The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-06
The River and Harbor Bill.

gress They are the defeat OF the sun
sidy steal and of the River and Harpor
Job 1t is only Of the latter that we care
to speak at this time.
The River and Harbor bill. which Sena-
tor Carter of Montana did his country a
signal service by talking to death, was
one of the most fragrant and impudent or
| ganized raids on the Treasury in the an
| nails of American legislation. Apparently
| without the least attempt at concealment
the Republican party managers in Con-
| gress used 1t as a means of liqIIidating
numberless small campaign debts due in
! the backwoods. or far Down East dis
tricts, and We're completely Indifferent to
/ the ridiculous character of the Improve
ments" for which appropriations were
asked.
| When Senator Carter rose from his seat
at twenty minutes past eleven O'Clock
Sunday night to oppose the measure. al
most everybody at the Capitol supposed
that 1t would be worked through by hook
or by crook. and did not at first realize
the brave purpose Of the Montana states
man to hold the ioor from that moment
TO the end of the session at noon of the
| succeeding day. That, however, was his
intention. and he carried it out with en-
/ tire success. He did hold the floor for
nearly twelve hours, taking such snatch
! es of rest betimes the absence of n
quorum or the benevolent interruptions
of colleagues in accord with him made
! possible But he stuck to his guns and
accomplished his object.
| The net result of his splendid fight was
that fifty million dollars has been saved
to American taxpayers, which this nefari-
Gus bill would have appropriated. half of
that sum being devoted to Government
work for which there was. and is, neither
rhyme nor reason. In the course of his
speech, Senator Carter analysed the pro-
visions of the River and Harbor bill and
demonstrated their wickedness or waste
fulness.
Among other features of the measure to
which he took exception. one was for the
improvement of Trinity River in Texas.
This river is a great avenue of commerce
which is entirely dry during two-thirds Of
each year, but the spring and winter rains
in thei:' season produce mud in its bed,
and this fact has imbued the farmers
along lis banks with the idea that.
with Government aid. 1t might he
of the trouble and expense of get
ting their produce to the nearest mar
ket by means of animal power. They
also have decided that. once navigable,
the Fish Commission could be worked to
stock it with whales and halibut. and so
make it contribute to the local family
pot. Senator Carter read reports from
Government engineers to the effect that
it was proposed to improve this import
ant water-course by furnishing it with a
channel and water. To accomplish this.
the stumps which fill the bed were to be
extracted. the ground excavated to a
proper depth. and then II was intended to-
sink sufficient number of artesian wells
to command a stream for the ditch.
Trinity River is fair example of a num-
Der of what Senator Carter denominated
steals in proposed appropriations.
Among others mentioned by him was a
provision for the Improvement of Mat
tituck Harbor. New York, a mud fiat
where the present depth of water is from
one to two feet. The village of Matti-
tuck is two miles inland from the mouth
of this ''harbor" and would like to be a
port at public expense. Another fragrant
case alluded to was that of an appropria-
ton to make Flushing Harbor, New
York. with a present water depth of three
feet nine inches, navigable for ocean ves-
sells. Still another was the Peekskill Job
TO improve a mud bank at the home town
of Senator Depew. Reviewing the scheme
at large, Senator Carter said:
'Any Senator who will carefully read this bill
and in conjunction with It the report upon
which it is based will inevitably be driven to
the conclusion, unhappy though that conclusion
may be and humiliating as it is. that the bill
ia framed constructed. and completed upon the
despicable principle Of division and silence"
The Hon. Thomas II. Carter. of Mon
tana, is entitled TO the heartfelt thanks
and gratitude of the American people for
his action in defeating a stul endous eff
fort to loot the Treasury. 1t is true that
the result will postpone some desirable
improvements in real rivers and harbors;
but that affiiction is better than that mil
lions of public money should be squan-
dered upon goose ponds and tidal flats of
no earthly account or utility to the ma
ton.
We are delighted in believing that
Democrats in Congress who have re-
Trained from obstructing pernicious legis-
lation proposed and carried by the Re
publican machine. on the understanding
that they were to be paid out of the
River and Harbor bill. on the contrary
have been left on the cold outside. with
only the memory Of their perfidy to COM
fort them. Perhaps another time they
may see the wisdom of holding their DO
Htical and patriotic virtue at a higher
price, and of securing payment in ad-
vance of surrender.