Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-11-02
OBEYING ORDERS.
Review OF Legislative Instructions to Wisconsin
congressman, Showing That In Voting for the
River and Harbor Bill, They we're
Doing as Commanded.

Review OF Legislative Instructions to Wisconsin
Congressman, Showing That In Voting for the
River and IIarbor Bill, They were
Doing as Commanded.
Nothing is more senseless than the
denunciation by Wisconsin voters of the
votes of senators and representatives in
the congress on the river and harbor
bill. The mouths of Wisconsin electors,
whether democrat or republican, are
stopped against such complaint. For
years the people of Wisconsin have been
beseeching congress and instructing her
delegation in congress to secure large
and numerous appropriations for the
Improvement of the rivers and harbors
of Wisconsin.
Let us see the pressure the state has
brought to bear upon her senators and
congressman for the last twelve years.
In 1870 the legislature of Wisconsin
passed memorial to congress praying
for large appropriations running up into
the millions, for the improvement of the
Fox and Wisconsin rivers. The same
legislature also implored congress for an
appropriation for the ''Straight Cut"
harbor at Milwaukee.
The same legislature also prayed for
1854 900 for the harbor at Port Wash
ington. Also for an appropriation for
Racine Harbor.
The legislature of 1871, sent forward
its memorials for harbor improvements
for Port Washington, Ahnapee. Two
Rivers, St. Louis River Q15,000O, and
several million dollars for the Fox and
Wisconsin river improvement.
In 1873 Wisconsin, through its legisla-
ture, again Numbered into the ears of con-
gress its appeal fol the improvement of
the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. At the
same session Wisconsin instructed her
senators and representatives to use their
best efforts to secure an appropriation
for ship canal around Niagara Falls;
also prayed for an appropriation for the
straight cut harbor at Milwaukee; also
another for harbor at the mouth of the
Menominee river; also for another for
the Superior harbor; also for the Port
Washington harbor.
In 1872, by joint resolution, our dele
egation in congress were instructed to
use their influence and efforts to obtain
appropriations for the Menominee river
harbor, and the Oconto river harbor.
The people of this state, through the
legislature, sent their mandate to their
delegation to ask for and obtain large
appropriation 10 clear out the snags and
sand-bars in the st. Croix river and lake.
They were also instructed to go in heavy
for The ship canal around Niagara Falls.
In 1874 this last instruction was reit-
Grated by joint resolution. That year
al. 4
joint resolutions for appropriations for
the improvement of the Mississippi
river, the st. Croix river, the Kewaunee
harbor. all the harbors in this state on
Lake Michigan, and fish-ways on the
Lower Fox
In the year 1875, the people of Wis
consin, by their legislature, re-echoed
their prayer to congress for good slice
| for the Kewaunee harbor; for an appro-
! priation for the Fox and Wisconsin river
| improvements; for several millions more
for the improvement of the mouth and
rapids of the Mississippi river; and es-
pecially and particularly for one million
dollars for the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
In 1876, the Legislature instructed the
governor to invite the governors of Iowa
and Minnesota to aid in getting up a
union prayer meeting of those three
states to hurry up tho Fox and Wiscon-
sin appropriations and to get it in good
| refreshing shower. The same legisla-
ture called for an adequate appropria-
ton for water reservoirs in the Chip
pewa rivers and its tributaries, and for
water reservoirs on the head waters of
the st. Croix river, thus connecting the
state to the policy of the reservoir sys-
| tenn.
The same legislature reminded the
| two houses of congress that fish-ways in
the dams and locks of the Fox river
needed some money, and that it should
be sent right along. 1t also reiterated
the prayer of Wisconsin for that Fox
and Wisconsin river improvement.
In 1877, the voice of supplication was
heard asking for 100000 for the Stur-
geon Bay canal; for the inauguration
of works of Improvement on the St.
Croix; for some prompt cash for the Fox
river iish-ways; for the admission into
the river system of the Wolf river IN
Wisconsin.
In 1878, the cry went to Washington
for $780, 900 for The harbor of refuge at
Sturgeon Bay, and for the harbor at
Kewaunee snug appropriation.
| In 1879 the legislature instructed the
members and senators of this state to do
their utmost to get appropriations to
| improre the harbor at the head of Lake
Superior, and to clear out the St. Clair
| Flats and Detroit river; and congress
was again reminded how anxious the
| people of Wisconsin felt about the har-
Dor at Kewaunee, the Superior harbor
and the harbor of refuge at Sturgeon
Bay.
The legislature of 1882 outdid all its
predece ssors. 1t prayed long, loud and
earnestly for the improvement of the
Mississippi river and its navigable trib-
utarles from the Falls of St. Anthony to
the Gulf of Mexico. 1t appealed for the
adoption, and pushing forward by large
appropriations, of the identical system
of improvements for which half the ap-
preparations for this year were made in
the river and harbor bill For obeyinr
the voice of Wisconsin, iterated and re-
iterated, the demagogue is heard in the
land demanding that our members in
congress shall be rebuked at the polls.
To have voted down the bills containing
these appropriations would have post
poned all these improvements for an:
other year, probably indefinitely, and
would have been disregard of instruc-'
tons, and of the public sentiment which
has been unanimous and emphatic in
the northwest for at least dozen Y ears.
These memorials and resolutions of
the Wisconsin legislature have been
passed by the.votes and without the OPP
position of either democrats or repubii-
cans. Hence we repeat the mouths of
Wisconsin voters are estopped to CON
denim the votes of the Wisconsin delega-
ton on the river and harbor bill.
Conceding that the bill ought not to
pass, and that the veto ought to have
been sustained, the people of Wisconsin
should not visit their own error upon
their members who have merely done
their bidding.
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