Evening star., 1894-11-03
THAT IRRIGATION LETTER.
Part Of Secretary MOrtOn's COmmuni-
cation on the Subject Was Withheld.

cation on the Subject Was Withheld.
1t will be remembered that Secretary
Morton of the United States Department of
Agriculture declined to send a representa-
tive to the rational irrigation congress,
held at Denver Col, during September 81,
1894, on the ground that the questions to be
considered had no connection with practical
irrigation, and because the congress was, in
his opinion, called together for the purpose
Of petitioning the national Congress to
grant large areas of the public lands to
corporations
The grounds of Secretary Morton's oppo-
stion to all kinds of public land cessions
We're forcefuly stated in letter which he
addressed to Mr.. Thomas knight, a prom
inent member of the Interstate Irrigation
Association, which was read before the
congress and crea ted considerable feeling in
the ranks of the land cessionists, who after
ward suppressed certain portions of his let
ter and altered other parts, so Ihat the
Secretary was miSrepresented in the reports
of the congress and subjected to some un-
just criticism the grounds for which have
only recently been brought to light by let
ter received by the Secretary from Mr..
Thomas knight, dated at Kansas City, Mo-,
September q, saying:
1T Is with feeling Of humiliation that
have to refer to my communications and
your replies thereto respecting the national
irrigation congress held at Denver during
the week of September 3 to last.
Il trust that you will permit me to state
that it was with the express intention of
showing the members of that convention
what the government was doing in the line
of obtaining information of a practical ma
ture relative to irrigation that the letter
which has caused so much discussion was
read to the delegates.
This was done when all sorts of inconse-
ouent resolutions were being presented
some calling upon the government to pro-
cure for public that very information
of which your official letter speaks-some
demanding that the Department Of Agri-
culture should place itself in that very po-
sition which your letter deprecates.
Il so thoroughly agree with every point
in your letter-So entirely accept 1t as ex-
actlv suitable to the matter at issue, that
l feel that l cannot sufficiently thank you
for its contents thus officially set forth.
But l must admit that my annoyance was
unbouuded when l found the 'cessionst'
element had deliberately and Of set pur-
pose suppressed the very portions of the
letter, which, above all, 1t was my wish
should have obtained the widest publicity
Nor could I by any means either secure this
end or obtain possession of the letter in
order to make the necessary publication
myself.
ii trust, sir. that you will accept my
assurance that the unfair, uncourteous and
disreputable use to which your letter has
been put was without any countenance
from myself. I trust also that you will
put me on record as indorsing every item
contained in that communication, and also
as the most determined and uncompromis-
ing enemy of land cession which may
well be.
II also trust that you will accept my
fullest apology for the annoyance which
l know well this very questionable pro-
cedure must have caused you, and give me
credit for far better intent tIons than the
national irrigation congress- will permit
me to put In evidence"