Year: 1878

1
designed to catch votes from loca
interests. The member from Bung.
town thought Goose creek ought to
be nayigable and $4,000 10 make il
so was the condition of his vote
These Objectionable features have
ever been eliminated, and the bill in
its present shape has but few objec-
,tions. The Mississippi which is
natures great artery for lnternal
Iconmerce in the West, received far
less than its proper share of the ap-
propriations, but better things may
be hoped for when our Eastern
friends attain to a knowledge of this
great river and it's numerous large
tributaries. n


The great achievement of Captain
Eads in opening the mouth of the
Mississippi to the commerce of the
world by means of the jetties is
universally applauded, and there is
such faith in his skill and ability
as an engineer that his suggestions
as to the proper mode of improving
the channel of the river for thou
sand miles above the Gulf are re
ceived with general and cordial APP
probation. This plan looks to
deepening the bed of the river on
the same principle that has wrought
a twenty-four foot channel between
the jetties. Mr.. Eads would reduce
the river to q uniform width by
placing brush, trees and other OBJ
structions out from the banks of
the broad and shallow portions of
he--river: these distractions 20
catch the sediment and debris COM
ing from above and ultimately form
ing new bank, reducing the width,
increasing the volume and velocity
of the flow, so that the river would
ultimately dig out it's own channel
by erasion, at the same time carry
ing forward the sediment to be lost
in the greater depths below, In
this way, with moderate expense
from year to year, itwould not re-
quire long period to so deepen the
bed of the river as to obviate the
necessity of levees. He would fur
ther increase the volume and veloc-
ity of the flowing tide by closing up
sloughs aud bayous and adding
their water to the general current.
By substituting this process for the
present shovel and wheelbarrow sys
tenn o: building levees, the river
planters of Louisiana would ulti-
mately find them selves looking down
instead of up to see the face of the
groat Father of w aters.


LONGITUDINAL RAILWAYS.


With the Mississippi and lower
Missouri thus improved, and rail
roads stretching east and west to
bring their freightage to the great
artery of commerce, the West and
Southwest would be able to send
their marvellous wealth of farm and
mine products to the markets of the
world without losing half their
value in transportation charges. In
fact, the railroad, which is a river
of iron that runs up hill as well as
down, never freezes and is never OBJ
structed by snags or sand bars, has
become the grand agency of inter
nal commerce throughout the world.
The great West has already many
thousand miles of this modern
agency, but with the full develop
ment of her wonderful resources,
will ultimately require many thou
sand miles more. She has now one
district embracing 100000 square
miles in the territories of Arizona
and New Mexico, and Northwestern
Texas, without single mile of rail
way or reliable river navigation.
This immense region can only be
settled, civilized and made wealth
producing by Southwestern Pacific
railroad. 1t should be pleasant
news to Missouri that this grand
enterprise is likely to be achieved
by the Texas & Pacific Company.
1t is understood that the bill for the
completion of the Texas & Pacific
railway will be taken up and passed
through the Senate next week, and
with the moral force of such action
it is believed that the measure will
be adopted by the House. Such a
consummation would bring i'm
mense advantages to st. Louis and
Missouri, not only during the con
struction of the road, but during
the long years of the future. The
bill as it now stands, is so free from
the taint of subsidy, and SO full of
benefits to the West and South,
that these two divisions are almost
unanimous in its support.


EAST AND wEsT-THE TOBACCO TAX.


There is a strong disposition to
perpetuate the political and indus
trial serfdom of the West to the
East. For years and years the poor
mans simple luxuries have been
taxed almost to prohibition, while
the rich mans accumulated wealth
has been untouched. The tobacco,
beer and spirits of the West and
South have paid three-fourths Of
the internal revenue, while the gold
bearing and immense incomes of
the eastern millionaires have been
untaxed. and absolutely free from
burden. But the West and South
have gained the ascendency in po-
litical power, and are going to use
it not to oppress their neighbors of
the East, but to secure a modest
share of justice for their own peo-
pie. The reduction of the tobacco
tax is a symptom of this move
ment, which will be further devel
oped by tax On large incomes. 1t
is this class of legislation of the
past which favored the bondholders
of the East as against the plowhold-
ers of the West and South, that has
made thousands of bankrupts and
millions of beggars, This it is that
brought on the labor riots of last
year, and threatens the country with
oommunistic deviltries this year.
The Socialists claim a hundred
thousand members of their organi-
cations, many OF whom are being
armed and drilled for action. Not