The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-04-12
The Rivers and Harbors /.

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novel,impulse Of patriotism and of
public virtue, there might be some
allowance made for the spirit if
not for the method of the opposi-
ton. 1t is the duty of every leg
islator TO prevent, by all reasonable
means, what he believes TO be the
reckless waste Of public money,
and there are a great many items
in the river and harbor appropri-
alton which no rational congress
would approve Of on their own
merits. But the gentlemen who
distinguish themselves by their OPP
position to extravaganza in this
matter, and who attitudinize rs re-
trenchers and reiormcrs, found no
difficulty in reconciling their con-
sciences to a new pension law sup
posed to be good for $j00,O0O,OOO
before they get through with it,
and those who are most scornful in
their denunciation OF tide water
creeks and push-boat rivers are
the hungriest In the whole lot
when it is a question of a pub
lie building in the district and
of tritiing appropriation
in the name of the dear old flag.
There are appropriations in the
river and harbor bill which the
country could well dispense with,
but this is not what the minority
were aiming at. They were ike
the bear in the fable that took up
the stone 10 kill a fly on its masters
head and cracked his skull in kill
ing the Hy. They were angry
against the small appropriations,
but the stone they pick up was
big enough TO Kill the whole
appropriation, and it looked very
mach as if their concern was not
to prevent useless appropriations
but to prevent all appropriations.
1t is possible that the only way to
prevent the useless appropriations
is to prevent all appropriations,
but if this is SO 1t is certainly a
great deal better to let the bill
60 through with all its faults
than to deprive the country OF
needed improvements because their
views cannot be met In the matter
of spending a few hundred thou
sand dollars.
There were two issues involved
in'the struggle in the senate over
this appropriation. The first was
the question as to the policy of an
annual appropriation for the i'm.
provement of our rivers and har.
bors. If there are any statesmen
who are opposed to all improve.
ment of any nature whatsoever; il
there are any patriots whose views
on retrenchment compel .them tc
object to the appropriation of &
single dollar; let them say so il
the campaign, and be elected OF
that issue-or defeated. But wher
they get to congress they should
recognize that the great majority
of congressman are in favor of the
river and harbor bill because the
great majority of their constituent
are in favor of it, and with it:
faults and excrescences ii repre-
sents pretty accurately that public
sentiment which is consulted a
every biennial election. The rive
and harbor bill represents the bes
shape in which such a measure cal
bepassed through its various stages
The second question involved wa
much more serious in its nature
being essentially the question
which has agitated and almos
revolutionized the British house o
commons. 1t is the question
whether a small and factious mi
nority of either house, or of bot
houses, shall be permitted, unde
any pretext or in support of an.
principal, to prevent the clear ant
undoubted majority OF their bod.
from proceeding with necessar,
Legislation, and to accomplish thi
by the use of what are known a