Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-16
THE GREAT DIVIDE.
SP K ECH
OF
SENATOR VIM. A. WALLACE,
On the River and Harbor Bill.
Character and Cost OF Internal I'M
provements Made Under the Di-
rection of Congress and which
are Paid for Out of the
Taxes Of tho People of
the United States.

The river and harbor appropriation
bill being under consideration in the
Senate the following remarks were
made by Senator Wallace
Mn PRESIDENT | have said nothing
upon this bill up to this present time
but / cannot vote for il. 1t contains
provisions which are utterly against
my belief, my teaching, and, l believe,
against the interest OF my people. |
think that ] have voted for but one
river and harbor bill during the six
years | have been in the Senate. |
shall not vote for this bill, for it Is
double the size of many that have
voted against. 1t is enormous in its
proportions. Every inlet on the coast
and on the lakes and every mountain
stream in certain localities are to be
improved money is to be expended
upon them to begin the work or i'm
provements are to be continued or a
survey is to be made, and to do all
these the money Of the people is taken
in millions and devoted to what | think
is an improper and unlawful use.
The third section in this bill is the
entering-wedgc to vast expenditures
in the future. IT has been so in the
past. 1t opens vista before us OF
enormous expenditures for the federal
government for the Improvement of
many mountain streams that ought to
be, that have been, and inmy view ought
to continue to be exclusively under
State control.
do not believe that the people OF
Pennsylvania want the federal govern
ment to and us to improve the Susqus-
hanna, although it flows through the
State from New York to Maryland,
for it is not naturally navigable but it
is great stream in which hundred
millions might be expended in q system
of slack.water navigation and dams,
and il could thus be utilized to bring
to tide-water our lumber, our coal, our
minerals Of every kind, and our grain
Butitis almost totally within the State
IL is not in its natural condition capa.
bic of ascending trade, and it is not
navigable in the sense of the com.
mercial powers of tue Constitution, and
our people have never come here to
ask Its improvement by Congress. The
State has exercised jurisdiction over it,
has made grants of water power from
it, erected dams upon il, and vested
rights have grown up under this iuris-
diction that Congressional control
would destroy.
The third section of the bill is the
entering-wedge to large expenditure
as il has been in the past. Every State
and Territory in the Union was repre-
sented in the bill of last year except
Alaska, and is, believe, also in this
one. Every locality seems represented
annually in the river and harbor bill,
asurvey ordered upon streams in every
locality for the useful end that votes
may be had for the bill, and that too
without regard to the national value
Of either the stream or tho improve.
ment. Step follows step in the pro.
cess of securing votes and money.
Let us examine the surveys ordered
by river and harbor bills since
1870. Take up the figures of these
bills, and we find that from 1870 to
1880 there have been six hundred and
eighteen surveys ordered by these bills,
and this bill adds nearly sixty more.
In 1878 there were but twenty-eight
surveys, but last year the bill ordered
one hundred and eighteen. They are
entering wedges, the hand is drawn in
by this process, and the body follows.
The survey ordered, then the estimates
come, and then follows bills for the
money, such as the present one, and
thus the gross amount increases and
the money Of the people is lavishly
expended.
The number ofsurveys ordered since
1870 is as follows;