The Florence tribune., 1901-02-16
Speech of Hon. John M. Thurston, of
 Nebraska,
In the United States Sen- ate on the 26th of
 January, 1901,
On the Proposed Amendment to the
 Indian Appropriation Bill.

Mir. President, as the chairman of the committee in charge of this bill endeavored to secure the floor immedi- ately after serious objection had been made to the pending amendment, for the purpose of explaining it and, if possible, of obviating an extended dis cussion.
 In the first place, I wish to resent the imputation that the committee is moving by indirection in this matter, or that any member of the committee is attempting to secure by any unfair or unjustifable method the commit ment of Congress to an irrigation scheme.
 The pending amendment did not come from the Committee on Indian Affairs without trouble, trial and travail. It was not considered in secret, nor were the views of single member of that committee favoring it unexpressed in the presence of all of the other members.
 On the Gila River in Arizona some thing like five thousand or more In- dians are domiciled. They might, in- deed, be termed domiciled Indians, for they are not wild Indians. They have lived there in very nearly self-sup- porting condition. They show dis position to work they show disposi- ton to take care of themselves, and they certainly are Indians whom this Government ought to be very willing 10 assist toward civilization.
 Originally, by their rude methods of irrigation, they were enabled to culti- yate sufficient lands to provide them selves with the means of livelihood |, but by and by the white settlers came in; capital became interested, and py various irrigation ditcLes tapping the waters of the river above them, and by reason of the changed condition of the
  flow in the river, they found them selves in a situation where the water no longer came to their ditches in sufficient quantities to enable them to continue the cultivation of the soil.
 IL became serious matter for Con. gress to ascertain what it was possible to do for these Indians. Investigation has been made, and very thoroughly made. We have reports and reports from various persons, scientific and other wise, who have investigated the pro blem.
 In the first place, Mir. President, we must take care of those Indians; ws must there or elsewhere put them in ( position where they can sustain them selves, earn livelihood, and advanc. onward in the pathway of civilization That is our duty we can not escape it and we must meet it. Of course, it i the duty of Congess to meet this obi gation in the cheapest and most direc manner possible and experiments have been made to see whether or not b the ordinary methods of irrigation tn water could be restored to their ditche and to their lands, but, in my jude nent, it has been found absolutely in possible; in my judgment there ha been no scheme proposed, except tn one outlined by this amendment-an l have studied the subject very car, fnlly-by which aD adequate and pe petual irrigation of the lands of thos Indians can be secured. Therefore think'we must look beyond the ord nary processes of irrigation if we are provide relief for these Indians, or eli we ought at once to accept the oth, alternative of removing them fro there to some other part of the countl where we can provide for them.
 Mir. President, this idea that we c, tap what is called the underaow that river and for any definite peri, of time secure water enough for u irrigation of any considerable area land is, in my judgment, absolute al utter nonsense. I have personal known of schemes or plans and D, jects of that kind being tried. I W not specify, because do not wish call attention to one great irrigati and manufacturing project that W attempted on this same plan a which has failed but know-at lei think know, and have investigai the subject and read almost all u has ever been published regarding i