, 1899-03-09
.AR|D LAND FIGHT
THE WASHINGTON POST REVIEWS
SENATOR WARREN'S GREAT
EFFORT.
by Western Senators He
Forces the Senate to Return the
Bill to Conference-Rather Than
lmeril Legislation of National
Importance He Finally Yields.


last night of the session of congress
attracted the attention of the entire
country and excited the most favorable
newspaper comment. The Washing,
ton Past independently in a clever
write-up of the closing scenes, says Of
the fight on the river and harbor ap-
preparation bill the following:
The senate soon settled down to a
debate on the river and harbor bill.
Senator Carter talked with other sena-
tors from the region where the desert
will blossom as the rose if congress will
build the required irrigating canals.
When Senator Carter had concluded
Senator Warren of Wyoming, began
The arid lands are dear to the heart of
Warren. He would sooner fight for
them than for his family. The action
of the senate conferees in deliberately
sacrificing the the $225, 900 appropriate
ed by the senate aroused his indigna-
ton. And so he began to talk upon the
merits of the appropriation for reser-
voirs in the west. Warren knows more
about irrigation than Bryan does about
silver-which is saying a great deal
and he could If SO disposed, beat the
famous long distance. ffteen-hour
speech of Senator Allen and never re-
peat himself. Minutes and hours went
by and still Warren, neither ~fatigued
physically Tor exhausted metally, let
his words pour forth with greater ease
than torrents flow from the Rockies in
spring time. Meanwhile ii was evident
that the flow Of oratory was not to
cease if Warren should fall by the way
side. Mills of Texas was ready to take
up the argument. Other senators stood
ready to bring up the reserve. Most
forbidding Of all, there suddenly ap-
peared on Senator Carriers desk a pile
of printed manuscript and pamphlets
two feet high.
THE friends of the measure saw It's
danger. Millions OF dollars were at
stake. Motions to go into executive
session and to recommit the bill were
made at frequent intervals, but the arid
land contingent and the advocates of
the Nicaragua canal combined and de-
feated the motions. Consequently the
talk went on. The floor Of the senate
grew white with cast-away papers, I'M
til it resembled a Washington snow
covered street on the day after the
blizzard. 1t was now midnight and
but twelve hours of the session re-
manned.
Senator Wilson of Washington, q
brisk young westerner, came to Senator
Warren's assistance by interfering a
speech in which he described the glories
of the west, and had lots of fun with
his colleagues. He capped the climax
by showing how the appropriations
which western senator's secured in the
senate We're silently dropped by the
eastern senators in conference. Thus
the westerners were like the young
goose and the fasteners were the old
goose, as in the poem:
The young goose winketh, winketh,
winketh;
The old goose blinketh, blinketh, blink
eth;
But the young goose "a never tell
What the old COOS thinketh, thinketh,
thinketh.'
When everybody was through
laughing at the poetry, Senator War
rem began again. He yielded at times
to senators who had Legislation Of pri-
vate interests at stake, but gave no
sign of yielding for anything else. But
underneath the surface there were
signs thai the opposition was breaking
down. Senator Mills went home.
Senator Carter's threatened speech was
removed Senator Warren seemed to
be standing like Horatius at the bridge.
He was a good leader but he lacked SOL
diers.
One O'Clock came. however, and he
was still telling the senate more about
arid lands than any one had aver sus-
pected any one man could know. At
two O'Clock five appropriations were up
in the air but the tireless Warren show
ed no signs of giving up the fight. Then
there was a hurried consultation of
senators and it was agreed to recon-
NIT the bill to conference. The pro
position was submitted to Mr.. Warren
and he accepted II. At 1920 a. m. Mr..
Frye reported that no further agree
ment could be reached In the confer
ence committe, the house c~onferrees de-
clining to reopen the river and harbor
agreement already reached
Mr.. Warren said he was satisfied
the senate c~onferrees had done all they
could. and rather than imperil the great
appropriation bills, he would yield the
point, and the conference report ON the
bill was then agreed to without d.
vision.
I'm accepting the report of the second
conference upon the bill Senator Weir
rsn served nOace UPON congress That