Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-05-21
FRIDAY RvENINo, MAY q, ls9
THE REM

ZION taken Oy ms R~oVplnueut, III tue
Elephant b lite dam case, was 50 start.
ling, that .rious explanatory theories
were advanced and as many divergent
reports put IL circulation. Now, that
the real situation has become apparent,
1t is perceived that the departments ut
Washington, instead Of according a
hearing, as was announced a few days
since, have actually combined in an
attempt TO poison the public mind by
misrepresentation in advance Of the
prosecution they have ordered to be
instituted.
The government proceeds upon the
theory that the Rio Grande al FL Paso,
Texas, 10 o navigable stream. But
now pops up a certain fellow named
Neber-Msx Weber-who has hitaer-
TO figured only in private life as
the yardstick manager for the mercap-
lille firm of Ketlesen & Degatap, ut 81
Paso, and now he pushes himself for
ward in the fight, claiming that the de-
partment acted upon his representation.
The nsvigable stream theory tad not
occurred to Max aud his facts and
figures all tended to show how limited
was the flow of water at El Paso. The
gentleman Stated to our informant that
he had had engineers 1T work measur-
ing the volume of water flowing by FL
Paso during u period OF three years
and that the aggregate would be in
sufficient to fill the Elephant Butte
dam. To put it mildly and in the al.
tentative, either Max or his engineers
are descendant from Ananias. Every
man of common sense knows that, Ia
the Hood season OF each year, enough
Rio Grande water goes to waste to fiji
n dozen such reserve irs. Mr.. Weber
vas acting upon the assumption that
Mexican citizens not adopted or
brought in under the treaty of Guada-
lu ,e-HIda'go,or the Gadsden purchase,
ha | sup srior rights to those guaran.
teal at Mexico's instance 10 men who
bee lme Am erican citizens under those
trssties.
He set ms TO rave thought it would
be emiuently patriotic to deprive cur
citiz ma of water, in order to sup
ply citizens Of Mexico possessing i n
ferior rights; and that. upon this
theory, the upper dam would be ..de-
partmen.ed" out of existence. while his
international .fair and its appro-
p~riation would flourish as tie green
bay tree.
But, like al men of narrow views,
this fellow did the wrong thing, and at
the most i%nopportune mohent. The
department did not dare ignore the
rights of its own citize ns, after the NAL
adroit name of Max. The Washington
crew wanted water at FL Paso-oceans
of it-navigable water. Water in which
an Demonstrated or badly-nanaged
battlesbip might be swallowed up.
And all the facts and figures OF the
yardstlck man were consigned to
Washington waste baskets as inap-
plicable.
Mr.. Childers, the u. s. attorney for
NV Mexico, stands instructed TO bring
suit to erjoin the building of the
Elephant Butte dam, upon the theory
the Rio Grande is a navigable
and this dam an construction :
10 navigation within the meaning Of
certain federal statutes. The bill for 4.
The Injunction must be sworn to, and :
are inclined to think the depart :
nent will have to furnish its own
affidavit man. We doubt whether any :
sense of %cficial obligation, or a desire :
% retain any Office, would lead Mr.. :
.biiders to verify q bill setting out "
hose things which would support the :
ederal position and secure an in !
JUNCTION. The government 's,case is SO !,
ESSENTIALLY weak that it must go down d
n the proofs. Work on the Elephant y
dam will go right on. e
md Weber and Arson Mills and the :.
ntire ssinternational' dam crew, have i,
Numbered. Already, the in b,
are at work in Washington, ct
will defeat the effort at an ap- 9
ropriation for their enterprise. They :,
ave foolIshly struck at the interests of or
10 entire irrigsting region of the GO
est. The sympathies even Of ri Po
aso are against them; for clear =
business men there recognize ~
q fact that from Elephant Butte TO 81
the rescued lands sapportin NO q Y:
rye population would be tributary 10
own city. The upper dam means
erything permanent tor Ell Paso; IN
Q international" affair means s.
an expenditure Of money dur IA
z The period Of construction. The y:
shat Max Weber ans Anson Mills N
|ght profit through an appropriation, A
"a not weigh much with The average
'ideps Of the Pass City. NJ