Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-01-21

called together Ivy Gov. Thomas. o
I Utah, in Srptem Der last, aud there wa,
assembled representatives from all tn,
states al d territories, except one ol
I two, which are embraced in what l,
| known a. the arid region OF the west
that great expanse OF country which
| lies west OF the huLdredth meridian a.
/ longitude. There were presented a
great many resolutions which had due
consideration in committee of the
whole and discussed these PROPOSE,
tions, particularly the one embodied
in the first resolution, which is the
crystalIzed sentiment of that conven.
tion, after long discussion, and as pre-,
sented to the Helena convention
| Representative men were in the Salt
Lake convention. Many OF them had
been engaged in the practice of irriga
ton for more than a quarter OF a cen
tury.
There were gentlemen from Idaho
largely identified with the interests o'
that state, as much so, perhaps, as
the distinguished gentleman who first
opened this argument Is Interested in
| Montana; men, perhaps, Just as intel.
u "
question OF fraud and traps. There
we're 200 representatives. from the ter.
| ritory OF Utah in the convention
| Throughout all the arid region it was
represented by the best and most in.
telligent men interested in this propo.
sition. Mr.. Clark said he was one OF
the men who had the honor to repre-.
sent Montana with his colleagues
| from Gallatin, Meagher, MIssoula,
| Lewis and Clarke and two or three
other counties. He believed his col.
leagues would bear him out that that
convention was not run by any rail
road men. 1t was true that the
Northern Pacific was represented
] there. Gov. Warren, of Wyoming,
was there, but Mr.. Clark did not
know he was identified with railroads.
He failed to see that there was any
| trap sprung on the delegates at Salt
! Lake. 1t would be a reflection on the
gentlemen there in the convention,
composed OF 500 members, TO say
that they would allow a couple oi
railroad men to spring a trap on
them.
He believed the inslnuation OF Com
modore Power was an unjust reflection
upon men engaged in other pursuits
than agriculture. Ii would seem from
his disposition that delegates were not
wanted here. Mr.. Power appealed to
he people of the plains. The speaker
would venture to say that the mining
people had just ms deeply at heart
whatever concerned his great state as
he gent leman from Choteau. If they
had any great mining question for
consideration on which they wanted
aid from the national government
they would invite the men from the
plains to meet and cooperate with
hem. We are here 10 go hand in hand
building up I he interests of the state.
lie took iSsu. with the -tinruished
railroad man (Ienry NIllard) who
sad what We wanted in Montana was
not more mines but more irrigation.
What We want is create development
of every interest in the state, and the
mining and farming interests should
move forward hand in hand III the
progress OF the state.
Ii remains for the bold pioneer oi
the west ern coGE,ry to improve the
crude and unscientific methods OF the
q a ways, and 70 reduce them TO prac-
tical and sci life methods by the mid
OF engineering skill. ard we have
reached so far as irrigation goes, per-
haps, the maximum results. What IL
our condition to-day? 1t is now mt "A
standstill. IL is now high time that
we should take up this problem. Mon
tana presents II field for carrying out
this project, perhaps better and more
favorable than any other state OF the
union. Wehave here in Montana per-
haps more than 20,000,000 acres
that could be brought into cultivation
if we had the water. That requires
money. The soil is known to be oi
gr sat fertility. The proposition pre-
sents itself, how are We TO reclaim this
land? Now. there are people who be-
! lieye that the best way to accomplish
this is to ask the government to ceds
| these lands o the states, and this was
the sentiment of the Salt Lake con
! yention, with which we are asked &c
cooperate. We ought to have full dis
cussion upon this subject, so that We
may arrive at Fl conclusion that vii
not afterward cast any reflection upoT
our action here. The statements thai
/ there is fraud are too indefinite. w
should have thereasons why we should
not endorse the Salt Lake platform.
| The first interest taken by the gov
| ernment in this question was in 1885,
or 1885 under the direction of tn,
agricultural department. In 1885
there was an appropriation for tn
survey OF lands for irrigation purpo
ses, OF 500, 900, and in 1889 anothel
of S25O,0OO. OF the 100000 unde
the direction OF Major Powell $50,
was used for the making OF maps, ant
OF the S250,Ooo appropriation, $3.50,
900 was devoted to the survey c
what were deemed irrigable lands. 5
that but small portion OF the orig