The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-06-18

it would not have to pass out through the
Mississippi River?
Mr.. Enloe. If you could regulate the
sun, it is probable you might control the
amount of moisture that is produced, but
unless you can take the heat out of the
sun, suppose moisture will continue to
rise, and the wind will continue to carry it
to different parts of the world, and it will
be precipitated, as it is now.
Mr.. Scott Why not appropriate money
to try to stop the rain
Mr.. Enloe. Address your questions to
the Chairman of the committee.
The Chairman. The time Of the gen
ileman from Tennessee has expired.
Mr. Hatch | would like to ask the
gentleman from Tennessee a question.
Has the gentleman from Tennessee read
the report upon this subject?
Mr.. Enloe. No, and do not want to
read it.
Mr.. Hatch. | am not surprised at the
answer of the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr.. Enloe. If the gentleman will
allow me, | will state that | read pretty
fully the accounts Of the experiments
which these African rain makers conduct
ed under the last appropriation.
Mr.. Hatch. II the gentleman will take
the report and read it, he will regret a
good deal he has said on the floor today,
Mr.. Enloe If the gentleman will wait
a moment
Mr.. Hatch. | simply wish to say that
it is very easy for any gentleman to get up
here and ridicule this proposition if he has
not taken any pains to investigate the sub
iect or read the report carefully. Just
about fifty years ago scene similar to the
one we are witnessing now occurred on
this floor, and the man who first proposed
to stretch telegraph wire from Washing
ton to Baltimore was ridiculed all over this
House as crank, and the House was in
an uproar during the entire day. No
gentleman could get on his feet to say a
word in behalf of poor Morse and his tele-
graph proposition without meeting storm
of ridicule from every side of the House.
And yet in fifty years We have seen the
development of the telegraph.
Mr. Enloe | want to ask the gentle
man question.
Mr. Hatch. That was as wonderful a
discovery then as the proposition submitted
in this paragraph in this appropriation is,
that there is moisture in the air at all
times, and that it can be precipitated by
artificial means.
Mr.. Enloe. Will the gentleman allow
me to ask him a question?
Mr. Hatch. With pleasure.
Mr.. Enloe. | want to ask him if these
gentlemen who have had charge of these
experiments have furnished his committee
any evidence that at any time they attempt
ed to make an experiment to precipitate
moisture when there was no sign of it in
the atmosphere, and succeeded in doing it.
Mr.. Hatch. Yes, and the evidence is
complete, as to the experiments made on
that ranch in Texas, that up to the time
of that experiment there had not been one
drop of rain in that county for eighteen
months.
Mr.. Enloe. 1t was about time for it to
rain, l think
Mr.. Hatch. That is the easiest way in
the world to answer the question, OF
course.
Mr.. Enloe. Whose testimony wa.
that ? Was it the testimony of the gentle
men engaged in the experiments
Mr.. Hatch. The testimony of residents
Of that portion of Texas, and of members oi
Congress from Texas, too, who had taken
pains to investigate it themselves. Now
the Committee on Agriculture very
patiently investigated this matter, As
stated at the beginning of this discussion
the Committee on Agriculture was aim mos'
unit against this appropriation at the
start, but after listening for three hour'
and half to a complete statement and
investigation of this whole question, they
have submitted this appropriation to the
House. 1t is with the House to say
whether they will vote for the motion ol
the gentleman from Tennessee to strike il
out or not.
Mr.. Lewis Mr.. Chairman, | have nc
objection to the gentleman from Tennes
see Mr.. Enloe] posturing as champion
of Providence, but if he regards what
Providence has done for him in the light
of a debt, [ think that his zeal far out
strips the occasion, and that he has over
paid the debt. Laughter. Just such
men as the gentleman from Tennessee have
disputed every valuable discovery in the
world. Laughter. When the circula
49, - 6 tbo blood xroS apDounoa1 bu n aala
brated scientist, he was berated as q
crank, and now, when it is proposed tC
produce rain by scientific methods, the
gentleman from Tennessee Mr.. Enloe]
gets up and attempts to ridicule the whole
matter. Now | undertake to say that on
that question he is in as dark clouC
of ignorance as were the men who disputed
the circulation of the blood in the human
system.
He speaks of matter that he has moi
investigated, and when he confesses that he
has not read the report of the committee
and that he knows nothing about it from
the standpoint of a scientist, of course this
House will know what estimate to hold o
his objection to this appropriation.
Mr.. Enloe. Now, | would like to ask
the gentleman a question.
Mr.. Lewis. asked the gentleman $
civil question:
Mr. Enloe. Did not answer it
Mr.. Lewis. And he retorted in man
ier [ agree that was totally in keeping will
his knowledge of the question.
Mr. Enloe. Will the gentleman ALLOW
me to ask him question?
Mr. Lewis. Certainly.
Mr. Enloe. Do you know anything o.
it as a scientist
Mr.. Lewis. Somewhat; l have paiC
some attention to the subject
Mr. Enloe. Then let us have the bene
fit of your scientific knowledge on the ques
ton.
Mr. Lewis. If had time l would ex
plain the theory Of it.
Mr. Enloe. Well, go ahead; we vii
give you time.
Mr. Lewis. | want to say this much tt
the gentleman that he ou0ht tn know tha