Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-16
THE RIVER CONVENTION.

Tomorrow the River Convention will
meet in this city Thrice has the RECORD
UNION expressed the hope that the Con-
vention viii not travel in It's deliberations
outside Of the single purpose for which it
was called-to sit, to memorable Con-
gress to set about the Improvement Of the
navigation Of the river by its systematic
and comprehensive treatment for that pur-
pose. While it is agreed that the outlets
Of the stream should be enlarged, the
slougbs that once formed part of its delta
be reopened, a waste way provided for the
surplus waters, and the natural banks be
protected even to the extent of leveeing,
and that perhaps some measures are neces-
sary to prevent the descent of material
now in the lower canyons Of the tTibuta-
ries Of the Yu5a and the Feather; ali
these are details which the Convention
need not consider. Indeed, if ii does take
them up it will find Itself Laundering be-
tween the opinions of engineers, the preiu-
diees Of industries possibly affected, the
widely differing views of men as TO the
causes and remedies, and the result viii be
q w5rdy session that will by no means
commend the body to Congress.
What is wanted is presentation to the
Rational Legislature Of the facts of the
present condition Of the stream compared
with what it once was; the duty of the
nation to care for the free highways of the
people and the fact that Congress has
never undertaken any substantial work
1pon California streams. No matter
the causes for the filling of the Sacra-
uento, the Feather aad the Yuba; no
matter what he local ideas may be con-
corning remedies, let US not project them
into this Convention. And the reasons
are strong and clear. 1t must be accepted
that whatever the Government does it
viii do upon the report of its own Com
mission-and 4 Commission is one Of the
things that we should petition for. That
such a Commission will not consider any
testimony this Convention may advance,
ami, finally, that any recital of matters
calculated to evoke protest, denial or
acrimonious debate will efectuallv sap
the memorial the Convention will send
up In short, it viii be the hight of folly
10 tolerate in the Convention any resolu-
tons or speeches that will stir up strife or
rub old sores. Let the convocation adj
here to the one thing of "Goyernment
treatment" leaving all the matters re-
garding methods and causes aud remedies
to the future and the Commission that all
the people hope viii be erected. Once
commit Congress to the policy of treating
the river for the purpose of restoring its
capacity as 4 navigable stream, and enough
will have been accomplished for the
present.
TIE Mormon memorial to Congress in
protest against the report of the Utah
Commission, which is adverse to the adj
mission Of the Territory as a State, travels
over well-worn ground. There is nothing
new in it-there is nothing in it. The
denials Of the Church cannot stand against
such infamies as the fact of plural mar
riage, the fact of the Mountain Meadow
massacre, the fact of the domination Of the
Church over the temporal affairs of its
devotees and the fact that the priesthood
dictates the politics of the average Nor
mon. If Church and State are to be kept
apart in government, Utah must not be
admitted until the Church ceases to lie the
chief factor in Utah nolitics