The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-18

throwing a stream sufficient to 1rr1gate
a comparatively small area of ground.
was able to exhaust the water of one
of the largest lateral streams in the
valley, how much ought the volume OF
these streams to be increased in order
to furnish sufficient water to irrigate
all the entire area that would be bene-
flied by irrigation? The answer to this
question would give the data for cal
culating the number and size of the
storage dams that ought to be built.
Another argument is suggested by
numerous experiences of Stockton In
time of high water While it is not to
be supposed that it will be possible to
build dams Of sufficient capacity to hold
back all the waters Of flood. yet there
have often been times when the con-
trolling of a small fraction of freshet
would have prevented vast amount
of damage. The construction of these
dams on a large scale will put into the
hands of the State a leverage by means
of which a control-not absolute, but
sufficient to be of great value-will be
exercised over floods that would other
wise do incalculable injury.
THE FOREST WASTE.
Stockton Independent: The loss of
100000 annually by forest fires on
the public lands is the most appalling
and needless waste of valuable prop
erty owned by the Government. The
indirect loss is much greater, because
lit means the destruction of water
sources and the inevitable. sterilization
and depopulation of vast districts The
log, NV &c., ~ III q, Low dc
according to the Commissioner. annu-
ally equals the total sum the Govern
ment paid Spain for the empire of the
Philippines. And yet think of the plat
form and sanctum eloquence that is
being exhausted on the twenty millions
paid to Spain, and the dearth of in
terest in waste of our forest resource.
Why cannot Congress take up this sub
ject of forest preservation in a bust
ness-like, non-partisan way and stop
the $20,00O,000 leakage? Did it ever
occur to the average Congressman that
it is much more important question
for the great West than the distribution
of all the patronage in a whole admin
istration?
TOO RELIGIOUS.
Fresno Republican,: Kipling has
been criticized for many things, but it
has remained for Dr. Andrews of Chi
cago, to condemn him as too religious.
He has excluded 'the RecessionaP'
from the Chicago schools on the ground
that its reference to the Diety is out OF
place in a secular school. DIR. An
drews, to be consistent, should exclude
most of the poetry and half the noblest
prose in English literature. To keep
the schools free from sectarianism is
one thing, and a good one; to try to
conceal from an intelligent generation
so supremacy important a historical
fact as religion is another thing, and
is simply stupid.
NOT THE OLD FIGHT.
Topics, in Tulare Register: Senator
Morgan of Alabama, insists that we are
to have the old fight over again next
year, Mckinley and the gold standard
on one side and Bryan and free silver
on the other; that the expansion issue
will have been settled before the cam
paign begins and there will be a fight
over silver or no fight at all. In Top
ics' opinion if the Bryanites try to make
silver the issue there will be no fight
at all-not any worth speaking Of. The
people are so tired, you know.
LIVING UP TO IT.
Calaveras Chronicle: Mr.. Bryan, in
his capacity as dictator of the Demo-
cratic party ordered the Democratic
Senators to vote for confirmation OF
the Spanish treaty. That transfer Of
title imposed on the United States the
duty of maintaining public order and
depressing instruction, from which pur
pose Congress authorized the raising
of new troops. The Administration is
simply living up to it's obligations.