Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-04-03
have room only for the TO

know L nave Deen ana am now per-
sstent about this improvement. have
urged it earnestly upon the committee as
body and upon the individual members
thereof in personal interviews and upon
many members of this house, and as J
walk through the corridors of this great
capitol building, and when I appear on
this floor, the remarks of my fellow mem
bers oftentimes reach my ears as they
say, good naturedly, of course, There
goes Tombigbee.'
That is all right, for you could not call
me name that is nearer my heart and
you could not refer to anything in which
1 feel greater interest. You can call me
FTombigbee" the remainder of my days If
you will adopt this amendment
If you do not come to its relief now, l
serve notice on you that / intend to be as
faithful in the advocacy of the improve
ment of the Tombigbee as my distinguish
ed friend Major Hepburn of Iowa, is in
his opposition to the river and harbor
BILL and every time the question of river
and harbor improvement comes before this
house so long as I have the honor to re-
main here, will make this historic cham
Der resound with the virtues of the Tom
bigbee until these beautiful walls will
have driven into them in letters of living
light the word "Tombigbee,' SO as it will
greet you at every turn.
This river must be improved in the in
long enough with this Improvement by
making small temporary appropriations.
Give the people this substantial appropria-
ton, improve this beautiful river and the
people will call you blessed and this river
will sing your praises forever in its muir
murings to the gulf as it bears the in
creased tonnage and the enlarged COM
merce and productions yet untold and un-
numbered. This is one of the oldest rivers
in all this country. 1t has been travelling
the even tenor of its way since America
was discovered, and l do not know how
much longer The maps show that when
Columbus first visited America it was
then right where it is now
Mr.. Thompson-The gentleman has said
that this river was the oldest river in this
country. Will he tell us how much older
it is than the Coosa river in Alabama?
Mr. Candler-I said one of the Oldest.
You cannot get me to say anything
against Alabama, because the best, the
no5lest and sweetest possession I have on
earth is my wife, and ] found her in Ala
bama and persuaded her to leave that
great state and remove to Mississippi, and
one of the chief inducements was that she
would be nearer the beautiful Tombigbee.
Mr.. Thompson-How old is your river?
Mr. Candler-It has been where it is
now ever since America was discovered,
and / was just saying that did not know
how much longer.
If you ever intend to begin this improve
ment, now is the accepted time" When
it is opened, there will be no trouble to
navigate it by day and night, for vessels
| can travel each and every twenty-four
| hours, for there will be no storms to dis
| turb, no ice to block, and the silvery
moon will light up the crystal waves of
| this river by night, and the dazzling sun
| will lend its transcendent rays by day.
| They both in their usual and ordinary
~ ~, 4, &e ~,
| because there is no other place in the uni
verse where their added graces will bring
| so much in return as along this beautiful
| river which is possessed of indescribable
grandeur.
| Now, I am sure a river where you can
secure navigation for every twenty-four
| hours the year round and where there is
such a certain and unquestioned and un-
questionable promise of tonnage is worthy
| of your immediate attention and of SUBJ
| stantial appropriation. The chairman of
| this committee. my friend Mr.. Burton of
| Ohio, invited US in his opening speech to
| point out where the committee had erred,
| if we could and said they would join us
| in correcting the error.
| He is a most efficient and competent
| chairman and most amiable, obliging
| and lovable gentleman, and he and every
member of this great committee on rivers
/ and harbors have been, personally, very
kind to me- and therefore, at his request,
have courteousiy and in the kindest
| spirit, but earnestly and sincerely pointed
out this error in not putting this impor-
| tant appropriation in this bill, and now
| beg that he will not oppose this amend
| ment but join with me and the many 9TH
ers who have promised their support and
| insert it here on page So, where it so just
| ly belongs.
| Mr.. Henry of Mississippi-Will my col
| oil mo tO clx him ntfpQtiOO7
| Mr.. Candler-Certainly.
| Mr.. Henry of Mssissippi-Wh would
| be the tonnage of the river il this inn
| provement was made?
| Mr.. Candler-I am glad my distinguish
| ed friend and congenial colleague suggests
! this important question about what the
| tonnage would be- because | firmly be-
| Ieve l have already conclusively shown
| that the tonnage is there now and that
| much more will be forthcoming as soon as
| you give us the year round navigation,
| but in case ] should be mistaken in that
| and there should be small deficiency in
| that respect I promise you that after
/ serve my country long and well here in
| this house and there is no longer any alb
solute necessity for my remaining here for
| the general welfare of this republic and
| the ''perpetuity of the Union," / will re-
| tire and go to the prettiest spot in all the
| world, the country traversed by the Tom
| DlSDeS, anu supplement- tIc tOIiHdSS Will
/ my ponderous weight and spend the re-.
| mainder of my ripe and useful old age in
| riding peacefully up and down the Tom
| bigbee in the many lovely steamers which
| will be placed in that inviting field for
| trade as soon as the river is opened, and
| I now invite you one and all to join me at
| intervals as you may retire from the heat
| and turmoil of active conflict.
| Mr. Jones of Washington-Will the gen
| fol I1r yyb iuoT
| Tupelo?
| Mr.. CandIer-Tupelo is at a point little
/ farther up, but want to call your atten-
| ton to the fact that if you will improve
/ this river az it goes on up toward Tupelo,
| by and by we will be in easy reach of that
point which l am sure my good friend
| and distinguished predecessor, the Hon.
| John M. Allen, convinced you was the hub
/ of the earth and the center of trade and
| which you will remember is the location
| of that great industry, the Tupelo fish
| hatchery. So call me ''Tombigbee' if you
/ desire, but vote for this appropriation and
/ receive the thanks of a nation and the
| smiles and benediction of an approving
heaven.
/ A Scalp In Danger.
Alas and alack, that eminent carpet
bag statesman, General Powell Clay
| ton OF Arkansas, American embassa-
dor to Mexico, is in serious trouble.
! His scalp is in danger, and the signs
/ are that he is about to be divorced
from the public crib, for which he has
an abnormal fondness and an insatia-
BILE appetite. Powell has been in trouble
before serious trouble-many times,
but he always managed to extricate
himself by giving wild yell for ''the
old flag and an appropriation and by
pleading persecution at the hands of
ARKANSAS rebels" by reason of his
'1oyalty." He can't make good by
that play this time, for those who are
seeking his official topknot are not Ar
kansas rebels" but such truly good
men and lofty patriots as Senators
Marcus A. Hanna, Henry Cabot Lodge
Joseph Benson Foraker and Knute
Nelson. They certainly constitute a
big four for the general to go up
against. They represent certain Amer.
/, leans resident in the city of Monterey
/ in our sister republic, who have me
/ moriaiized the state department to de
/ prive Clayton of his mess of pap. A
/ press dispatch gives the inwardness OF
the performance as follows:
"It is charged that the interests OF
/ American citizens in Mexico have heen