The Arizona sentinel., 1892-10-29
What Mark Smith Says He Has
 Done For Yuma County. A LeVee Appropriation and


 That we possess a stream of sufficient
 commercial importance to require i'm
 provement is not in itself, an ade-
 quate reason for the granting of such
 an appropriation.
 Mark Smith has been here, and teld
 us of the thousands of bills presented
 to Congress, and referred to its Com
 mittees and of the difficulties en-
 countered in obtaining favorable ac-
 tion from the Committees, and having
 your bill placed on the Calendar. The
 clashing interests of sixty million peo-
 pie center in those Committee rooms.
 It is whirlpool, a maelstrom of con- f1icting ideas and desires, the battle ground of the giants of the nation.
 Across this rushing whirl, an approp- riation bill, presented by a mighty State, freighted in the craft ot State hood and propelled by as many oars as she may have votes in Congress, may ride serenely and steer straight to the desired haven, indifferent to the surrounding turmoil, but the little cockleshell which carries Arizona's in terests, devoid of votes and oarless, her only motive power the diligence and personal influence" of her delegate, is driven here and there in the swell of the greater craft around her, and can only hope to enter the portals of Congress when the ''personal influence" of her Delegate shall induce some State vessel to tow her in astern.
 Mark Smith, in his speech here, said that he had obtained an aprop- riation of ten thousand dollars for the Yuma levee through his diligence and personal influence" acquired during his six years service in Congress.
 If it is true that he has done this thing, in the face of such difficulties, it is an evidence of marked ability, and entities him to the undivided support of his party and the personal gratitude of every citizen of Yuma County. This appropriation is en- tirely local. It will be expended in Yuma, and not only shall we benefit through the security of life and prop erty gained, but every cent of this money will go to our laboring men and merchants. Yuma has a bright future. Many enterprises are under way here which will inevitably build up another Riverside in time, but at present we are suffering from the de- pression of business common all over the Southwest and the expenditure of this appropriation at the present time constitutes a debt of gratitude from every citizen of Yuma county to the man who was instrumental in ob- taining it, but that man is not Mark Smith.
 He dared not stand before our peo- pie and tell them that their gratitude was due to him, but left to Hon. Frank Cox, uniformed as to the truth, the pleasant task of telling the people of Yuma that their homes would be protected from desolating floods and their pockets would jingle with silver coin put there through the diligence of Mark Smith. "Frank" thought it was the truth, and so was able to tell the story, in his own elo- 4uent way, to the willing ears of | future bene6ciaries, and send every | man away to his wife and children | with the feeling that he owed some thing for the safety of his little home stead, to the "diligence" of Delegate Mark Smith.
 Col. Benyard, the U. s. Engineer Oficsr in charge of this District, ar rived in Yuma last Saturday to look over the line of the levee, and secure leeds to the right of way preparatory to letting contracts for it's construc- 5ion, and while here stated that "It s one of the unwritten laws of Con- yress that no appropriation for the orovement of Rivers and Harbors shall be made until a preliminary survey and estimate has been made oy the U. s. Engineers, and even hen, appropriations are rarely granted unless favorably recom- by the Engineer Officer. This is the first time within my knowledge that this rule has been broken" and he continued, "but of course when you have Senator Dolph working in your interest, you can obtain almost anything."
 There can be no doubt, that after serving six year in Congress, Mark Smith was fully aware that a sur 7ey of the proposed levee would be necessary before the appropriation could be secured. He never ex- pected to secure it, and introduced the bill, knowing that it must be defeated, but thought it would be good Democratic thunder to turn loose on unsuspecting Arizonians, 'ar removed from Washington, and gnorant of the manner in which he business of the country is con- lucted in Congress. Owing to the eloquent speech of Representative Bowers, who was not aware of the in the bill, it passed he House, but was stricken out in he Senate, because no estimate ac- ,ompanied it.
 At this point, Mark Smiths con 1ection with our leveeappropriation ceases, and it never occurred to him that his boasted "personal infu- ence" might enable him to have the