Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-03-01
Ystr RECLAMATION FRAUD.

TEtE RECLAIM ALTON FRAUD.
Senator Marker Of Washoe read from
manuscript a high.hown speech in the
Senate Monday afternoon in favor OF the
passage OF the bill introduced by him
self, and known as the MARKER Re-
clamation bill" He did not offer a
single substantial reason why the bill
should be passed, but dwelt with poetic
expression upon the brilliant destiny for
Nevada in her now sterile sagebrush soil.
Senator Schooling, whose mind is always
clear, and whose sentiments are always a
reflex of the peoples wishes, arose and
answered the argument of Mr.. Marker
in advocacy OF his mammoth pet. Mr..
Schooling showed that the waters, which
ii is proposed in the bill to dam up and
diffuse over the thirsty soil Of Nevada,
are nearly all held by private persons,
who have acquired their rights from the
State and the General Government, and
that it would be a monstrous thing for
the State to come in and interfere with
her citizens in their vested rights, by
going above them towards the water
source, and by diverting water there
from put in question the riparian rights
o: proprie.ors below. He showed very
couclusively that anything Ike the
grand ranch scheme on the part OF the
State, as proposed by Mr.. Marker, even
if it could be equitably and decently put
into practice, would be destructive to
the present f~ourishing interests OF the
State. The products OF the soil are now
valueless, because the demand in the
State is coextensive with the supply, or
nearly SO. Suppose the quantity of
grain and hay in Nevada is materially
increased, We would have to look to Cal
ifornia for a market. Everybody knows
that competition by this State with Cali
fornia in the matter OF these or any
other farm products would be simply
ridiculous. The cost Of production is so
great along the Truekee even, that, as
Senator Schooling remarked. if the Cen
trail Pacific should offer transportation
gratis it would not pay Washoe farmers
to ship their products to a California
market.
Mr.. Schooling stated that private par.
ties had expended some $4,000 in sur
yeying the country and exploring it to
determine whether it would be a paying
investment to build a canal to bring
water from the Truckee-such a canal as
the bill has in coatemplation-and they
estimated that It's cost would be at least
$3.50, 900.
MIR. Schooling showed that while the
bill is attractive in theory it would be a
monster in practice. Il calls for $780,
900 from the sacred School Fund as a
starter, but it ramiies in every direction,
and throws the gates wide open for
fraud. The people OF Nevada would
never get from within the embrace of
this octopus If during the coming two
years. devoted to jobbery and the man
ufactpre of specious claims against the
State it should once lay its tentacles
upon the few poor securities yet left in
the State Treasury.
Strange to say, the measure, gigantic
in its possibilities, to say nothing of its
probabilities, OF fraud, passed the Senate,
with nobody to speak against it but SEN
ator Schooling, by a vote OF II to !.
Some vicious persons say that it looks as
though there had been a grand power
somewhere quietly at work, and that the
author OF the bill had been converted"
by the railroads, after once or twice kick.
ing over the traces, and it was surmised
that the pro-railroaders had thrown him
their support as a sop for his vote. One
Senator, who had labored hard to defeat
the measure in previous debate, is re-
ported to have been overheard to say ::
Il am going to vote for the d-n bill. 1
don't want to-, but l have to !"
The bill has to stand fire in the AS
sembly yet, and if it is not killed there
it is to be hoped that it may seem
sufficiently a monster in the eyes Of
Gov. Adams to warrant him in throttling
it with his veto.