The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-30
Washington Talk About the
Fight to Come in 1900.
PLANS MADE BY MORGAN
Bulletin Talk in Regard to Irrigation
Women's Clubs That Have Re-
ceived Notice in an OH
cial Way.
Washington Bureau of the Standard,
No. 1145 G. street n. w.


clarity the political situation in the
democratic party. 1t is felt to be as
good as settled that silver will have a
sufficiently prominent place in the next
platform to satisfy and crafty the
most ardent of its honest supporters.
1t is equally apparent that the party
will not present this single issue, but
will offer it's candidates to the country
upon a platform speaking plainly and
forcibly against the trusts, sure to be
a very absorbing question in the next
campaign, and declaring against mill
tary oligarchy in the Philippines.
The force of circumstances may throw
either of the last mentioned issues into
more prominence, temporarily, than the
first one. Many leading politicians here
regard it as pretty certain that our
policy in the new island territories will
be easily the most prominent question
in the canvass, while others are conf
dent that the campaign will be fought
very largely upon the trusts. This VIII
by no means imply any purpose on the
part of the democratic party to make
the silver question in any sense sub
ordinate, but be wholly due to the fact
that the other issues demand immedi-
ate consideration and disposal. Mr..
Bryan himself regards the silver ques-
ton as of prime Importance, and so
placed 1T in the brief but admirable
presentation of the issues made by him
at Chicago. No friend of silver need
fear either the action of the convention
on this point or the loyalty of the can
didate.
The most interesting development of
the week in the political field is the
concentration of considerable anti
Bryan effort upon the venerable sena-
tor, John T. Morgan of Alabama. The
state of Alabama will elect her dele
gates in advance of any Southern state,
and 1T is said that a formidable effort
will be made by the friends of Senator
Morgan to instruct the state delegation
for him, or at least send him at the
head of the delegation.
Morgan himself is a loyal silver man
and a staunch supporter of the Chicago
platform. What opposition to Bryan is
found in Alabama is based not on his
constancy to silver, but on his attitude
toward expansion. Morgan is an i'm
perial expansionist of a radical type.
He has contended in congress for ex-
pansion, which he believes to be true
democratic policy. He was a member
of the peace commission and was a
steady advocate of the taking and
keeping of the Philippines.
The senator has indicated his pur-
pose of making the strongest fight lie
knows how to make against the adop-
ton by the democratic national con-
vention of plank favoring Philippine
independence under a protectorate,
which he characterizes as the most
dangerous of all the possible methods
of handling the situation, giving, as
it does, a maximum of responsibility
for the actions of a government with
out giving any control over these ac-
tons"
Senator Morgan is the first strong
man who has been named as likely TO
enter the lists against Bryan. 1t is,
however, very doubtful il he can hold
his own state delegation. for the leader
of 1896 is very popular in the state, and
Governor Johnston has already de-
clared himself for Bryan against Nor
gan. 1t will be a remarkable evidence
of the strength of the Nebraskan if lie
can defeat Morgan for a complimentary
vote from Alabama, for General Nor
gan has been the idol of his state for
many years. Yet small doubt that
Bryan viii carry the delegation is ex-
pressed by Alabama democrats in
Washington
The latest bulletin issued by the de-
partment of agriculture contains a
brief review of the irrigation investiga-
tions which have recently been con-
Quoted by the department. They We're
undertaken by virtue of the act of con-
gress directing the secretary of agri-
culture Ito investigate and report upon
the laws and institutions relating TO
irrigation and upon the use of irriga-
ton waters with special suggestions
of better methods for the utilization
of irrigation waters in agriculture than
those in common use" The bulletin
says that the office of experiment sta
tions, to which the work was assigned
by the secretary, has, after consulta-
ton with experiment station officers
and irrigation engineers familiar with
the conditions of the irrigated region,
undertaken to organize investigation in
the following general lines: % The
collation. and publication of information
regarding the laws and institutions of
the irrigated region in their relation TO
agriculture, and (2) the publication of
available information regarding the use
of irrigation waters in agriculture as
shown by actual experience of farmers
and by experimental Investigations
Elwood Mead, formerly state engineer
of Wyoming, who has had a long and
successful experience as irrigation en-
gineer and administrator of irrigation
laws and is familiar with the agricul-
ture conditions of the arid region, was
given immediate charge of the work,
with headquarters first at Cheyenne,
and now at Denver.
In pursuance of the plan of work
adopted, representatives of the depart
ment have made study of the laws
and institutions of a portion of the
arid land region, and the results thus
far obtained have been published in
two previous bulletins. The first Of
these discussed the laws which control
the diversion and use for irrigation of
the waters of the Missouri river and it's
tributaries. The second gave abstracts
of the laws for acquiring titles to water
in the same region, with the legal
forms in use. Both have heretofore
been reviewed in this correspondence.
The present bulletin says: THE
farmer from regions of ample rainfall
who emigrates to the arid West has
many things to learn besides how to
build laterals and how and when to
spread the water they carry over
thirsty fields. The knowledge and skill
required to distribute the water is soon
acquired. but the working out of social
and industrial institutions which will
place the rivers, which govern the
g.,