Evening star., 1897-04-17

floods the government was called upon 10
appropriate for the purchase OF new house
hold equipment, and for the repair OF
fences. buildings. etc. Similar extravagant
requests have been made this year. Should
the federal appropriation be drawn upon
to set one man up in business anew. such
a precedent would justify the expenditure
Of all the money in the treasury.
The boats carrying the provisions are
commanded by lieutenants OF the army.
They are authorized to carry all private
donations which may be made in the
flooded states or elsewhere. These private
donations expected to enable the gov
eminent rations to last sufficiently long TO
keep all the unfortunates well nourished
until they can again proceed with their
work.
In Other Years.
The army officers having charge OF the
distribution of these relief rations are not
inexperienced In such work When In
February, 1882, the Mississippi behaved in
such manner now. Congress appro-
priated S3J0OO0 to be similarly used by the
then Secretary of War Within forty
eight hours after President Arthur ap-
proved the resolution supplies were on their
way tc the sufferers. Altogether, 325l 900
day rations were bought with this appro-
priation and distributed. Two years later
when both the Ohio and Mississippi over
flowed. an aggregate OF $870OOO was ap-
propriatcd and expended for ratfons. The
War Department then issued from st. Louis
as much as 349. f33 pounds Of salt meat,
5.ol2 pounds of flour. SIS, 100 pounds of
cornmeal, 1880 pounds of green coffee. 9S2
pounds of roasted coffee, 25 62s pounds of
sugar and 4,loO pounds of salt, and from
New Orleans much larger quantities of
salt pork, flour and meal. Again I'm April
1880. when the Mississippi alone oyerf1owed
congress appropriated $l50.0o0, partly spent
lor the same 'ations. In this year Con-
gress over-estimated the sufferers needs
and about $4,000 Of the appropriation was
unused. and afterward reappropriated for
the territory Of Oklahoma.
This year the War Department will not
add such extra provisions as the coffee
sugar and salt, given in 1884. In that
year the onicer in charge Of the distribu-
ton was authorized to hurriedly purchase
Whatever provisions the people absolute
ly required. The sufferers then were most
ly white people, whose comfort depended
upon their cups of coffee and morsels OF
salt fcr seasoning. This year rigid in
structions have been issued against lavish
relief. because 1t is believed that II the
laborers and their families I'm the flooded
districts should be given, free of charge
better food than they are accustomed 10
they Will be 10th at first to return TO their
customary modes of life and will TO some
extent become denoralized. This theory
Is applied to the negro plantation laborers
especially. The department would be se-
verely criticised were II to discriminate be-
tween classes, SO the whites forming the
minority will have to eat what is good
Ior tne negroes until able to re-establish
themselves.
The federal government when called upon
mas generally been prompt to relieve suf-
ferers In the several states. Just after the
war II made a generous appropriation to
relieve the victims of the grasshopper
plague in Kansas and Nebraska, while in
the earlier days, when pioneers were travel
Ing TO the great unexplored west food was
sent from military posts to many of the
emigrant trains which became stranded
in the prairie. Our military posts have ever
been open to sufferers. Stranded steamers
in the upper Missouri river frequently call
upon the neighborng forts for provisions
and repairs, which requests are almost
always granted. Surgeons at posts in iso-
lated localities are always caring for sick
persons who live far from other physi-
clans. Thus our War Department, al
though established and maintained for the
primary purpose of manning and slaugh-
tering the enemies of the republic, exercises
In times OF peace the no less valuable func-
ton of healing the wounds and feeding
the mouths of our loyal citizens whose
comforts and lives are placed in jeopardy
through misfortunes over which they have
no control.