Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-12-05

excess OF actual uses OF necessities, anu
many streams have already passed into
private ownership or control equivalent
to ownership.
Whoever controls a stream practically
controls the land it renders productive,
and the doctrine of private ownership Of
water apart from land cannot prevail
without causing enduring wrong. The rec
ognition of such ownership, which has
been permitted to grow up in the arid
regions, should give way to a more en-
lightened and larger recognition of the
rights of the public in the control and
disposal of the public water supplies.
Laws founded upon conditions obtaining
in humid regions. where water is too
abundant to justify boarding 1t, have no
proper application in dry country.
The Only Right to Water.
In the arid states the only right to wa
ter which should be recognized is that of
use. In irrigation this right should attach
to the land reclaimed and be inseparable
therefrom. Granting perpetual water
rights to others than users without COM
pensation to the public is open to all tho
objections which apply TO giving away
perpetual franchises to the public utilities
of cities A few of the western states
have already recognized this and have in
corporated in their constitutions the doc
trine of perpetual state ownership of wa
ter.
The benefits which have followed the
unaided development of the past justify
the nations aid and cooperation in the
more difficult and important work yet to
be accomplished. Laws so vitality affect
ing homes as those which control the wa
ter supply will only be effective when
they have the sanction of the irrigatorS;
reforms can only be final and satisfactory
when they come through the enlighten-
ment of the people most concerned The
larger development which national aid in
sures should, however. awaken in every
arid state the determination to make its
irrigation system equal in justice and eff
fectiveness that of any country in the CIV
ilized world. Nothing could be more I'M
wise than for isolated communities to
continue to learn everything experiment
tally instead of profiting by what is al
ready known elsewhere. We are dealing
with a new and momentouS question in
the pregnant years while institutions are
forming, and what we do will affect not
only the present but future generations.
Our aim should be not simply to reclaim
the largest area of land and provide
homes for the largest number of people,
but to create for this new industry the
best possible social and industrial condi-
tons, and this requires that we not only
understand the existing situation. but
avail ourselves of the best experience Of
the time in the solution of it's problems
A careful study should be made both by
the nation and the states of the irrigation
laws and conditions here and abroad
Ultimately it will probably be necessary
eral arid states in proportion as these
states by their legislation and administra-
ton show themselves fit to receive it.
Hawaii and Porto Rico.
In Hawaii our aim must be to develop
the territory on the traditional American
lines. We do not wish q region of large
estates titled by cheap labor. We wish a
healthy American community of men
who themselves till the farms they own.
All our legislation for the islands should
be shaped with this end in view. The well
being of the average homemaker must
afford the true test of the healthy devel-
opment of the islands. The land policy
should as nearly as possible be modelled
on our homestead system.
1t is pleasure to say that 1t is hardly
more necessary to report as to Porto Rico
than as to any state or territory within
our continental limits. The island is
thriving as never before. and it is being
administered efficiently and honestly Its
people are now enjoying liberty and order
under the protection of the United States
and upon this fact we congratulate them
and ourselves Their material welfare
must be as carefully and jealousy consid-
cred as the welfare of any other portion
of our country We have given them the
great gift of free access for their products
to the markets of the United States l ask
the attention of the congress to the need
of legislation concerning the public lands
of Porto Rico
Cuba and the Philippines.
In Cuba such progress has been made
toward putting the independent govern
ment of the island upon firm footing
that before the present session of the
congress closes this will be an accomplish
ed fact. Cuba will then start as her own
mistress, and to the beautiful Queen of
the Antilles as she unfolds this new page
of her destiny we extend our heartiest
greetings and good wishes Elsewhere
have discussed the question of reciproci
ty. In the case of Cuba however. there
are weighty reasons of morality and of
national interest why the policy should be
held to have peculiar application. and
most earnestly ask your attention to the
wisdom, indeed to the vital need. of pro-
viding for a substantial reduction in the
tariff duties on Cuban imports into the
United States. Cuba has in her constitu-
ton affirmed what we desired. that she
should stand in international matters in
closer and more friendly relations with us
than with any other power ard we are
bound by every consideration of honor
and expediency to pass commercial meas
ures in the interest of her material well
being.
In the Philippines our problem is larger
They are very rich tropical islands. inhab-
tied by many varying tribes. representing
widely different stages of progress to-
ward civilization Our earnest effort is to
help these people upward along the stony
and difficult path that leads to self gov
eminent. We hope to make our admin
{c+y Inn IF he fcIa do hnT h to r111r
nation by making it of the highest benefit
to the Filipinos themselves, and as an
earnest of what we intend to do we point
to what we have done. Already greater
measure of material prosperity and of
governmental honesty and efficiency has
been attained in the Philippines than ever
before in their history.
Treatment of Fi1ipinos.
1t is no light task for a nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities with
out which the institutions of free govern
ment are but empty mockery. Our peo-
pie are now successfully governing them
selves because for more than a thousand
years they have been slowly fitting them
selves sometimes consciously, sometimes
unconsciously, toward this end. What
has taken US thirty generations to achieve
we cannot expect to see another race ac-
complish out of hand, especially when
behind the point which our ancestors had
reached even thirty generations ago. In
dealing with the Philippine people we
must show both patience and strength,
forbearance and steadfast resolution. Our
aim is high. We do not desire to do for
the islanders merely what has elsewhere
been done for tropic peoples by even the
best foreign governments. We hope to do
for them what has never before been done
for any people of the tropics-to make
them fit for self government after the
fashion of the really free nations.
History may safely be challenged to
show single instance in which master
full race such as ours, having been forced
by the exigencies of war to take possess
sion of an alien land, has behaved to it's
inhabitants with the disinterested zeal for
their progress that our people have shown
in the Philippines. To leave the islands at
this time would mean that they would
fall into welter of murderous anarchy
Such a desertion of duty on our part
would be crime against humanity. The
character of Governor Taft and of his as
sociateS and subordinates is proof, If
such be needed, of the sincerity of our
effort to give the islanders a constantly
increasing measure of self government
exactly as fast as they show themselves
fit to exercise it. Since the civil govern
ment was established not an appointment
has been made in the islands with any
| reference to considerations of political in
| iuence or to aught else save the fitness
of the man and the needs of the service
Policy of Local Self Government.
In our anxiety for the welfare and
progress of the Philippines it may be that
here and there we have gone too rapidly