Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-07-20

~ When the subscriber 30 ORDERS MS SUD-
tfme paid for, otherwise It VIII be continued.
When the Semi Weekly is 20 continued, 1t Will
be- charged for ut the rate OF 500 per annum
FAMINEs AND IRRIGATION.
A correspondent writes thus TO THE
MINER on the above entitled subject,
after reading the editorial in Sundays
issue:
Your article ON Irrigation is fair enough,
taken from a certain, say an English
standpoint. 80 many people died of famine
that in the interests OF humanity at this
late day, they wish to state they are or
were taking the subisct under considera-
ton. What hypocrisyl Does The MINER
and the world at large, especially the
American world, remember the trial OF
Hastings? Do they remember his arraign.
ment by Edmund Burke? Do they remem-
Der Richard Brinsley Sheridan's speech on
that occasion? According to the English
Demosthenes Richard Fox, the greatest
Grafton ever delivered. Have they forgot
ten the little incident Of the great diamond,
the koh.i.noor, which graces the virtuous
brow Of Her Supreme Majesty, Queen Vic
toria?
Let the people read something, for in.
stance, Macauley's Essays, Burke's Essays
and others easily suggested; then they will
know the cause OF famine. Then read Pat
rick Hamilton's Resources OF Arizona"
and got some idea OF the system OF irriga-
ton practiced in Egypt and other countries
down to the time when the laws of riparian
rights were so thoroughly discussed and
ably adjusted in the state of California.
The famine will be easily understood, when
English merchants exported more rice, the
principal food of the n~atives, than ever was
exported before, in fact had just begun it's
expectation.
We haven't got the fertile valleys Of
India, our hills are filed with precious min
erals, but the grasses are rapidly being OK.
hausted by the great herds which roam at
will over our hills and wales. So the ques-
ton OF irrigationi s really one Of the greatest
questions that q come before u present
state convention.
We must beware OF over-population.
Our conventions can do nothing; but they
q frame q constitution that will have an
effect upon the people Of other states, and
may eventually close our doors to paupcr
immigration. The writer is not ill.liberal,
but after much thought, gives this advice
to the people: Beware Of over-population;
then the riparian question will not be one
OF so much consideration.
Our present convention, while IL is not
equal to the one assembled in Philadelphia
in 1776, is nevertheless composed OF able
and conscientious men who will do their
utmost to build the foundation and lay the
corner stone OF q great and prosperous
commonwealth.
The great trouble with the American PEG.
pie is that they do not think; they are
drowned in prosperity. OLD TIMER.
The above letter is deserving Of all
publicity and consideration.
THE MINER is conscious of the needs Of
a system of irrigation which shall obvi-
ate the possibilities attending long
drouths. For this reason it urges the
adoption Of some general system which
shall meet this need.
As to the causes that led up to the fam
ines In India, they were due, as the ed
itorial in Sundays MINER explained, to
bad economic measures as well as to the
drouths. Warren Hastings, as Macauley
shows. was, alter all, but the tool of the
cruel money sharks in England who COM
posed the East India company, and, to
his credit, it might be said, he was not
q willing instrument. However,
his cruelties will ever stand against him
as the executor of the will of these Shy
locks who were constantly demanding
more money of him than the legitimate
Of the East India company could
net. To preserve his position he made
his demands on the princes, and they, in
turn, made theirs on the subjects, the re-
suit being the plundering Of the millions
Of producers and toilers.
In almost all countries, even in time
,f famine. there is enough produced for
Ill, were the s~urplusage made use of by
he people. But this hy~dra-headed beast
,alled business demands that he who has
} surplus shall sell to the highest bidder,
md the latter is almost invariably the per-
on who is not In need of the article itself
'ut buys to sell in the highest market.
sentiment and humanitarianism play no
'art in the transaction. Local drouths
md famines in India deprived localities
4 their usual means, and as a conse-
Iuence, they could not pay al much for
ice as other countries and communities
ould. Business could not be expected to
lsten to charity's pleadings. In fact,
it's not business" you know. And hence
he victims Of the famines were permit !
to die by the thousands.
The danger Of over-population alluded
, by "Old Timer" is one not to be feared !
nder proper economic conditions.
1t has never played an impor-
or alarming part. Malthusianism
a great bugaboo. The danger in COM !
lunities great or small is in false econ
mics. The .famines in India were due
the ~deprivations Of the people by the I
llers, rather than to the drouths. This {
everywhere the case. Ireland Is not g
1er-populated. Given just agrarian L
ws, and the British empire would bios v
m like a garden. So would India, and q
nina, and Italy, and Spain, and Ger A
any, and other countries where misery o
Nature is ever kinder to hu-
anity than is the aggregation of men Il
Town as the commercial world" a
Montana need not fear over-population. N
may have grounds for fearing that ri
will be made which shall so bear on n,
Q agrarian rights Of the people as to ts
suit In disaster. That is the thing to OF
looked after: TO he feared and droodod ~