Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-26
ONE MORE PROOF.

yesterday morning we challenged the
pretended opponents of hydraulic mining
to give proof of their good faith, not by
mere chattering, but by inducing the
Legislature to enact some practical and
Immediately available law to restrain the
hydraulic miners As if in response to
this challenge motion was made in the
Senate to bring up Senate bill No. 347. 1t
is true that this bill does not provide any
adequate remedy for the evil, but its
passage would have had the appearance of
a disposition to deal with the question.
The motion, however, was defeated, and
thus one more proof was afforded of the
entire accuracy of the RECORD UNIONS
provisions in this connection. We have
asserted from the first that all the talk
about stopping the hydraulic miners
by the repealers was a mere sham;
that there was no real disposition
on the part of the Legislature to do
anything of the kind, and that what
ever was said about the existence of such
a disposition was intended solely to dupe
the defenders of the Drainage Act, and
cause them to consent to its repeal. This
view of the situation has been justified by
a score of votes, all showing the deter
mination of the Legislature to refrain from
any interference with the hydraulic mines.
We have thus far made no mistakes
in our estimate Of the case. We have
seen throughout that if the Drainage Act
was repealed the Sacramento valley would
be left without any protection against the
debris, and therefore we have used our
utmost endeavors to forewarn the public,
whose interests we are defending, against
all attempts to lead them astray, and
against all side movements, however
speciously devised. The positions of the
RECORD UNION have throughout this con-
test been sustained and indicated by
events. Every man who possesses intelli-
gence enough for the common uses of life
must see now that the attempt to divert
public sentiment at the close of the legisla-
tive session into wild goose chase after un-
attainable remedies, was inspired by de-
sire to bring about the failure of all legis-
lation in the premises, and thus to leave
Sacramento and the whole valley at the
mercy of the flood of debris.
The RECORD UNION cares nothing for
men in this contest. 1t is fighting for the
preservation of the Sacramento valley,
and it proposes to keep to the course it has
marked out for itself until the issue is
determined in accordance with the exigen-
cies of the situation. We have interposed
no obstacle to the adoption of other RENE
dies, whether in the way of legislative en-
actment or legal proceeding, butwe are more
convinced than ever that the maintenance
of the Drainage Act is the only means of
relief attainable at this time. We are
satisfied that if that law is carried out
fully and faithfully it will afford us all
effectual relief. We base our convictions
not upon streetcorner gossip, not upon
the kind of intuitive ideas which some
people dignity by the title of common
sense" but upon the careful conclusions
of science, which in their turn rest upon
accurate and thoroughly verified observa.
ton and survey. Some of the most skill
full engineers in the country have stated
that the Drainage Act will solve the
debris problem if it is faithfully admins.
tered, and that assurance is sufficient for
us, and ought to be sufficient for all who
are capable of reasoning.
The Drainage Act has not yet been test
ed. Operations under it were only com.
menced about six months before the pres
ent legislative session opened. The princi.
pies embodied in it have not yet been
applied to such an extent as to permit of an
intelligent Judgment concerning their re-
suits. The critics who have assaulted it are
with scarcely an exception ignorant of en-
cheering science. ignorant of the nature of
the laws to be dealt with, even ignorant of
the plans sought to be carried out. Their
censure has been as ridiculous and con-
temptible as would be slur upon an archi-
tect because when he had erected only the
foundation walls of house the structure |
did not afford protection from the weather.
The session has been allowed to approach
its end before any movement has been
made to furnish substitute for the Drain. !
age Act. The facts of the injury caused