The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1891-08-21
Inv for tie Rainmakers.
From the Courier-Journal.l

production OF rain by the use Oh eA
plosives is practicable. The question
whether it can be done on "A large
scale and sufficiently economically To
Justify a general resort to showers ar
officially produced may not be 50
promptly determined but subsequent
experiments may be expected to settle
these pOints also. Should all the
scientific doubts ~ to the practicable
ty of the new cloud compelling scheme
be dissipated, some very interesting
questions of u constitutional am leBni
character must inevitably arise
If we are to enter upon the work Oh
forcing the clouds to drop their gar
cred fullness down, - when necessary
or the even more serious task OF COM
pelling them to bring up fresh sup
plies from distant points, II IL obvious
that IL must be done in "A systematic
manner. 1t would hardly be pfacIl-
cable FOR every farmer ana gardner 10
establish little rain factory OF MS
own. The difficulty OF bringing
down rain from the clouds immediate
! ly above a particular spot has already
been noted in these cOlumns. Inc
moisture may not be there. III We
| assume that the experiments are W
succeed, IL seems necessary also 10
assume that the disturbance produced
IN the atmosphere by explosion VIII
set in motion currents OF air Whlch
will bring moisture-laden air from
points more or less reHlOte.
claim that this can be done has nolI
perhaps, been distinctly made, but IL
appears TO be implied, for IL seems
necessary TO make the scheme sue
cessful. 80
tbs clear that, If we are to 90 into
the business of producing ram ar
officially, the necessity for regulating
il will Immediately be felt. But now
Is it to be regulated? VIII II De
matter of State or Federal concern
Congress has power to regulate com
merce among the States, put 1hG Ionds
portatiOn or expectation OF ralh-clouus
from one State into another coulu
hardly be construed as commerce. uh-
less, indeed, syndicates should Dc
found to carry IL on as regular Dust
ness. Nevertheless, IL is easy TO see
that complications might arise oe-
tween the States, growing OUT OF IheIt
claims to passing raln-ciouus'
might be practicable for the oVaIe vi
Indiana to divert to its own paIcheu
fields, by the use of gases ana uyhh-
mite, an extensive cloud, on It's way
to break a long dTouth in kentucky,
or vice versa. Acts OF this sort Woulu
not be conducive to amity among the
States, and the Supreme Court mlghI
be asked TO put a stop to them oy IN
! junction. Such controversies pe-
tween States could hardly arise uh-
less il was found practicable TO bring
: currents of air, and with them rain
clouds, from considerable distances
out they might easily arise between
= citizens of adjoining states reslulhB
4 near the border, even II the distance
y to which the atmospheric disturbances
extended was comparatively shlhll.
As between citizens OF the same
' State there would be no question Oh
2 Jurisdiction, but there might be many
| of personal rights. The proprietor Oh
: a farm owns It up TO the sky. The
. clouds above il belong to hlm' MS
;, property in them il, doubtless, OF a
. qualified nature, similar to that which
o he has in the wild animals ana Dilos
II i'm his woods and fields when they
, flv AWAY they are no longer his. 80
|. when the clouds pass away his right
e TO them is at an end. But TINS may
\. be construed to mean that Jney shuil
l. pass away in obedience to the lOIceH
n of nature acting without interference
X 70 divert a cloud by artificial means
a before it had time to discharge lCs
q moisture upon the fields of the tenn
uorarV owner would seem analogous
10 obsIructiinE or diverting a water
course. and might afford ground to'
an action. ...t
Apart from these questions OF terri
torial rights, others of serious mature
p. might have to be met. VINO IL 10 ue
y, eide when the emergency Is gISn
e. enough to Justify al interference VIII
the order OF nature in the production
of rain? 1t is not likely that every
e, BODY will want rain at the same Time
le When farmer A thinks he ought U
u. have a good rain to help out MS corr
NJ or revive his grass, farmer Is ma.
n wish to save his hay or thresh IA
y wheat, and farmer 9 may be gong y
r. "A picnic without All umbrella: w nos
IN Interests are to be consulted, WHO'S
a preference Is to be respected, IN sue
a cases? If A compels the clouds 10 II
IT ripate his cornfields, and they $40
rs over and ruin BIS hay, aud sPol u =,
TN new Sunday suit, must not De mao
10 auswerabIe in damages? Is ne no
be hound. according To the legal maxim
Ds- 40 TO use his own clouds as not
les iniure the hay and the fine clothes
IL his neighbour -, -,
ed 1t IL easy to foresee that there VI
80, be "a proposition TO avoid these ain
a entities by turning over the regulatio
of the rain to the Government. I'M
ng ia tine modern device for avoiding a
es- sorts Of difficulties. But IL ~ clei
or that the Federal Government mas l.
lad authority under the Constitution TN
's. would enable il to discharge sue
functions I'm satisfactory way
VS. cannot enter upon or acquire nj
ar land in the States without Lhe 60
re- sent OF their Legislatures. Inc Sut
"a charge OF the matter, but they won
Ter, be subject TO great embarrassment
Nc The inter- State complications In
,lle might arise have already been hlnJ'
b., at. hut these would be by no meh
ter, The worst. In the exercise OF the dl
~ erection necessarily accorded 10 the
"a, the State agents would nave "
-, their power to make the most 0ulo
ith DETERMINATIONS among diiIere
and ciasses Of citizens. IL would be-
art bad as the class Legislation TO whl'
'itn the protective tariff gives rise wh
mo one industry IL ruthlessly sacrinc
ter to increase the profits OF some ON
Nv allowing or withholding rain al
particular time one crop mlght
benefited and another destroys
One county, or tier Of counties, mig
rlv. be favored at the expense OF othe
reS, The dominant political party mig
dov nae the clouds 10 promote its own
Iais terests by drowning out the meetln
nm of its opponents, or by keeping u
urb from the polls on election days
ond buIIs and the bears of the produce
e at change might tamPer VIII VIZ, -,
the agents, ana 30 promote tnei 60
nses for cornering the market: In ia
last there is no end TO the possible abu
& a that might arise from putting.
Ight rains under the control Of pollt icia
There il no occasion as yet TO
uuduly alarmed on account OF
possibilities here recited. The fei
bnity of producing rain TO order
J the not yet been demonstrated anu ~
,iate very likely that we may go on iD -,
ap- long time relying for ram az we ~
!, in done heretofore, upon tne D0un'y
TO accord US all that we desire, u
much safer reliance in such matt
than the capricious favor of Cove
Aug ment employees.
lther
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