The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-03
Effort to Work Up An Anti-Bryan
Movement.
SUCCESS IS DOUBTFUL
SPECULATION AS TO THE NEXT
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Another Bulletin Issued By the De-
partment of Agriculture Concern
ing Irrigation Investigations
Mrs Henrotin Complies a Review
of Women's Clubs of the U. S.
Especial Correspondence

Washington. D. c., July 3O-The Chicago
conference of the Democratic national
committee has done much to clarity the
political situation in the Democratic par
". II Is felt to be as good as settled that
silver viii have sufficiently prominent
place in the next platform to satisfy and
gfatify the most ardent of its honest sup
porters. 1t is equally apparent that the
party viii not present this single issue,
put VIII offer its candidates to the coun-
Try upon a platform speaking plainly and
forcibly against the trusts, sure to be a
very absorbing question in the next cam
palgn. ana declaring against military oil
garchy in the Philippines.
The force of circumstances NAV throw
either OF the last mentioned Issues into
more prominence, temporarily, than the
nrst one. Many leading politicians here
regard IL as pretty certain that our policy
IN the new island territories will be easily
the most prominent question in the cam
Vass, white others are confident that the
the trusts.
This will by no means imply any pur-
pose on the part of the Democratic party
10 make the silver question in any sense
subordinate but he wholly due TO the fact
that the other issues demand immediate
consideration and disposal. Mr. BRYAN
himself regards the silver question as of
prime importance, and so placed il in the
bf1ef but admira BILE presentation of the is
sues 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 candidate.
Anti-Bryan Effort.
The most interesting DEVELOPMENT of the
week in the political field is the concentra
ton OF considerable anti-Bryan effort nm
on the venerable senator, John T. Morgan
or Alabama. The state of Alabama will
eIeci ner delegates in advance of any
mlda bic effort will be made by the friends
OF Senator Morgan to instruct the state
delegation for him, or at least send him
az the head of the delegation. Morgan is
himself 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 imperial eXDansionist of a
radical type. He has contended in con-
gress for expansion. which he believes to
pe true democratic policy He was n
member of the peace commission and was
steady advocate of the taking and keep
ing of the Philippines.
The senator has indicated his purpose
of making the strongest fight he knows
now to make against the adoption by the
democratic national convention of a 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 II does. a maximum of responsibility
Tor the action of government without
giving any control over these actions"
Senator Morgan is the first strong man
who has been named as likely to enter the
lsts against Bryan. 1t is, however very
doubtful If he can hold his own state dele
CATION, for the leader of 1896 is very popu-
lar in. the state. and Governor johnson
has already declared himself for BRYAN
against Morgan. 1t will be a remarkable
evidence of the strength of the Nebraskan
If he can defeat Morgan for a compliment
tary vote from Alabama, for General Nor
gan has been the idol of his state for
many years. Yet small dough that BRYAN
viii carry the delegation is expressed by
Alabama Democrats in Washington.
Irrigation Investigations.
The latest bulletin issued by the depart
ment of agriculture contains a brief re-
view of the irrigation investigations which
have recently been conducted by the de-
partment. They were undertaken by vir-
tue of the act of congress directing the
secretary Of agriculture Ito investigate
and report upon the laws and institutions
relating to irrigation and upon the use of
irrigation waters. with special suggestions
of better methods for the utilization of ir-
in common use"
The bulletin says that the office of ex-
pertinent stations. to which the work was
assigned by the secretary, has. after con-
sultation with experiment station officers
and irrigation engineers familiar with the
conditions of the irrigated region under
taken to organize investigation in the fol-
lowing general lines: % The collation.
and publication of information regarding
the laws and institutions of the irrigated
region in their relation to agriculture; and
% the publication of available Informal
ton regarding the use of irrigation waters
in agriculture as shown by actual expe-
rience of farmers and by experimental in
veStigation. ElwoOd Mead formerly state
engineer of Wyoming. who has had long
and successful experience as irriga ton en-
yineer and administrator Of irrigation laws
and IS familiar with the agriculture con-
ultlonS OF the arid region. was given i'm /
mediate charge of the work, with head /
quarters first at Cheyenne, and now at /
Denver.
In pursuance of the plan of work adopt
ed, representatives of the department /
have made a study of the laws and insti- /
tutions OF portion of the arid land re- |
giOn. and the results thus far obtained !
have been published in two previous hui
etins. The first of these discussed the /
laws which control the diversion and use |
for irrigation of the waters of the Mis- 1
souri, river and its tributaries. The sec
md gave abstracts of the laws for ac-
luiring titles to water in the same region
with the legal forms in use. Both have
heretofore been reviewed in this cores
pondence.
Distribution of Water.
The present bulletin says: THE farmer
from regions of ample rainfall who emf
crates TO the arid west has many things
% learn besides how to build laterals and
low ana when 10 spread the water they
larry over thirsty fields. The knowledge
and skill required to distribute the water
s soon acquired, but the working out of |
social and industrial institutions which
viii place the rivers, which govern the
value OF every farm they fertiliZe under
;ome form OF public control which will Sc
:ure their just distribution and prevent
heir becoming the subject of speculation
Ir corporate monopoly. is proving in the
western states. as 1t has in every irrigated
and old enough to have history, to be
he enduring and important problem for
farmers to solve and the one on which
he reward of their industry and the value
II their farms ultimately depend
The present situation in the states in
For every acre of irrigated land there
has to be right TO water. The title TO
he latter is of as much Importance as
he deed TO the land. 1t is much harder
o establish. These rights take more forms
han the rivers they control, and are ac-
luired by as many methods as there are
tateS to frame laws. In one respect they
ire alike: no matter whether the user
If water derives his title direct from the
tate, buys 1t from ditch company which
furnishes water for hire, or from the hold
n of Il speculative claim. il is a source
If more perplexity at the outset, and of
more hours of anxious thought afterwards
han all the other problems CT irrigation
Laws Are Ambiguous.
lights should be, or difference of opinion
IN that question. the irrigation laws of
many states have been so ambiguous and
that the finite intellect is
lot able to interpret their meaning As
result, there are laws and court deci-
.isions TO sustain about every view of
tream ownership of which the mind OF
- .w~rIe l..