Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-08-17
AS TO FEDERAL AID.


unfairly in every instanee-for its
advocacy of the policy CT the cession
of the and lands to the sta.es and ter
Titories wherein they lie. The Los
Angeles Times, recognizing the weak
ness of its own case, has intimated that
the papers which favor cession are
working in the interest of a scheme to
.-gobble' the lands in question. A
newspaper must be hard pressed for
an argument when it resorts to such
methods.
The most ridiculous criticism Of The
Republicans course is supplied by the
Florence Tribune, which announces
that it has stopped its press 20 await
reply to The following:
We advise (since advice is the fash
icn) The Republican to line up with
the balance of the territory IN favor CT
government aid for storage reservoirs,
more especially that for the beDefit Of
the Indians on the Sacaton reserva ton.
Congress viii jbe Appeared 20 the COM
ing winter for a liberal appropriation
to commence the work. Will The Re
publican lend its assistance, or VIII it
continue to throw obstacles IN the way
of this great humanitarian project for
the alienation of ..he condition Of he
nations wards by advocating csssion
of the arid lands to the territory?
We have long been Of opinion that
the editor of the Tribune misappre-
hends the question. The above QUO
tatton BIZ. confirms it He sees no diff
Ference between a proposition like the
A one relating to The Saoaton agency.
(which is essentially governmental, and
Il the general one of water storage foc
the public lands in the arid belt The
Indians, as the Tribune admits. are the
wards Of the nation 1t is the duty
Of the government, ard the govern
1nent alone, to csrs for them. If d res
ervoir is required for the "allevia.ion
of their condition or fer any othar
purpose, the governme-. should sup
ply it. The Tribune man will search
the files of The Republican in vain for
any expression of hostility to this or
any other reservoir scheme The Re
publican, on the contrary. IS glad TO
know that an appropriation is carried
an investigation Of she Buttes reser- !
voir site. II hopes that the reservoir
will be built. Such u reservoir would !
be an excellent object lesson Il !
would be material aid in the devel-
Cpment of the general plan which this
newspaper favors in that Il would en-
courage capital to enter an inviting |
field in this great valley. The Tribune !
has simply got things mixed. A little |
study Of the points involved might be |
of advantage in its future discussions !
CT the reservoir question.
The Albuquerque Democrat is an
other paper TINT has gone wrong on
the question elf cess;on. The Tucson
Star is another Their contention that
we must look 30 the government to
furnish the capital for retaining the
arid regions shows that they have lost
sight entirely of one Of the tenet5 Of
democratic f2ith-enmity to psE-rnal-
ism. The democrats have declared in
their Platforms, On the stump and in
both houses of congress against pater-
naIism. Every democratic newspaper
that favors the reclamation of she arid
lands by the general COVER nment flies
directly in the face of this time hon
cred principle of their party. While
the Los Angeles Times is not thus en-
barrassed il displays lamentable ignOr-
anee OF The trend of eastern sentiment
by it's advocacy of federal aid Aside
from tho slim which democratic news
papers make in contrOverting demo-
cratic doctrine their remarks show an
uttsr lack of appreciation cf the diff
culties which stretch between their
nope and it's fulfHment Theirs is but
he Ut0pian dream Of theorists There
8 no more likelihood of the general
going into the business OF
the arid lands than there
s of Tucson becoming The metropolis
If the western hemisphere The dem
)cruts in congress would oppose it on
general principles, and majority in
.ach house would be arrayed against
l. for various reasons, one of which
would be that tae government had NJ
light to go into the business CT i'm
a vast area of country a.. pub
&c expense and to the detriment of the
urmers OF the east and middle west.
There was an item in one Of the ap
reputation bil.s last winter setting
side $500 900 20 he used n surveys Of
eservoir sites in the northwest. and
uch a hus e-1 c-y was raised ever It