Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-21

OF vital Importance to it are in issue. And
no more conclusive proof of this can be
found than in the history of the
debris problem. The press of the State
has from the first pointed out that
this question had a national side,
and that Congress was under obligations to
assist the State in finding remedy for the
evils complained Of. No more important
subject has ever been in controversy. 1t
involved the fate of one of two great in
dustries. 1t appealed to Congress in its
intimate relation TO the preservation of the
navigability of our rivers. 1t affected
vitality the output of the precious metals
It was one of those weighty and far.reach-
ing issues which call for the amicabfe inter
vention of the General Government, and
which suggest the adoption of such meas.
ures as will preserve all the interests at
stake from destruction. If ever q plain
duty was imposed upon representative,
such duty was here laid upon the Congress-
man from the Second District. Yet it
is now nearly five years since this contro-
versy began, and during that time the
most obvious opportunities for Congress
SIGNAL Intervention have been neglected by
our representative with as stolid an apathy
as though he really had been ignorant that
he was required to do anything at all.
When after long investigation the State
had fairly embarked upon remedial meas
ures; when it was taxing itself at the
rate of half million year to construct
engineering works when it manifested a
determination to put its shoulder to the
wheel, whether or not it received help
| from outside; our representative was
| silent and inactive Yet that was the time
when of all others he ought to have been
at work with all his might. That was
the moment when he had the best stand
point from which to urge our claims.
Had he been worthy of his salt, had
he been capable and earnest and faithful
man, he would have so presented the
case for the State that Congress would
have been compelled to take upon itself
| fitting share of the financial burden, ard
in that case we should have had genuine
prospect of relief and cure. What was
Page doing all this time? He was in Con-
gress. Did he know that there was such a
question as the Debris problem in contro-
versy? Or was he arranging matters with
"the boys" and putting up hole and cor
ner combinations here and there, to the end
that be might hoodwink and cajole long
suffering party to let him keep some better
man out of Congress for another term {?
During all these years, while the contest
was growing hotter. while the time for an
amicable adjustment was passing away,
Page made no motion and gave no sign.
He could not discuss the question from his
seat in the House, for he has not the abil-
ity to make an Ineligible speech on any
subject. He could not draw bill that
would cover the subject, for he has not the
capacity to frame legislation. All he
! COulu 10 was W O6NObc HiLSSii "
chine" politics, and that he did.
And now, after more than four years OF
neglect Of his duty, this model Congress-
man, who is still being impudently thrust
forward by his little clique Of g machine I"
managers as an eligible candidate for re-
election, got somebody to draw up for him
q bill, which consists of stump speech in
the shape of preamble, and an imbecility
in the shape of the Act itself. After all
these years he is still so utterly ignorant of
the whole subject matter that he thinks it
possible to settle it by asking for an appro-
priation of half million dollars +" to be
expended under the supervision of the
"War Department" This is the best he
| could do, and we may be sure that he
| would not have done even this but for
the necessity of having it to say that he
tried to get Congress to take up the debris
question. What does Congress know of
that great issue from Page, Not word.
Notwithstanding the fact that it has been
discussed in all its bearings by scores of
journals !: notwithstanding the fact that a
very literature has grown up concerningit !;
notwithstanding the fact that voluminous
engineering reports have beenmade uponit;
notwithstanding the fact that it has been
debated for days together in two sessions
of the State Legislature notwithstanding
the fact that it has been the subject of a
special message from the State Executive !;
notwithstanding the fact that it concerns
his constituents in the valley and his con-
stituents in the mountain counties more
nearly and vitality than any other question
whatever; notwithstanding the gravity of
the interests involved Mr.. Page has evil
IDENTIFY studied 1T no more than just suffices
to expose his dense ignorance of the whole
matter.
We express the opinion deliberately that
such aid as Congress might and would have
given to the State in this connection had
the cause been properly and intelligently
advocated at Washington, has been lost to
us through the stupidity, ignorance and in
capacity of our representative. The State
has for years been i'll represented in Con.
gress in the Second District. 1t is
amazing that man who has never been
anything better than a lay-fgure, SO far as
the interests OF his district or of the State
were concerned, should have been tolerated
so long bat it would be discredisable in
the last degree to the intelligence of the
voters of this district if they permitted
such a failure to be put off upon thsm
again. The debris question affords fair
and conclusive test Of the value of Mr..
Page TO his constituents, and review of
his record shows that he could by no posi-.
bility have been more utterly useless to
them than he has been. Nor is his demerit
merely negative, for it must be remem-
bered that he has during all these years
held q seat which ought to and might have
been filed by really able and trust
worthy man.
-.
TRANSFERS OF REAL ESTATE.
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