The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1901-03-16
SATURDAY, MARCH l6. 1901
T. C. Catchinss.

an examination during his political fe,-while that rec
ord was still being made.
Under our general scheme of congressional represent
alton it is contemplated that by division OF the states
into Districts and the assignment of representative t.
each district the peculiar needs when such exist of the
various constituencies of each commonwealth may be
specially subsorved With general community OF inter
ess such as ordinarily obtains throughout each of the
several states the majority of congressman have deyoved
upon them special duties by mere reason OF represen
taton of particular districts 1t occasionally happens,
however that the people of district do stand in need Of
some service peculiar to themselves, demanding the app
cation along some special line of the energy and capacity
of their congressional representative The people of the
Third district of Mississippi constitute such constit
uencY.
1t is to the possession of the soil that has ever
turned for the source of his greatest power 1t to
Mother Earth that he has looked for that wherewth
to hide his nakedness and satisfy his hunger The ability
to meet these primal needs of man, to give him both food
and rament has been of civilizations truest
measures of national greatness 1t the ability to per-
form these functions alone and unaided for all mankind
that constitutes Americas greatest of power
the nations of the world.
Somewhere In the geography of every people of his
tory no matter how barren how rich may have been
the lands they possessed there has been spot favored
Of natures God above the rest Because these fair places
Welded SO bountfuy of their they became the par
land that was far to LOOK upon that excited the cupdiy
Of half civilized and proved the of many bar
barrie war; it is such lands that enlightened nations have
come to number among their most valued assets. AS
contributing the two essential factors of national power
among the states Of the old world such portions of their
possessions have become the objects of governments
conserving careof solicitude to the nation at large
Such region that vast stretch of territory known
America as the valley of the Missssippi-by universal
oh Of tha ',ofth
During the unnumbered thousands of years in which
the Mississippi has been carrying to the the surplus
water Of this great area, it has become mghter
than the ancient stream worshpped source of
life by those whose soil rendered fertile through the
wonderful which have governed its flow, it has
built up land richer than watered by the Nile
In the progress of time it has to pass that this land
must be protected against the devaaton of the very
stream which created it, while the vast of the
valley borne in part by it to the sea- demands that its
once unhampered course be subject to the restraining in
genuty In the recognition Of the nterdependence
of these two purposes the widely separated sections along
this great highway brought together, and step
taken towards the complete natonazng of the control of
the nations greatest waterway.
1t was in the breadth of view that enabled Gen.
Catchings to grasp this fact to appreciate the mutually
of all the people of this great valley that
lay the source of his ability to serve his con-
stituency he has He realized that to accomplish the
local protection of which his district stood in such need
the must be delocalized far their ultimate
purpose lay, and made merely essential part of
onal undertaking. link the general cham of river i'm
provement 10 appeal through congress to the conscience
and sympathy of the nation for the relief of people
suffering from the devastation of food, is one thing;
is quite another to ask congress to appropriate from
the national treasury millions OF money for protection
against the possible recurrence Of the disasters ask the
ton large make small section Of its population the
peculiar object of the municence and regard
To do this would require not only the colossal impotence
characteristic of pothouse politics. but such gnor
ance of the only proper and successful to
legitimate end needs but be paraded before congress
to make laughing stock of him who displays it. Yet
greater heights of folly than this it seems we are
prepared to scae for should the determine
to attempt the further control of the river by the con-
sruction of complete leyee system, district is to
its piping voice in senseess protest. unless it twill
finish our part first" -.
The difference between . selfish policy of local mar.
very nature carrying of its self
policy broad to appeal to all the
varied interests Of this great valley and enlist the support
of states as Te IS sectionsths is the difference be-
tween the methods which have been proposed by the
.arpers at Gen. Catchings' and those pursued
With such 1aithfuness and by that gentleman
limsef narrow horizon circumscribes the vision Of
arrow mind and renders It incapable of comprehending
ught but selfish projects All the aluvia land of the
over valley subject to inundaton is probably embraced
ihin so 900 square miles This is but part and even
this area this congressional district too small por
national government It is ony q an important part