The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-09
Don't WANT THE LANDS.
cenelsdsa rrem Flrat race.


Csneludsd From First Taee.
lilo interest,", TO the states and territories
nsedful Of irrigation, all lands now a part
Of the public domain within such statss
aud territories, excepting mineral lands.
for the purpose OF developing irrigation, 70
render the lands now arid fertile and pApA-
BILE OF supporting a population.
Ths chairman rscogntssd Commodore
Power, who said;
your timo by making any remarks on this
section, but on the subjsct from its begin
ming, from it, inc~ipisnsy. to tho present, II
that 10 In order. You have hsArd the rosc-
tuition, augar-coatsd, Or you can Rad II In
The proceedings Of the irrigation congress
action. which 10 to csde thsse lands 10 the
states absolutely. This action OF the Salt
Lake congress- was p~reconcctved and pre-
arranged before that oonaress INST. The
delegates from this state, and ] believe they
will not deny my ASSERTION, did not nnder-
pear before You to-day ia will speak Oh
this proposition. This convention did not
understand that a doep II concoctsd plan
had bssn laid, l did not understand its
drift until told BY somo Of the senators, and
Iwutohed those senators. wanted to know
- 0AN ~ f0AVOA VANu ~ W0o ~
Capitalization Of power, the inorensings OF
their holdings. ] refer TO the senator's from
Wyoming. At the organization Of the sen
ate ! thought saw this cropping out. I
asked to be put In the irrigation commit
tee. They said We will see. A COMMITTEES
out but prior 10 ii / was asked how / felt
about ssgregations Isaid 1T was winter and
No might want to ask the old man for ome
thing. i was referring to appropriations.
The remark did not suit them. That com
chairman. The others. outside Of the
chairman and members Of tho railroads
committee, arc lawyers. / tried to convince
that COMMITTEES Of seven that 1
vas interested II IRRIGATION; t BIZ
! went to Dakota II 1852
where they now raise millions 81 bushels.
I thought / understood the subject. No,
sir, there was no place FOR me, beeauss !
did not absolutely fall into this trap. Now,
follow up the work. GOV. Thomas issusd
his call. The crystalization Of that work
you will ses later. Then came the direo.
zion Of the governor. Then tho orgsAiza-
ton OF this convention. When We wanted
to get 4 chairman Mr. Clark was spoken Of.
We wanted to make him chairman but no
was committed to this question. We took
chances ON Gov. Haussr, and 10 and behold
he il committed. Now, { say keep y,our
CYCu WON GAlN kSSAo Ab I ASA 49, 49, -
to remain here 1 week il this cannot be ac-
complished. / say meet the issue; vote d.
rect whether You want the lands oedeu to
the state, and in that way oppose all appro-
priations from the government. .
There are nerhaps 40, 900 600 acres Ct arid
lands. The Dakota congressman say they
will stand by the old man who holds the
purge. I would like to be- 10 instructed BY
this convention. California ID a country
owned absolutely by railroads. Every bus
mess man who goes there can't deny it. That
influence controlled the Salt Lake conven-
deny it. There is, I dislike to say it, a
judge on tbs supreme bench who is actually
q lobbyist in getting judges named to-day.
This I have understood from my colleague,
who is a lawyer. | refer to Judge Field,
who is going. ont Of his road TO arrange
lands. I dislike to mention those things,
but they are facts. Who are the men
standing by tho Salt Lake proposition,
men living on the plains? No, sir. The
prime movers are from the small mining
counties. I have said enough, gentlemen.
these lands are coded to as, that will be an
end to appropriations. After getting 40
600, 600 or bO,OO0,00O acres of land, we will
DO asked to stand aside. How, is the situa-
ton? Wyoming has about two-thirds Of her
lands surveyed. She has had Union Pacific
ALL M ~ ~ - SAlL ASSW AAS
care about having the lands surveyed. We
have hardly one-ffth surveyed in Montana.
Those are facts and w want to consider
them and net Immediately. would AJAX
that some Of the members who wore at the
Salt Lake convention be heard from"
Judge Strevell, Of Miles City, offered as a
substitute to the section under discussion
! Resolyed, That in the Judgment Of this
convention IT 10 the duty Of the general
governments to aid in the Developments by
irrigation of the arid lands in the several
list; and while We do not deem it desirable
that the control and title to such lands
should pass from the general government
TO the several states containing them, we
do nevertheless urge that at least the pro-
ccsds arising from the sale Of such lands
shall DO applied to the supply Of water for
their development for the purposes of agri-
culture, and we urge upon our senator's and
representative in congress to use every Of
fort to accomplish such legislation ms will
bring about this desirable result, not only
in our state but for al other states and
territories similarly situated.
The substitute was greeted with loud ap-
plauGe. Judge Streysll said he offered it
because it was desirable that the convention
should reach such a result as would be sat
isfaotory to all. IF there ia any scheme or
any trap, ! don't suppose We will fall int
ls AZ W bn0 uTht pIOpOH1GlON ! W AOb w.
sire to be understood as at any stage Of this
convention ~antRgonizing the proposition
that it il tho duty of the general govern
msnt to aid in the development Of the arid
lands in this state. l am going to assume
that farming is the basis Of this country.
(Applauss.) We cannot live without the
production Of the farm. To invite q man
to farm without water in this western coun-
try il but little short of inviting him to q
hospitable grave. Hence it becomes nsoes-
sary that some other means should be de-
vised, than formerly prevailed, to aid in
developments. That is the reason for the
presence of these delegates here, because
there is a condition of things here that has
not beon confronted before in the history
OF this country. It il the duty of this gov
eminent to aid in the development of these
arid regions. That's a proposition l am
prepared to stand by in all the stages Of it.
In tho early days of Illinois that vast do
main lay there, which ia now All empire,
with not y railroad. Stephen A. Douglass
In 1S49, l think, introduced into
congress, which was passed, q bill which gave
to the company which should build from
end of tho state to the other every al
ternate section OF land. Immediately, as
if by magic, the state jumped to the front
and is now third in the union. SO, by gov
eminent aid, was the continent spannsd.
1t is, and should be, the prime considera-
tion Of this convention that tho govern
ment shall help and assist in tho develop
ment Of these arid lands, Is it desirable,
as the Salt Lake convention said, to trans
fer the control and title OF these lands to
the yarioua stntes? think not (lOud an.