Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-10-28
ACTION AT LAST.

The REcoRD-U MON is more than graft
fed tlSlt now the whole country is solicit
tons about sending on speedily to the Sec
retaryiof War, to the Department of JUS
tice, and to the Executive itself, of the
Federal Government. earnest appeals for
Government interference in some way, all
ways, any way, in the slickens question
the end and aim being TO induce the Fed
eral authorities to take immediate iuris-
diction of the matter, that the flow OF
slickens may be efIectually stopped, and
the time speedily come when the Govern
ment shall undertake the restoration of
the Sacramento river. This is right it is
most encouraging; it will succeed In
deed, we have it on the authority Of one
of the assistants to the Acknowledgement
Of the United States, that if it can be
shown to that Department that nayiga-
bic stream of the country is being ma
terially injured by artificial processes, it is
the bounden duty of the Federal Govern
ment to interfere. Yet, when few
months ago the REcoRD-U MON alone and
unaided sounded the note for Federal In
reference, and urged that an appeal be
made to the Government to interpose its
arm, the cry went up, You are the enemy
Of the valloy-dams dams. damsl No, no
interference by the Government; no injunc-
ton in the form of ordered surveys, works.
legal processes or otherwise, until hydraulic
mining is stopped. California must stop
hydraulic mining first, and then we will
listen to the proposition to appeal to the
Government" First, our contemporary
the San Francisco Cal, which had Joined
in the opposition to our proposal, exam.
ined into it dispassionately, found it good
and Joined with us The Sutter Farmer
which some time held of, finally added it.
influence. The Marysville Appeal soor
saw that such memorial could in no wis,
prejudice valley interests, and it too con
CURED. The San Francisco Bulletin wa.
the next to fall into line. The Colusa
Sun next gave in its approval, and present
ly there was scarcely paper in the State
that did not second the proposition. Now
the sentiment is unanimous that both tn,
Department of Justice and the War De
partment should he appealed to to com,
to the aid of the river, each in its owl
way, one through the Courts, the othe
through examination and work, which il
itself viii he an efiectual injunction. TIL,
appeals are already formulated and will
soon 20 up, signed, let us hope, by ever,
governing body of every county in tn
valley, by every city and town of import
ance in the State and by every commercial
and business organization in the common
wealth. And yet, let it be noted
hydraulic mining has not ceased Fo
seven years the people have Tough
siiekens in the Courts, and with goo
effect. But still the slickens comes. No
will it cease for years, if we are to confn
our efforts to the slow moving processes {
suits brought by few philosophical cit
zens of the State. The country now see
this, and realizes the truth OF this Journal
statement made last summer, that If "
wait for the local Courts TO give us relic
upon unofficial appeals, We shall be burie
hundreds Of feet deep in slickens befor
the last mine that is injuring us has bee
brought to submission. Government il
reference is the one speedy and efleetu;
remedy, and it matters very little in VII;
form it comes so long as it aids the vale
in attaining the one desired end, the abs,
lutte abatement of the nuisance that is no
destroying the rivers of the State, and ii
speediest possible restoration of the strean
10 their highest possible state of nayig'
.hility. We have never lost faith in II