ye
will NJ, In oven a decade. 1t took the pc
ana of Holland six hundred years to pei
a great system of dikes to rescue
country from the ravages of the
nestuous North sea. But they-a I