The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-04-11
To Keep the Snake Open.


The citizens of Idaho should be
proud of the stand taken by Senator
Hepburn in his effort to defeat the
Snake River daming bill. While it
is matter of in difference to the
people of Canyon County at present,
yet the time will come, when we will
be as much interested in having the
river open from it's source to its
mouth, as Nez Perez County. Not
withstanding the hard fight put up
by Senator Hepburn, the bill passed
by a large majority. 1t will be but |
few years before it is demonstrat- !
ed as to the correctness of Heyburn's |
judgment. The following remarks of
Senator Hepburn are taken from the
Congressional Record of March 80:
''The Snake River is a navigable |
stream. 1t makes the State of Idaho |
seaboard state. 1t gives the state
of Idaho the only seaport that it has
or can have, because it is at the head |
of navigation of the Snake River that |
the city of Lewiston is situated, and
I certainly do not intend to sit idly |
by and see some private enterprise
construct a dam across the Snake
River quite a distance below the city |
of Lewiston, so that the vessels that |
traverse that river between the city |
of Lewiston and the sea will be at the |
mercy of private enterprise that has |
constructed a dam under a charter
that only gives it limit of fifty years
Of life.
"This proposed dam is not in the
| State of Idaho and neither the State |
of Idaho nor it's legislature would |
have any control whatever over it, |
The line between Idaho and Washing
ton is Immediately below the city of
lewiston 1t is within a mile of the
ing in the State of Washington to
treat this great river, which is as
large as the Potomac in front of this
city, as tho it were the private prop
erty of the State of Washington, and
they are proposing to construct dam
entirely across the river some 35 feet
in hight; then they are proposing TO
make an artificial canal around the
end of this dam and put the locks Of
the canal on private property, and
they are proposing to do 1t by pri-
vate corporation.
81 believe in preserving the water
ways of the country for the uses of
the people, not only for their uses to-
day, but for their uses in all timeto
come. These waterways stand be-
tween them and the oppression in
freight rates and conditions. When
you make the Snake River perfectly
navigable you compel and keep with
in bounds the raising of railroad rates
along its border.
81 have asked on one or two occa-
sions since l have been in this body
|, that the Clearwater River be main
tanned in all its integrity, and in
tend to do SO long as l am here and
| so long as 1 may exert any influence
here or elsewhere to prevent that rlv-
err from being taken possession of for
, private greed or private gain. If no
craft ever floats down these rivers
: the very fact that they are navigable
is sufficient to hold the railroads that
: border them in check.
Does the senator imagine that
: would stand up here and oppose the
: wishes of the people of my state? We
: furnish the water for this river in
! Idaho. 1t rises there. The waters
that flow down thru the state of
Washington and the state of Oregon
D are furnished by SHOWS from the
t mountains of our state 1t happens
4 that in the wisdom of our fathers the
r border line between Washington and
4 Idaho was SO drawn as to give Idaho
natural seaport, and we propose to
Q maintain it."