The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-04


sively shown to be an undertaking
too vast for private effort. Nor can it
be best accomplished by the individual
states acting alone. The government
should construct and maintain these
reservoirs as it does other public works.
Where their purpose is to regulate the
flow of streams, the water should be
turned freely into the channels in the
dry season to take the same course
under the same laws as the natural
flow.
The reclamation of the unsettled arid
public lands presents different prob
lem. Here 1t is not enough to regulate
the flow of streams. The object Of the
government is to dispose of the land
to settlers who will build homes upon
it. To accomplish this object water
must be brought within their reach.
The pioneer settlers on the arid pub
lie domain chose their homes along
streams from which they could them
selves divert the water to reclaim their
holdings. Such opportunities are prac-
tically gone. There remain. however,
vast areas Of public land which can be
made available for homestead settle
ment, but only by reservoirs and main
line canals impracticable for private
enterprise. These irrigation works
should be built by the national govern
ment. The lands reclaimed by them
should be reserved by the government
for actual settlers, and the cost of con-
struction should, so far as possible, be
repaid by the land reclaimed. The dis
tribution Of the water, the division of
the streams among irrigators, should
be left to the settlers themselves in
conformity with state laws and with
out interference with those laws or
with vested rights.
The declaration is made that in the
arid states the only right to water
which should be recognized is that Of
use. The president says that the doe
trine of private ownership of water
apart from land cannot prevail without
causing wrong.
Insular Problems.
InsulaF questions are next treated.
In Hawaii our aim must be to develop
the territory on the traditional Amer
lean lines. Porto Rico is declared to be
thriving as never before. The atten-
ton Of congress is called to the need of
legislation concerning the islands pub
lie lands. In Cuba it is stated that
much progress has been made toward
putting the Independent government of
the island upon firm footing, and it is
declared that independence will be an
accomplished fact. The president
adds:
Elsewhere have discussed the ques-
ton Of reciprocity. In the case of Gu
la, however, there are weighty reasons
of morality and of national interest
why the policy should be held to have
a peculiar application, and l most ear
nestly ask your attention to the wis
dom, indeed to the vital need, of pro-
viding for substantial reduction IN
the tariff duties on Cuban imports into
the United States.
In dealing with the Philippine peo-
pie we must show both patience and
strength, forbearance and steadfast res
olution. Our aim is high. We do not
desire to do for the islanders merely
what has elsewhere been done for trOp-
ic 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 tit for self government after the
fashion of the really free nations.
iety we give them a degree of indie
pcndcnce for which they are unfit,
thereby inviting reaction and disaster.
AS fast as there is any reasonable hcpe
that in Il given district the people caa
govern themselves self government
has been given in that district. There
is not Il locality fitted for self govern
mcnt which has not received it. But it
may well be that in certain eases it
will have to be withdrawn because the
inhabitants show themselves unfit to
exercise it; such instances have already
occurred. In other words, there is not
the slightest chance OF our failing to
The danger comes in the opposite direc-
ton.
Troubles Ahead Yet.
There are still troubles ahead in the
islands. The instruction has become
an affair of local banditti and maraud-
ers, who deserve no higher regard
than the brigands of portions of the
old world Encouragement, direct or
indirect, to these insurrectos stands on
the same footing as encouragement to
hostile Indians in the days when we
still had Indian wars.
The president declares that the time
has come for additional legislation for
the Philippines. He says:
1t is necessary that the congress
should pass laws by which the re-
sources Of the islands can be developed,
so that franchises (for limited terms of
years. can be granted to companies do
ing business in them and every encour-
asement be given to the incoming Of
business men Of every kind. 1t is ur-
gently necessary to enact suitable laws
dealing with general TRANSFORMATION,