Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-25


ises protection to the Sacramento valley.
The attitude of these raembers is very
peculiar. Had they at the beginning of
the session taken issIae with the engineer.
ing plans adopted; had they undertaken
to show that tn ese plans could not &C.
complish the Objects sought by them; had
they recognized the urgency of the situa.
ton, and brought forward measures of
their own calculated to afford the needed
relief in some other way their course
would have had some plausible excuse,
however mistaken. But it is necessary to
emphasize the fact that from first to last
they have concentrated all their efforts
upon the repeal Of the Drainage Act, and
that they have manifested throughout the
most contemptuous indifference to the in
terests imperiled by the flow of debris from
the hydraulic mines. They have in fact
made it conspicuously apparent that all
they wanted was to deprive the Sacra-
mento valley of protection, and that they
cared nothing what befell it as the
result of their narrow-minded and I'M
statesmanlike policy.
A more indefensible course than these
members have followed it would be diff.
cult to conceive of. They have not even
taken the trouble to pretend that they
were open to argument. The Governor in
his special message laid before them the
facts of the case in all its aspects, dispas.
sionately and almost exhaustively. They
have not sought to traverse any of the
statements there advanced They have
not alleged that the situation was in any
respect less grave than had been repre-
scented. They have tacitly accepted the
facts presented as true, and in the teeth
of these facts they have stood up and de-
clared that they would render all legisla.
ton impossible rather than fail in depriv-
ing the Sacramento valley of relief and
protection.
So far as argument is concerned this OBJ
structive phalanx long ago abandoned it.
At first they pretended that the trivial
State tax of one twentieth of one per cent.
was the main objection to the bill. Find
ing that this pretext was too absurd to be
accepted, they dropped it, and thencefor-
ward they simply insisted on the repeal OF
the bill without offering any reason what
ever, but with ever increasing stubborn.
ness and vindictiveness. Never was the
half of great State treated with such
studied dlsrespect and open hostility by
any portion of legislative body. 1t is
not the Drainage Act that these members
have been fighting, but the whole of North.
ern California. They have set out to de.
feat the conclusions of science by dis.
play of brute force. They cannot defend
or justify their position, but they can adj
here to it with bull dog tenacity.
Do these members ever realize that there
will be sequel to their present perform.
ance? Do they never look far enough into
the future to recognize the fact that if the
Sacramento valley is rendered uninhab-
liable by their action, there will be rigid
accounting hereafter? Partisans are sup,
posed to have tolerably keen perceptions
regarding party considerations, but ii
seems that none of these politicians have
ever asked themselves what the conse
quence would be of arraying the whole
Northern California against whatever po
litical programme they may hereafter be
identified with. The people of this valley
have suffered much in the past, but they
have not lost their energy or their resolu
ton. The State has not for many years
been so situated politically that either
party could regard it as safe or sure fol
t1eir side. In the future the overwhelm
Ing question throughout this valley will be
the question of its salvation, and it viii re
quire all who seek office at its hands t.
take clear and unmistakable positions OIL
this subject.
Members from other parts of the State
perhaps think they can afford to snap theil
fingers at this valley, but neither of the
political parties can venture to court the
hostility of this section, and if they i'm
agine that they can we invite them to try
the experiment just once. The Sacra
mento valley has been most shamefully
used by these obstructionists, and if they
succeed in their aim we do net hesitate tt
predict that it will fling party bonds to the
wind hereafter, and make this its one alb
sorbing issue, no matter who is hurt. Gen.
tlemen will do well to remember that
Northern California has at least right to
fair treatment, and that the conspiracy tC
repeal the debris bill, and to leave hel
without remedy of any kind, is the reverse
of fair treatment. The question of appor
tionment is very small question in com
parison with the debris bill, SO far as this
region is concerned, and allegiance to par
tisan schemes cannot be expected from
those who find themselves fouted and
abandoned by political managers. The OBJ
structionists have thus far made purely
malignant warfare against the most vital
interests of the valley, and their position
will assuredly not be forgotten speedily.