The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-05-08
A NATIONAL HIGHWAY.


Mississippi river floods, and the idea
has been advanced in many quarters
that the general government should
take charge of the entire system of
levees and general river improve
ment. But the present flood, the
highest and most destructive We
have ever had, has brought the ques-
ton face to face before the people;
and not only the southern press, but
influential journals all over the land
are openly advocating the necessity
of the general government taking
the levee system in charge.
The Mississippi river is a great
inland sea. According to the Plea
yune, it drains an extent of territory
equal to one half or more of the ter
ritory of the Union, excluding
Alaska, an area of million and a
quarter square miles. 1t supplies to
commerce more than 1900 miles Of
navigable water, over which passes
millions of dollars in goods, mer-
chandise, produce and everything
produced by the hand of man. In
times of war, as in the late civil
struggle, it is used as a means of
both attack and defense. All of
this water comes rushing down upon
the three states of Arkansas, Louis
lana and Mississippi, vast ava
lanche carrying everything before it
when it breaks through the levee
line, leaving death and destruction
in its wake.
The states alone, with the pres
ent mcagre' assistance of the general
government, cannot cope with the
floods that come upon US in the
spring. To keep out the water
requires much larger leyees, almost
double the size of the present ones,
up and down the entire stretch.
This means. double the amount Of
money now available. II is an i'm.
possibility for the states TO raise it,
and the appropriations made by con
gress are insufficient. In the mean.
time the waters come up, and this
year have actually run over the tops
of some of the levees. Now to say
that'such a system is success is
farcical. No system can be a sue.
cess when crevasses occur everytime
we have a food. The general gov
eminent should take charge of the
river question, just as the dykes of
Holland are kept up by that govern
menf.
Every high water we get the
waters from the states OF New York,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, North Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,
Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wis
ecnsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakotah,
North Dakotah, Montana, Wyo-
ming, Colorado, New Mexico, Okla
homa, Indian Territory and a part
of British America, which list has
been compiled by the Pnayune.
All of this water passes by the parish
of East Carroll, with the exception
of what sweeps through crevasses
and browns out our neighbors.
Over this great flood the people of
the northern states send their coal
and grain to the Gulf in barges and
bear noae of the hardships which
we have to stand.
Such papers as the Boston Tran
script, the Chicago Record, the
W ashington Post, the New York
World, the Springfield Mass.
Republican and other influential
journals are openly advocating the
necessity and the duty of the general
government taking charge of the
levee system. Public opinion is be-
ing gradually educated up to this
idea. 1t will take some time yet to
get the question squarely before the
entire ORION; but until the general
government comes to the assistance
of the river states more than it does
at present, wreck, ruin and general
devastation will be the portion allot-
ted the people of Arkansas, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana every flood tide