The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-01-24
WE MUST HAVE IT.

The Oregonian special dispatches from
Washington Thursday state that there
is no hope of Senator Dolph's bill pass
ing the house this session. Every per-
son who has watched the management
of these bills in congress for the past
dozen years knew that it was useless to
hope that it would pass both branches
of congress. We are glad indeed that
this matter has been telegraphed here,
and that the Oregonian has seen fit to
give the dispatch prominent place, and
unmistakable headlines. We confess
frankly, that our experience for the past
ten or twelve years was of nature, as
to prevent us taking any stock in the
idea that Portland and the Oreqoniun
were in earnest in their seeming desire
to have the Columbia opened. We can
not doubt the big daily sincerity longer.
Already the bill of Dolph's was begin
ming to make itself felt, and it would in
a week longer here killed the portage
railway bill beyond the hope of resurrec-
ton. The reports from Salem Thursday
show this plainly.
The following clipped from yesterday s
Oregonian explains the situation
"There will be an endeavor, which is
not likely to succeed, to draw party lines
on the question of portage railways, to
be built by the state or by Oregon and
Washington jointly. 1t is openly assert
ed by republicans, headed by Mr..
Montgomery, that all this effort to ge
the state Legislature to appropriate money
for building portage railways is but a
democratic club with which to knock
down the work done by Oregon's repre-
sentatives in congress in behalf of the
more important improvement, the build
ing OF the boat railway by the general
government.
Governor Pennoyer is trying to use
this legislature as a catspaw to pull his
political chestnuts out of the fire. said
one member this afternoon, t'and we
don't propose that he shall do it,
A caucus of republican members of the
house has been called for tomorrow
morning at 8 O'Clock, at which the polit-
ical aspect of the portage railway law,
will be throughly discussed, and repub-
licans will be urged to vote down the
Watkins resolution on the grounds that
its adoption, as well as the passage of
any measure for portage railway to be
built by the state would iniure the pros
poets for federal appropriation. Never
theless many republican members have
expressed themselves in favor of build
ing portage railway to afford immedi-
ate relief to the farmers and shippers
of the Inland Empire and then redoub-
ling their efforts to get an appropriation
from thegeneral government for perman-
ent improvements. This idea has
many supporters and it is not at all un-
likely that enough republicans and
democrats will unite to carry it through
Representatives from Clatsop and Col
umbia county, on the lower river will
help and the resolution will undoubt-
edly pass.
1t will be seen that the idea that con-
gress was going to finish the work at
once, has already been taken hold of to
kill the portage road. The telegram
from Washington comes therefore oppor-
tunely. The portage railroad bill is not
yet safe however, and unless it is backed
up more forcibly by Eastern Oregon than
it is at present, it is going to be killed in
the house. 1t will pass the senate all
right, but a fight will be made on it.
and we are afraid a bitter one in the
house. Eastern Oregon should awake
to the situation; and every town should
send delegation to Salem when the
bill gets into the house, to show the
unanimity of sentiment and determiua-
ton of the people on this subject The
idea advanced by Montgomery, that it is
political question, is all the veriest
bosh. 1t is entirely matter of business
and affects the interest of every resident
OF Eastern Oregon. The only question
of politics in it is that members of all
the parties will be disgusted with their
representatives if they fail to work
honestly and earnestly for the bill.
Salem wants 100000 to put a dome on
the capitol, Eastern Oregon wants $780,
600 to aid in getting its products to the
sea, and the building of the portage road
will save enough money each year to the
Eastern Oregon producers to put dome
on the state capitol and a large sized
head on Jay Gould's local interests
besides. We must have an outlet for
our surplus grain before we can make
any material progress, and the portage
road alone will give it to us.
Bicknell, the speaker of the house at
Carson City, Nevada, has instructed the