Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-19
wilmington HarbOr ana Pacbec0
v. WigginiOn.

v. wigginion.
There is very small incentive to
any public man to do his duty
nowadays. The case of Mr.. Wig
CLINTON, the member of Congress
from this district, is eminently in
point. Our representative is man
of few professions but sterling prac-
tice. He has stood staunchly by
the interests of this section. He
made gallant fight TO obtain an
appropriation for Wilmington
harbor which, in spite of his ut
most efforts, was reduced from $780,
600 to $4,000. He got that
reduced sum only after q
strenuous fight. 1t must be
borne in mind, first, that the
influence of California is necessa-
rily small in the Congress of the
United States, and particularly in
the House of Representatives, in
which body all the States of the
Pacific Coast together have only
seven or eight members. Califor-
MIA cannot call to her assistance a
great section, as New England,
Middle, Western or Southern State
can. In the Congressional game
of "you tickle me and Pll tickle
you," our State plays but very
small part Yet Il Republican
carper in this city assumes that
Mr.. Wigginton disposes of the
whole Congress of the United
States, and that he could obtain
for the harbor of Wilmington just
such appropriation as he pleased.
The fact is that his power is very
limited indeed, and that we are
very lucky in getting an appropr.-
ton at all, considering the rigid
spirit of economy that has taken
possession of the Democratic
House of Congress. That it was
not more, was in despite of Mr..
Wigginton's utmos efforts. While
on this subject of an appropriation
for Wilmington Harbor, we will
state some facts for the informa-
ton of our Republican friends who
are disposed to look q gift horse in
the mouth. The Legislature OF
California adopted a concurrent
resolution, on the 18th day of Jan.
uary, 1878, in the following Ian.
guage:
"Resolved, By the Assembly. the
"Senate concurring, that our Sena'
"tors and Representatives in Con-
"gress be and they are hereby re.
"quested to use their most earnest
"eforts to procure an appropria-
"tion of money from the General
"Government for the Improvement
"of Wilmington Harbor, in Los
"Angeles county. The Governor
"is hereby requested to transmit q
Certified copy of the foregoing
"resolution to our Senators and
members of Congress"
AS we have said, this resolution
was passed by the California Leg
islature on the 18th of January.
1t should have reached ex-Gover-
nor Pacheco, who then held Mr..
Wigginton's seat, at latest by the
25th of January. Mr.. Pacheco,
however, was too busy re-
ciprocating the admiration of the
ladies of the gallery on his hand
some person to call it up. He
simply paid no attention to it. On
the only occasion on which he
ever opened his mouth in the
House of Representatives he was
so grossly out of order that the
Speaker had to rap him to his seat.
Mr.. Wigginton was assigned the
station to which the people had
elected him on the 7th or February.
On the Sth of that month, precisely
twenty-four hours after the contro-
versy had been decided in his favor
before he had had time to get warm
in his seat, in fact-he introduced
the resolution and he has pressed
the matter strenuously ever since,
getting the very largest appropria-
ton for Wilmington Harbor of
which the temper of Congress ad-
mitted.