Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-08
TIE DEBATE ON TIE DsBsIs BILL.

The debate in the Senate on the bill to
repeal the Drainage Act has developed the
fact that many Senators consider them
selves as merely delegates, without power
to act on their own responsibility, but
under obligations to obey whatever views
prevail in their section, no matter whether
those views are intelligent or the reverse.
The idea that these members are in any
way bound to consult the interests of the
whole State, or to ascertain facts for them
selves, and guide their action by these
facts, does not appear 10 have occurred to
them. OF course in such cases it is use
less to bring forward arguments of any
kind, for when legislators do not consider
it their duty to rely upon their individual
judgment, but regard themselves as mere
echoes of outside prejudices and misappre-
tensions, deliberation is out of the ques-
ton. Yet it is very certain that there
never has been or can be question in re-
gard to which enlightened and farsighted
Judgment was more needed than in this. 1t
is not an issue of the continuance or sus-
pension OF hydraulic mining, as several
Senators seem to imagine. 1t is
question of the salvation not only of the
entire Sacramento valley, but of the
harbor and commerce of San Francisco.
The repeal of the Drainage Act means
very much more than the waste of the half
million dollars already expended by the
State. If after all the consequences of
the proposed course have been plainly set
forth if after the most experienced
engineers have delivered their verdict as
to the absolute. necessity Of carrying out
the works devised-it is impossible to
enlist or awaken enough intelligence and
public spirit to secure the further pros
ecution of these remedial measures, the
inhabitants OF the Sacramento valley may
as well make up their minds to emigrate
from State which has not sense enough to
z protect its most vital iiterests, and which
stands and haggles like greedy peddler
over tax of one-twentieth of one per
cent, blind to every consideration but that
of saving a few dimes for the moment.
A community whose members are so
narrow minded and illiberal that they
would rather incur incalculable losses in
the future than consent to a small present
outlay, because it may benefit some little
more than others, has not the elements of
greatness or prosperity. Such a COM
munity will go on, thrusting every burden
as far from it as possible, until it has
driven its more enterprising and active
members away, and then it will sink down
to its natural level, and shrink and dwin-
| die until it has ceased to be respectable.
In the present opposition to the Drainage
Act there is neither common sense nor pub
lie spirit. 1t has been proved that one of
the effects of the proposed works must be
to add 100000 of taxable property to
the assessment rolls, apart from any other
benefits to be expected from it. This one
consideration should suffice to convince
intelligent men that the plan is eminently
sound regarded solely as an investment.
! But when it is remembered that on the
other hand the repeal of this bill must in
volve the absolute destruction of full
800, coo, 600 of property, the resistance to
the measure appears hardly sane.
On the one hand is certain gain on the
other hand is certain loss yet the advo-
Gates of repeal assert that they are obliged
to elect the loss and repudiate the gain,
and they appear to think that they can
create political capital for themselves by
making this preposterous choice. AS to the
SO. called arguments OF these men and of the
press which supports them, they are dis
graceful from their lack of comprehension
of the issues. Il is said that the miners
should be made to hold back the debris, as
if this, supposing it practicable, involved a
solution of the problem. We tell these
gentlemen that if every ounce of debris
could be held back from this time, the
doom impending over the Sacramento val
ley would not be averted We tell them
that the injury already done can only be
cured by such general and systematic
correction of the river channels as 10 class
or section of the community can possibly
undertake We tell them that there is
enough debris piled up in the canyons, be-
You'd the reach of the miners, to bury the
valley hopelessly. And in the light of
these facts we say that it is arrant non
sense to talk OF stopping the mines or max
ing the miners hold back their debris, as
means of saving the situation.
This is State question if ever there was
one Half California is interested in it.
San Francisco is concerned as deeply as
any part of the community, though her
press has not the sense to see it. The
wealth that has been taken from the
| hydraulic mines moreover has been ex-
pended there, and now the city which has
reaped the greatest benefit from this in
dustry is protesting against being asked to
( bCHi Sliif-iA Ht.L VI SitV VI
ing the evils from which she has profted
so largely II the Sacramento Valley goes,
however, the harbor of San Francisco will
60, too It will not take many years to
destroy the navigability of the Sacramento
river at the present rate of progress. and
when this is done the boosted commerce
OF San Francisco viii speedily vanish. The
people of the Sacramento Valley are
making this contest in the interests ,of
the whole State far more than>in their own.
Our farmers have equities which the Courts
will assuredly recognize, and there is no
doubt that they can recover as against The
miners if litigation is resorted to. But no
process of the Courts can undo the damage
that has already been done to the rivers,
and it is the State and not the farmers
that must suffer most in the end if this is
not attended to. Legislators are making
records for themselves on this great ques-
ton which will appear more important as
time passes. However the question is
viewed now, the powers of Nature in
operation will force upon the whole State
an appreciation of its gravity sooner or
later. And when the truth is recognized,
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