Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1881-02-05

Confession ana Reparaslon.
Et-lset .En "iH
We confess to having yielded to
such . profound contempt for all
latter day reformers In California
that We find that we have done in
Justice to one genuine man. Soma
tor Chase, Of Santa Barbara. Sem
atOr Chase was q refcrmer; and,
pursuing the inductive philosophy
made fashionable by Bacon, we
thought that he also was q fraud,
on the principle which made DR..
Samuel johnson define patriotism
- the last refuge Of q scoundrel.
Certainly our offence, in jumping
to this conclusion, was . most
venial one. There was no reason
Why We should smits our breast
with great vehemence and ex-
claim, "Per nsea culpa. ger mea
os!pa, per nse0 ssarinsG culpa."
We were warranted, under the cir
eumstsness, In expecting that Hon.
Warren Chase would prove to be q
whitsd sepuloher and . fraud Of
monumental proportions. ofall
tbs men who, in iCalifor mia, dealt
In GLIB professions of devotion to
tho Interests Of the people. he is
probably the only one who has made
his practice square with his pro-
fossions. We recall an editorial
article devoted to the Messrs.
Chase and West In which We
ranged them both as birds Of a
feather. We put them both down
~ certain to vote for Gen. Miller
rs Senator OF the United States,
while, as matter of fact, Senator
Chase nebly and resolutely refused
to follow his fellew Senator in wor-
shipping at the shrine of monopo-
lies, Alaska Fur and Others. Our
Santa Barbara fellow citizen, as
the truth OF history compels us to
admit, stood up like representa-.
tive Demigod and declined to bow
the knee to the moDocratic and
monopolistic Mammon. He per.
emptorily declined to respond to
ths shameless and disgusting pros.
tItution which has found 80 many
Apologists In journals on this coast
that ought to be self.respecting,
and which are generally looked
NotH6n1Syf Tdfd " sehator y,nase ae.
cline to vote for Senator Miller,
but he scorns to lie to fore
swear himself in the interest of the
debris measure. In company with
both houses Of the Legislature lie
visited the Yuba and the Bear River
4 Dams, but he declines to lend him.
self to shield the most corrupt lob.
By that ever invaded Sacramento.
Hsar what this really pure man
has to say Of this debris humbug,
after personal inspection. Bear
In mind that he is writing to his
journal, tho Santa Barbara indie.
pendent:
Both branches of The Legislature
adjourned over to-day to visit the
debris dams, and most Of the men,
bsrs left on an early train for
better view OF the works than
could be obtained by maps and re.
ports. The last two evenings were
spent till midnight, one by each
House, In investigating the subject
and taking testimony, and the
more it is examined the worse it
looks. It now appears that nearly
100000 OF accounts have been
audited and allowed, and that there
u an endless amount unsettled
that can be allowed by the Board,
and yet there has really not been
more work done and paid for than
judicious man could have got
done for from one to two thousand
dollars, certainly not exceeding the
latter sum. The balance has been
paid or allowed to engineers, and
contractors and the Board, and 1t
seems that the Board and engineers
have not only had the control of
the money, but also of the con.
tracts and the work, and IL ap.
pears that some OF the large ranches
have been protected by State aid
tn building levees and other and
smaller ones left to be protected by
the owners, and 1t also appears
that the dams are failures and
partly washed away. and that from
80 to 100 men are now repairing
work, at the expense of the State,
that had been accepted and paid
for but o short time before, aud
that some OF the levees have also
gone away in the first high water.
The truth is, this Is only a drain
on the treasury and the Taxpayer,
and utterly worthless as o system
Of reclamation or OF protection of
the farming lands below the mines.
IL the law 10 not repealed it will be
because the Speaker OF the Assem-
bly, 10 shrewd enough to defeat IL
by defeating the will of the m sjor-
ity.
How remorselessly does this
square and upright legislator lay
bare the phenomenal legislative 10.
fanny OF the age? True heart We
are sorry that we ever wronged
thee
'Tee Hmpeas8sMs ssd sns Remedy.