Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1911-10-06

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what would be done after its re.
storation. Justice is one of the
cardinal virtues, so is restitution.
This section of the State has
been wronged, aud at a cost of
millions. We appeal to you to
| have restored to us that which
has been taken from us. The
flimsy excuse that large bodies
of land has been redeemed by
the stopping up of Red River is
absurdity itself. There is too
much unoccupied land in the
United States to squander mil
lions of dollars in excessive
freights for such a purpose
We submit that if the MISSISSIPPI
pi River was damned at the
mouth of Red River, and the
water of that stream forced
through Atchafalaya into the
Gulf, the city of New Orleans
would soon become a victim of
the greed of the railroads, and
would not long exist. Your De
partner has shut out our sup
ply of water and not offered to
give us any relief in place Of it,
Your engineers answer our APP
peals for help and restitution,
Your commerce does not just
| fy the expenditure" Congress
has been importuned by numer
Gus petitions from all over north
erh Texas, asking that naviga-
ton be restored in Cypress River
If the Government will restore
to us the navigation we had, we
will furnish the commerce.
In this section of the State
there is is very large and un-
developed iron industry. This
industry, you understand, re-
quires large quantities of coal,
and it must ofnecessity be cheap.
Alabama is now putting her coal
on the Mississippi River at
Greenville. With ample naviga-
ton in both Cypress and Red
River this coal could be barged
here at Il nominal cost. Can this
interest be developed before you
give us the water? Again, the
product Of this iron plant can be
marketed by water. Can we do
it unless you restore us the nayi
cation we had? Navigation
would save to the people Of north
ern and central Texas thousands
of dollars in freighton coal alone.
We notice that streams Of less
Importance than Cypress Bayou
and Red River receive large APP
preparations, while ours gets a
| So 900 appropriation, with s.,
600 unexpended, for re-survey,
and, perhaps, adverse report,
because the commerce does not
Justify it, For this reason, as
before stated, we have been rob
bsd OF our water privileges.
No better time than now could
be selected to remove the stumps
logs, and snags that would other
wise obstruct the navigation
The club has called Major
Wizards attention to it, but as
yet nothing has been done. We
submit that these small appro-
priations, making surveys, will
not increase our prospects of
getting the improvements so
much desired. Navigation in
| Cypress River is practicable
and feasible, so says Major
Howell, and we think Major
Benyard also. Then why not
have an appropriation suffici.
emily large to do what is neces-
sary to complete the work? 1t
will certainly be admitted by
every one with any legal knowl-
edge that even the Government
has not the right to destroy the
peoples highway to the markets
of the world. Restitution must
be made when called on. This
is, we understand, the common
law. The club trusts that the
Department will see the justice
of our cause, and see that the
great wrong that has been done
this section of the State is at
once, or as soon as practicable,
righted.
We have endeavered to place
the matter before you in an i'm.
partial way, and without any
prejudice To anyone. We have
stated the facts as we under
stand them. We have made this
more voluminous than we in
tended, yet we can only plead in
APOLOGY the justice of our cause
and the earnestness of the 500,
900 people that demand that the
restitution they deserve be made
and the grevious wrong done
them be righted.
Kindly make a thorough inves-
tigation of the matter and favor
US with your conclusion.