Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-02-14

sonnet hing be done that that stream will be de.
stro ed and rendered valueess to the people of this
Sta te. Not only will the sacramento river be hled
I'd its navigation destroyed, but they say that it is
Inly question OF time when the Bay OF Sah Fran
cisco will also be ruined, its value and efficiency
as harbor be totally, or nearly totally, destroyed
Now then il that be true, and they say 1t IS true
and we cannot deny it we have not the assurance,
we have not the wisdom on which to base denial
of it If it be tTue then can 1t be said that this is
local question II it be true, is il not question
that interests the countyof Los Angeles even Is 1t
not question that affects every man in the State
Destroy this river and the other rivers tributary to
it destroy the Bay of San Francisco by this onward
| flow of debris and what is the State OF California
worth and what is the city of San Francisco WORTH
| with this destruction in its facey
| Now then sir we say that this is not local ques
ton, but that it is question OF state Importance
| II so, what shall be donef Certainly something
| should be done. | don't know OF a Senator upon
this floor who will say that nothing should be done
In private conversation they all say that somthIng
| should be done. Well, then, if something should
be done ask Senators here who are in favor of the
repeal of this law-I ask the Senator from Marin
| why in the name OF craftsmanship, don't you do
| something? | ask the Senator who introduced this
b N-who introduced this bill for the purpose of re-
pealing the only measure Ct relief that is now be-
| fore the people-why do you not introduce some
thing else to take its placer Why are you willing
| to tear down and not help to build up! is 1t wise
| is it statesmanlikei To me it seems not. But
| some Senators say: "We don't like this Commits
SION heard 1t said no longer ago than last night
|
pie in the southern part of this State agreed that
something ought TO be DONE that it s an important
| question not bounded by mere locality, but they
don't like the way things are going on, and there
fore we are in favor OF repeating the whole business
want to ask the Senators upon this floor if single
one of them has been to the Governor of this Stte
and made any complaint against the Directors that
he appointed. Ii the Senators upon this floor lack
confidence in any ember of that Dictatorship why
don't you 60 to the fountain fead, to the Governor
of this State, who created them? Why don't you
| have courage to say what you thinkI Why don't
you say ''We don't believe in this Dictatorship.
| We haven't confidence in it" 1t seems to me that
Senators who are in favor of the repeal of this bill
have not got the courage of their convictions upon
| this question. Ii the Directorship does not suit
! you it can be changed Ii any complaint should be
| made against a single member of that Commission
1 venture the assertion that that member, upon its
coming TO his knowledge, would resign his position
| and let it be filled by somebody else. But this
charge is only an excuse. cannot believe that any
Senator will get up upon this floor and declare that
| it is a reason
Now then what is the real excuse? WHAT'S the real
motive that is actuating Senators in the repeal of
| this law The only one that | can find from all Of
the discussion that has been held here is this,
! That my people want to repeal and | must obey
| the mandates of the sovereign people" One Sena-
tor upon the floor last evening said that his people
were unanimously in favor of the repeal OF this BILL
aud that no matter what his opinions might be upon
the question he was bound a faithful representa-
| tive to reflect the wishes of his constituency.
Now Mr. President do not agree with that SEN
ator. Perhaps have much respect for the opln-
ions Of the people rs anyone, but am prepared to
say here that the people not always right, and
am prepared say further that that representative
who cannot rise above the prejudice and the caprice
of the people at times is not safe fit represent
ative. Now, what do the people in the southern
part of this State know about this question What
do the people of the city of San Francisco mean
a majority of the people of that city-know about
| this question | say that they don't know the
very first elements of it. and venture the assertion
! min tent Of ularl In
cality removed from the immediate vicinity of this
wreck and ruin caused by the food of this mining
debris, have no comprehension at all of this vast
| question and still Senators get up in their
place upon this floor and say that must
| obey the behests of men who don't know what they
talking about. say, sir, that IL is not the duty
of representative, when he knows that he is right
upon any question, to follow the lead of the people
when he knows that they are wrong about it. And
| | say that, in my opinion, any representative who
cannot rise above that level who is willing to follow
| the caprice and prejudice of the people that he
| knows to be wrong is not safe or fit representa-
| tive.
| Now, then, Mr.. President, something should be
| done, everyone says. What shall do? That is
the question. The majority of the Senate say that
| we should repeal the only measure that has been
brought forward to meet this question. But if you
repeal the bill what do you propose to do then Do
you propose to sit supiney by and see the valleys
and the best portions of this State sink into ruin
Do you propose that the great rivers of this State
shall be wiped out from the map of California; But
II wiling tnaJ these lanQS ana rivers shall
be saved, what plan, then, do you propose?. Why,
you propose simply nothing. Why don't you pro-
pose something? Simply because you can't. Simply
| because you don't know enough to propose any
thing The Senator from Alameda himself strong
| advocate of this repeal measure, demands that
something shall be DONE but put the question to
him, Do you, sur, know enough to propose plan
which can be carried out to a successful issue? You
| don't pretend to know enough.
Mr.. Pardee-I would ask which Senator he has
| reference o.
|
Mr. Pardee-No such conversation, within my
| memory, has ever taken place between the Senator
and myself.
Mr. Davs-Mr. President, l have heard the
Senator say that something should be done. |
heard him say it year ago that it was an abso-
lutte necessity that something should be DONE Now,
the question is when say it shall be done, who is
to determine what shall be dOne2 say that don't
| know enough to propose plan. | don't believe
that any Senator upon this floor knows enough to
| propose plan. Who then shall propose one? We
say that no plan embodying legislation upon this
subject will ever come from any other source than
from a source like the one from which the one
| came last session. 1t must come from science; it
must come from scientific men it must come from
the State Engineers department. or it will never
come
Now, then, if that be true, what fellows is that
the majority of this Senate in reality willing
that nothing should be done. 1t seems so to me
that that is the position which the majority Of this
Senate takes upon this question. But one ex' use
urged is that the present plan is not feasible plan
| Now then, who is to decide that? Shall it be de-
cided by Senators who are not familiar with this
| subject, who are not scient fic men, who have not
| investigated it, who have not watched its opera
tions? do not believe that it belongs to them
believe that it belongs to those men who conceived
this plan, aud who have carried it out to its present
proportions.
Now, then, what do these men say7 They say
that the plan is success and they further say
if they be allowed to 90 with the prosecution of
this work that it VIII result in a success. But
the Senators say: 90 We do not believe all this"
And why do you not believe it? why, they say,
I" because we have been there, and have seen
| this work, and do not believe that il amounts to
anything; and the dams which have been built by
this drectorsnlp are only brush dams" 1t is thus
| that and newspapers talk about this grave and
| important question. L heard remark the other
night which struck very forcible; that three
or four weeks ago members of both branches of the
Legislature visited the site OF these dams that they
were there and spent perhaps one one-and o half
or two hours :. that when they went up there they
| knew nothing about the question, but that when
| they came back they came back full-tiedged engi
neers and knew all about it. Now, that was a
pretty fair statement of the case and simply shows
| the assurance OF the American people and of some
| legislators.
Now Mr. President, do not doubt that | am
Justified in making the assertion that here body
Of legislators who have studied into the plans
which are being carried outand are notcompetent
| to Judge upon this question. 1t is not competent
| for the Senator from Marin to come here and say
that these plans will not succeed, and the strangest
part of it is that able men like him. and Others upon
this floor that might name, have the assurance to
get up here before the people OF the State Of Cali
| tornia and in the face of the testimony which has
been adduced from this Commission that they are
success for them to get up on the floor and contra
| dict that evidence.
Now then, sir we say that this plan is a success.
| The men who most competent to judge say it is
a success. The men who live in the vicinity of these
| works, and who have watched their PROCESS from
the beginning to the end say that it is success.
say that the dams which have been built upon these
/ streams are now standing, notwithstanding the
greatest flood that has been known in the State
OF California those dams now standing upon
their site and are doing their legitimate work and
still they are slurred with the of brush fences
say there is not dam ,of any other Quality there
is no other species Of dam that could have been
structed upon these streams, that would have with
stood the tremendous rush of water which these dams
ever felt in the last two three weeks. Now sir,
it is fact that cannot be denied, that these dams
have stood the pressure OF these great foods But
they say that they have settled in some places.
Well now the engineer in his testimony said, and he
states it in his report which written before these
floods came upon them: "We expect that these dams
| will settle IN places" Now, any man of Judgment