The herald., 1897-05-12
THE HARBoR CONTEST

The latest developments Of the harbor
question are full of interest. 1t is i'm
possible to consider the whole contro-
versy up to its present stage without
feeling of wonder at the aggressive
force of the Southern Pacific magnate.
Defeated in his exclusive harbor scheme,
first by nature in the conformation of her
ocean inlets, he tried a protest against
nature, herself, and was speedily routed
by science interpreted through the en-
gineers' department of the United States.
Next we see him engaged in Quixotlc
assault upon the combined forces of ma
ture and science, and under the influence
of auto-suggestion declaring that an open
roadstead at Santa Monica is haven
of rest.
At this stage the people are aroused
to assist the beleaguered allies, and
again the aggressive knight is compelled
to retire. But not for any considerable
length of time did he nurse defeat. He
moved his headquarters to Washington,
and there he was next seen to be estab
llSucu dIu IldhlHS otiOIS LII q
new campaign against the peoples har-
Dor. The people were not kept long in
waiting for the opening of hostflities
-afresh. He had picked up a senatorial
specialist from one of the fish sections
OF. the New England coast, and drilled
this instrument into a condition of
familiarity with his chosen tactics. AT
this point, by a flank movement, he
almost succeeded in reducing the de-
fenses of the people before his plans were
detected. But the people have their rep
resentatives in the senate, who very
adroitly converted the shaft thrown by
the aid-de-camp into a boomerang, be-
fore it had time to strike, so that the
missile performed its circuit, returning
to smite the hand by which it had been
released.
San Pedro, as the result was chosen by
congress as the site for a deep water
harbor, and the cause of the people had
triumphed, as it seemed. But it devel-
ops that the end is not yet. This Her.
cules, through his control of a weakling
in the war department whose name does
not look well in print just now, inaugu-
rated Fabian policy by which he has
forced the harbor question back into
congress Here, through the ambi-
dexterity of his specialist, he expects to
have an act of congress practically
nullified.
The warning interest with which the
people are graphing in this case is
dangerous antagonist. 1t recognizes no
ultimate except success, and uses re-
peated defeats as the steps by which to
ascend toward the goal of victory-but
such victory, in such a cause and
secured by the methods that have char
acterized this contest would tell it's own
story. 1t remains to be seen whether
there is virtue enough left to compel
faithless public servant to surrender his
tarnished portfolio.
In the meantime the matter will not
be allowed to slumber in the senate,
where Engineer Hoods views will be
handed in with the Endorsement of the
war department, within a few days, in
explanation of the executive tardiness.
Barlows resolution in the house, owing
to the monarchical organization of that
branch under Reed, will not be likely to
receive attention, but the senate resnlu-
tlon requiring the secretary of war TO ex-
plain his contumacy will serve to bring
a copy Of Hoods manifesto into the