The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1914-08-20
eoRAH STATES HIS POSITION
CLEARLY.

tention In the national law making body
over the passage of the rivers and
harbors bill. II is admitted on all sides
that the bill contains more pork, ;
which simply means plain unadulter-
ated graft, than any bill ever before
attempted to be put through. A number
of the stalwart members prominent
among which is Senator Borah, of Ida
no, have made every effort possible to
get the items of the bill cut down To
something near the legitimate needs Ia
the case. Failing in this. through the
determination of the committee to pass
out great slabs Of pork regardless of
the honesty or fairness, or Justice of
the matter, they have declared war
upon the bill.
This forced the grafters to appeal
for assistance to those sections of the
country especially interested In the pas
sage of the bill because they have some
river or creek they wanted dredged
out or cleaned up, urging them to jump
onto the men who are combating the
graft, and insist that they allow the
bill to pass right or wrong. This scheme
has been worked to a fare you well
and the kilograms have poured In upon
the men who have blocked ethe free
use of the national funds for political
graft until they are almost swamped
In the flood. Lewiston, Portland Seat
tie and other cities and towns In the
west have fallen IN with the plan. The
idea seems to be that all claims to hon
esty of purpose must be waved aside in
this particular case because they want
their rivers and harbors improved, and
they are therefore ready to subscribe to
such procedure and go into collision
with those who are knowingly doing the
robbing of the treasury. II 1t will bring
what they want. This Is wrong. They
should hammer the grafters instead of
the Senators opposed to graft. In re-
ply to the Portland Commercial Club
Senator Borah takes the following de-
cided stand, for which he Is to be hon
ored;
Il have your vigorous protest again
at my obstructive tactics, as you choose
to call them, relative to the rivers and
harbors bill. l am of course, sincerely
regretful that my action does not meet
with your approval but my position is
unalterable so long as the rivers and
harbors bill remains in it's present form.
! am perfectly familiar now with the
forces which are behind this bill and
] cannot be mislead into supporting
what ! conceive to be most uncon-
scionable waste Of public money.
am perfectly aware that the United
States engineers have recommended this
bill but 1t is no credit to them that
they have done SO. In my judgement. II
is not only distinct Impeachment of
their ability but Of their integrity and
] shall not hesitate to say so either by
private letter or In public. 1t has be-
come national disgrace the way these
bills are made UP and the engineers are
largely to blame for 1t.
"You say that some of these projects
may be regarded as pork by large rail-
way corporations. The pork of this
bill Guild not possibly affect any railway
in existence. or that will be built.
How in the name of God could an ex-
penditure OF money affect a railroad
when 1t Is expended upon certain
stream where II Is not expected that
a pound of freight will ever be carried.
Oh, no. the old railroad story has been
Investigated and ! am not mistaken as
to this situation. Now. II you want to
do the right thing and serve those pro-
3ects which are lawful and legitimate,
send your kilograms to those who are In
out those projects which are nothing
more than shameless waste of money.
They know what they are. | do not
think that you can possibly know the
details of this bill. II you did know them
you would not have the temerity to
insist upon man voting for them. II
must express to you my sincere dis
appointment In being criticized for re-
fusing to vote for what i conceive to
be an unconscionable graft. ! am pre-
pared to defend my position before any
honest body of men in the world and II
! cannot defend my position | am pre-
pared to take the consequences polite
ally. But let II be understood once and
for all that ! will not vote for this bill
and If 1t Is In my power 10 kill 1t I
will do So You people can get busy
and expend your energy In taking out
the waste and II win be far more com
mendable both a matter of cti-
zenship and patriotism than to be
quaireling with men who are sincerely
trying to eliminate these outrageous
projects