, 1891-05-27
THE DENTFP CONGRESS-

Those who listened to the demagocic
diatribes Of Senator Warren at tie clos
ing session Of the commercial congress in
Denver found it altogether superluous to
wade through the half page Of editorial
with which the Sun favored or inflicted
Grst as you look at it, its readers yester
day morning. Both were characterized
by the same extreme elegance OF diction.
The reasoning in the one case was just as
cOgent and consecutive as in the other,
there were the same sharp corners turned,
the same fair reasoning from false premises
and above all the same lsathery lungs
which with sound and noise endeavor to
confuse and stun all opposition into ST.
lence. 1t is very instructive to get be-
hind the scenes once in awhile and observe
the evolution Of ideas, the crudity OF
methods and the strange figures which
sometimes emerge upon the open ground
and are aftcrward glorifed by partisan en-
tLusiasm and personal vanity into prodi-
gious factors which are alleged to have
carried ali before them.
The force OF this is strikiugly apparent
IN the arid land matter. Wyoming was
represented on the committee on resOlu-
lions by Senator Warren and State EuRi-
neer Mead. Both were deslrious Of Sc
curing from congress the cession Of the
and lands to the state without any quail
iicauon other than their non mineral
character. This view Of it was strongly
opposed by Judge Bedford and some
Others with the result that it was sub
mitted to the congress With qualifications
as to the price at which the land could
be sold and limitations as to the quaint
ties IN which it could be purchased and
by whom. Upon this basis. which was
not altogether satisfactory to the two
Wyoming members OF the committee on
resolutions, it came before the congress
and by far the ablest speech
then made in ITS support was
made by Judge Bedford who is
now, for the purpose Of making 1t appear
as though Warren had carried all before
him, quoted as opposing the resolution
as 1t was adopted. As a matter of fact
there was no opposition whatever from
several OF the states and territories repre-
scented This was true of Texas, Louisi
ana, New Mexico aud Arizona. The
most aggressive opposition came from
Kansas and Western Nebraska. Their
opposition was based upon the uncer
talnty as to the disposition Of the water
and the fact that neither state has much
arid land that has not been filed upon
but mainly on the first named ground.
III it was decided, for instance, that Colo
RADIO owned the waters of the state, which
is a provision of the state constitution
as approved by congress IN the
act Of admission. then all the
water might be utilized before it left
Colorado. and Kansas thus shut out com
pletely from the benefits of irrigation
along certain important streams. 1t was.
therefore, the interstate aspect of the case
which influenced the delegates from Kan
sas aud Nebraska in their opposition,
while it was the fear that the land might
pass too rapidly under the control of big
corporations aud syndicates that caused
Judge Bedford to fight IN committee for
such limitations and restrictions as he
deemed necessary so that the actual set
tier would secure the greatest possible
benefit from the passage Of the law by the
United States congress. So much for the
arid land matter.