St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-26
WHO is RESPONSIBLE :?
Attacking Northwestern River and Har-
Dor Appropriations.
REPUBLICANS AT FAULT.
The Democratic House Treated the
Northwest Fairly---Col. P. B.
Walkers Views.

Col. Platt B. Walker was asked yes
terday by GLOBE reporter for his
opinion concerning the fight being made
III the United States senate against ap-
preparations for rivers and harborS in the
Northwest by Senator Sawyer, of Wis
conSin, and others. In response to in
quiries the colonelresponded as follows:
1.-The Democratic house of representa-
tives has been reasonably liberal with
opening of the river between st. Paul
and Minneapolis, for taking care OF the
reservoirs, for the Red river work and
harborS on Lake Superior. A pro-
vision was inserted in the house
bill that the secretary of war
should have the exclusive control
and prescribe regulations for the man.
agement of the great reservoir dams.
This provision, it seems, did not suit
the lumber interests, and Senator Saw
yer, one of the lumber kings of the
Northwest, struck out the appropriation
for taking care of the reservoirs and de-
nounced it as as the scheme of the lum-
bermen. ITO me it is matter of great
satisfaction that the Democratic house
should have made this provision, to have
it attacked by Republican in Repub-
lican senate. The same Republican
senate committee also cut down our ap-
preparation on the Mississippi river be-
tween Minneapolis and the Des Molnes
rapids from $3.50, 900 to 100000. The re-
sponsibility for this attack upon the
interests of the Northwest rests
with the Republican senate, and not
with the Democratic house. The
business is that Senator Sawyer, in the
face of the official reports of the en-
gineers of the United States during the
last two years, which show that the res
ervOirs have been and are the most use
full and beneficial work ever accom-
plished for the like sum of money, pro-
tecting us as they do from damage by
flood and risks of navigation in low
water. and assuring us perpetual naVl-
CATION at all times when the river is
clear of ice. 1t is strange thing, L
say, that he should assert that the reser-
voir system was fraud, run in the in
tereSt of the lOggerS. The fact is that
every man who has had any opportunity
knows that they afforded, for the first
time in the history of navigation
on the Mississippi river, navigation every
day in the season during 1856 and 1887.
This spring they have robbed the floods
of the danger element. The water at
this point and st. Paul would have been
from one to two feet higher but for
these reservoirs. The only reason in
the world why Senator Sawyer, especi-
ally representing as he does the lumber
interests, should jump upon the reservoir
system is that the lumbermen cannot
control them under the bill passed by
the Democratic house. Senator Davis
with his sagacity has seen that it
would not do for the Republicans to
assume the responsibility of defeating
these appropriations, and is making
vigorous fight to put it back just where
the Democratic committee left it, and
all good people in Minnesota should
wish him success in his efforts. These
same views in substance were given by
me at the solicitation of the Pioneer
Press, Wednesday, but the paper
declined to print them for reasons that
are palpable from political standpoint.