The record-union., 1892-01-30
THE TASK OF THE RIVER AND
MINING INTERESTS - RETRO
SPECTIVE

river and mining interests have now i'm
posed upon their representatives, the
RECoRD-UNIoN, in retrospective glance
in which it takes justifiable pride, first
turns back in its files number of years
to observe, not'with vanity, but with ex,
preston of pardonable qualification over
the present situation, that early, very
early, in the unfortunate issue between
the river and the hydraulic mining Sec
tons, it advised, and with all the vigor il
could command, that the Federal Gov
ernment be appealed to to do its duty tc
the Sacramento River by restoring and
protecting its navigability. The RECORD
UNIoN-though by both sides sharply
criticised and opposed-then held, and
has ever since persistently maintained
that to induce the General Government tc
treat the navigability of the river was
the first necessary step, and would bring
all the other questions incidental to il
into proper position for rational consid-
Grafton and settlement.
If the Government could be brought
TO the discharge Of its duty, it was CON
tended, in the matter of restoring the
river, improving its carrying capacity,
and preventing its further filing, all
steps it would take in that direction
must tend to settle the debris question.
Fit was found that the deposits already
in the lower canyons must be restrained
from coming down into the main stream,
then the Office and duty of the Govern
ment was to erect such restraining works
and to forbid deposition in the tributaries
of the river of any matter likely to reach
and fill up the channels. That if the
Government found that restraining works IS
could be erected that would prevent min
ing debris from injuring the streams it
had the unquestioned right to construct
them, aud to conserve the mining industry
thereby. That if the setting back and
building of levees, the Strengthening OF
the stream, the enlargement Of the delta
and the clearance of the channels of the
river operated to preserve lowIands from
overflow, that was a natural incident,
and was not low.land reclamation by the
Government
The RECoRD-UNIoN then held, and has
ever since, that the navigable rivers as
free highways constitute heritage of all
the T,eOnla pf tho Natiop opJ +I,o+ - =;
therefore the bounden duty of the Gen
eral Government to prevent the closure
and obstruction of these highways, and
that it alone is the judge of the character
of the works necessary to that end, and
whether with such works hydraulic min
ing can be harlnlessly resumed and con-
tinued.
These doctrines have now, not only be-
come the common policy of both river
and mining sections, but the Government
has so far committed itself to them as to
make appropriations in those directions,
and to send out two boards of examining
engineers which have each reported that
the navigability of the river needs imme-
date and comprehensive treatment, and
that it may be protected from future in
jury in manner that will reasonably re-
strain the wash of hydraulic mines from
entering the river channels.
In other words, the doctrine first an
nounced by the RECORD -UNIoN-and in
the face of adverse criticism that at times
descended to assault upon the motives
and sincerity of this journal-that the
shortest route to settlement of the whole
debris issue was through movement of
the Federal Government to the discharge
of its duty to preserve the navigability of
the rivers, has become the accepted doc
trine of both mining and river interests.
So confident are the former in the
soundness of this doctrine and that it is
the only true solution. that the miners
agree that until the Government moves
in the matter no further activity on their
part likely to iniure or menace the rivers
shall be INDUCED in. and that the inter
probation of the law by the courts shall be
respected.
We are equally as confident now as
when years ago we expressed the belief
that this situation must come about, that
the Federal Government will act, not
only with promptitude, but with liberal
ity, and that there will very early be a
practical test Of the engineering phase of
the question, whether mining wash can
be restrained and mining industry prose-
cuted without injury to navigable streams,
and incidentally, TO agricultural interests.
But it will be necessary to press Con-
gress very hard upon that line. It has
before it such mass of business; it is so
hedged in by so-called economists, who
care nothing apparently for Federal in
terests in so remote State as this, which
stands for but one sixty-fourth of the
whole community of the nation, that it
win require tireless, persistent and heroic
labor to secure at this session the recog-
milton to which California is entitled.
The State has poured hundreds of mill
ions of the precious metals into the lap OF
the nation; her mountains have yielded
lavish food of gold to swell the ma