Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-05-08
FROM THE RECORDS.

Congressman Thos. H. Tongue
has been one of the most active,
energetic and faithful workers in
congress which Our state has ever
had. His efforts during his term
there are matters of public record,
standing out prominently on the
records of congress, and no one
need be mistaken or mislead
the public about them. He has
expended as much effort and in
dustry in the endeavor to do
something good for Yaquina har-
Dor as any member which Ore
gon has hitherto sent to congress.
1t is true Mr.. Tongue appeared
in congress after a considerable
number of prominent and infu-
entail capitalists in eastern cities
had become indignant over the
losses they had sustained by the
failure of the Oregon Pacific
Railroad which led them and
their friends to oppose the im-
provement of Yaquina bay. The
records show that after the fail
ure in 1895, Capt. Simons of the
government engineers, reported
stating that "a further extension
Of the jetties at Yaquina would be
a useless expenditure of money
and would not deepen the har-
bor." Although Senators Mitch
ell and Dolph and Mr.. Hermann
including Mr.. Mcbride, were il
congress for nearly two years
afterwards, and who were all
ready and willing to do all they
could for Yaquina bay, yet after
Capt. Symon's adverse report
these gentlemen, with ali their
energetic work, were not able to
procure any further money ap-
propriated or expended upon va
quina bay. 1t is true that the
river and harbor committee act of
1896, by a majority of only one
vote of the committee, authorized
the secretary of war to let con-
tract for the extension of the jet
ties, but the enforcement was left
to the discretion of the secretary
of war. After the bill passed
members Of that committee, in
Guiding some who had supported
the bill, who became convinced
that it should not pass, went be-
tore the committee on commerce
in the senate and endeavored to
secure an amendment striking
out the provision for Yaquina
harbor. This was prevented
only by the energetic and faith
full work of Senators Mitchell
and Mcbride. The engineering
department at all times made a
bitter and strong opposition to
that improvement. While that
authority was given as stated in
1896, Messrs. Hermann and
Mitchell remained in congress
until March 4, 1897, besides Ore
gon had two other members in
congress, everyone a worker,
ready and willing to do every
thing possible for Yaquina bay,
and yet these gentlemen during
that time were unable to induce
the secretary of war to approve
the contract, Or to take single
step toward carrying it out.
They were not able to overcome
the opposition stated to this i'm
provement. After Mr.. Tongue
took his seat in congress, though
a new member, without expert
ence and not on the committee
of rivers and harbors, by
persistent effort he succeeded in
doing what the others had not
been able to do. He prevailed
upon the secretary of war to ap-
prove the contract and direct
that it be let, which was done in
the spring of 1898. Authority
was then sent out early to Capt.
Fisk. 1t lay in his Office for
weeks, and no steps were taken
to advertise it. Mr.. Tongue
again went before the secretary
of war. who issued positive or