The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03
ALApAMA,s wArrnwAYs.

No State in the Union has a greater etxent of navigable waterways than Alabama. Tn times past they trans ported millions of bales of cotton. and all the goods which went for the inner comfort and outward adcrnment of men and women. Railroads may have lessened the volume of business and the number of vessels engaged in the carrying trade, but they still do large amount of business and save hundreds of thousands of dollars to tho people by reduced freights.
 The Alabama River is navigable from Montgomery to Mobile the greater part of the year and with the projects now in contemplation carried out there will be ample water every day in the year. The Tombigbee River and the Warrior River go through a splendid country, and at no distant date will be carrying coal fleets from the Warrior coal fields to Mobile Bay and thence to the utter most parts of the world. The Coosa Is navigable~ from Rome. Ga, to a con- siderable distance this side of Gadsden. and fine boats ply its waters all the year round. It would be worth mill lions to the state if 1t could be naviga- ble It's entire length. The Tennessee River on the northern border is one of the great tributaries of the Ohio River and flows through one of the most beau tiful and productive portions of Ala ban1a.
 There are some smaller streams which are capable of doing carry ing business, but the improvement of the above are of such vital importance as to make 1t necessary for an Ala bama member of Congress to be on the Rivers and Harbors Committee or the House of Representatives at washing ton. For many years Hon. Richard Ii. Clarke held this important position and the splendid work he did will always be n monument to his capacity and worth. For several Congresses Hon. John H. Bankhead has been member of the Committee and 1t Is generally conceded that his services in that ca pacity have been of incalculable value to Alabama and the country. His de- feat by Captain Hobson will leave a vacancy on the Committee which will have to be supplied. There can be no question that he would have been on it In the next Congress if he had been elected, and If the Democrats should win the House he would have been chairman. That, however, need not be considered now. What we have to con- 1ah haY, Y,otan nY1 the Committee as his successor. This is no merely local affair, but of State wide importance. Nor is the mere mat ter of experimenting a member to be considered. What we want is the man who can do the most good and in our judgment that man Is Hon. G. w. Tay- lor of Marengo County, Representative of the First District. He has already been nominated as his own successor and in our judgment the Alabama Rep resentatives ought to present his name for membership on the Committee and earnestly press 1t to favorable con- clusion.
 This would be asking great deal of MT. Taylor, for he is already the rank ing Democrat on the great Approprfa- tions Committee, with sure prospect of chairmanship if the Democrats carry the next House. for which they have splendid chances. But as already said 1t is not the mere matter of compli- menting the man that we are to con- slider. Personally all of Mr. Taylor's friends would be glad to see him at the head of the great Committee of which he is so useful a member, but he can do Alabama more good on the Riv- CTS and Harbors Committee. Alabama needs him there, and we believe that he would willingly forego personal promo tion to be of benefit to the people of his native State. He Is broad minded and just and would do full justice to the interests of all our waterways.