The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-25


only remedy is the ballot, and our
proposition, reduced to few
words, is to hoist the silver flag and 90
before the public with no other PROPOSE
ton than that silver is money. We be-
1eve that 1t is the duty OF the congress TO
appoint committee to act in conjunc-
ton with the BIZ metallic league for the
purpose Of handling the western half OF
the country, 70 draw in all the alliance
organizations, labor unions and all others.
tnus securing the votes of millions of
men. aud 20 show all the voters OF the
United states that voting for this silver
plank Is the same as voting for self, home
and country The trouble has been here
toioTe that we have left the whole fight to
be made by Stewart and Bland, without
coming TO their rescue.
This plan is to Offset the actions of the
bankers aud boards of trade that are the
agents OF the wealthy. We figure that
before we viii ever be called upon to act
IN a Residential campaign that we will
have silver restored by the means OF petit
slons to Congress with ten or twelve mill
hon signatures of the legal voters Of the
country.
CALIFORNIA; RIVERS AND HARBoRs.
Colonel s. K. Thornton, vice president
OF the California Miners association, was
one Of the first San Francisco delegates on
hand.
''Our delegation, - he said, ttbas
agreed te ask for the Improvement Of the
rivers and harbors OF California after the
plans suggested by the government en-
glneers, who made surveys and estimates
under the Biggs' bill, passed by Congress
when Robert Lincoln was secretary OF
war. The engineers reported that the
only way to improve the rivers tributary
10 the sacramento and San Joaquin was
by building restraining dams, preventing
the debris that is still lodged in the can
yons from flowing into the navigable
streams Then, by dredging, navigation
could be resumed and at the same time
mining could be conducted without, in
reference to navigation. This would be
to the interest of the farmer and miner,
and would prevent the filling of the San
Francisco bay by the wash Of the debris.
''The building of the dams, it is esti-
mated, viii cost half million dollars,
bpt there IS no way of estimating the cost
Of the dredging required -
Could hydraulic mining be resumed in
California he thought that they could
produce annually from ten TO twelve
million dollars in gold. That could con-
tinae indefinitely, as it has been tested by
boring and other measurements of the de-
posits containing placer gold are almost
inexhaustible.
TIE delegation is also united in favor
ing the construction of the Nicaragua
canal and its control by the United States
government.
THE MONTANA FIGHT.
Montana Democrats have reason to
know and fear g. W. Irvine, for he was
the Republican who played one faction
against the other like so many chess, de
featiug the election OF Democratic sena-
tor when the Democrats had a clear
majority on joint ballot.
Irvine is a diplomat among diplomats
and he will be heard in the congress on a
measure that concerns his state more than
any other. He is the state mineral coma
missioner and has charge of the fight
against the Northern Pacific railway,
which claims title to nearly all the min
eral lands in the state. "There has been
an irrepressible conflict between the rail-
road and the miners for years, - said Mr..
Irvine. ut began three years ago when
the Northern Pacific began to claim that
their grant included all mineral lands
within their grant, whether they vera
known to be such or not at the time of
the preliminary location in 1872, or when
they were definitely located in 1887. 1t
is the largest question that concerns the
northwest, as it involves the title to min
eral lands in an area 80 miles
long through the entire state,
and for forty miles north and
forty miles south of the road. The
grant TO the railroad covered every odd
section. II, OOJ, 200 acres in all. OF these
about 5000, Geo acres have turned out to
contain mineral.
Litigation was begun by the Northern
Pacific three years ago against P. P
Barden and others. The case was tried
in the United States circuit court, Judge
Sawyer presiding. He ruled that the
railroad had only title to lands known to
nave been mineral lands in 1889, when the
definite location was made. The case
was carried to the Supreme Court and
argued, but the court refused to decide
on so important question without full
bench and reInanded the case for rehear-
ing, which may come up in October
The state of Montana had bill pending
before the last Congress and will present
one at the next session, asking that b
commission be appointed to segregate the
mineral from the other lands.
MIR. Irvine viii present a resolution
urging the passage of the bill by Congress.
Mr.. Irvine feels confident that the min
ers win succeed, as he finds the disposi-
tion of the government officials is to favor
their claims. The. Northern Pacific is not
as aggressive in this matter as it was, and
is anxious TO have it settled. 1t has made
some 2, 600 selections OF quarter sections,
but the secretary of the interior is holding
them back and refuses to issue charters,
pending decision of the contest.
The above viii be the burden of the
Montana delegation, and if they get a
satisfactory resolution they will be salts
fed.
MCoNNELL's IDEAS.
Governor Mcconnell of Idaho is one of
the heaviest pieces of artillery on the
ground.
He is as audacious as ever, and courage
is one OF his predominant characteristics.
The HERALD readers wiz not need to be
reminded of his record as a thirty-day
senator, and the way he ratified the old
fossilized bones of the venerable
senators by charging that the
government mortgage of So, 100000 on
the Southern had been changed from
a first to second mortgage by the payment
of $500 600 English money, and that ne
challenged the Senate To call for the dates.
figures and names.
This created one Of the greatest sensa-
tons, but the Senate did not dare to ask
Tor the information which the Idaho SEN
ator dared to volunteer.
Idaho. - said Governor Mcconnell,
{ is large producer OF silver, lead and
copper, and a great agricultural state,
having two distinct climates. My idea is
that the government should encourage
Investment IL Irrigation projects by grant
ing to ditch companies the odd sections
the same as it has been doing to railroads, |
except TINT it might require the ditch
companies to pay 81. % an acre for the /
land. At present the land along bitches !
is gobbled up by private corporations, |
TINS cheating the real benefactors from