Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-03
BISMARCK DAILY TRIBUNE TUESDAY, DECEMBER s, 1901

water apart from land cannot prevs...
without causing enduring wrong. The rec-s
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 hurnid regions, where water is too
to justify boarding it, have no
proper application in a dry country.
The Only Right to Water. &5+T
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 the
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 nave in
corporated in their constitutions the doc
trine of perpetual state ownership of wa
ter. @
: The benefits which nave 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
supply Will OIlly UG cHGCClVe Wlen
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 ":r',h national aid in
sures should. howe. =. awaken in every
arid state the determination to make it's
irrigation system equal in justice and eff
iectlveness that of n 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 and and provide
homes for the largest number of people,
put 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 its problems.
A careful study should be made both by
the nation and the states of the irrigation
laws n conditions here and abroad
Ultimately it will probably be necessary
Tor the nation to cooperate with the sew
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 a 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 we'll
being Of the average homemaker mus
afford the true test Of the healthy devel-
opment of the islands The lam policy
should as nearly as possible be modelled
on our homestead system.
1t is a pleasure to say that it is hardly
more necessary to report as to Porto Rico
than as to any state or territory within
our continental limits. The island il
thriving as never before. and it is being
administered efficiently and honestly. It's
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
u 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. / ask
the attention of the ongress 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
nent of the island upon a 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 a 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-
Zion affirmed what we desired. shat she
should stand in international matters in
closer and more friendly relations with US
than with any other power. and we are
bound by every consideration of honor
and expediency to pass commercial meas
ures in the interest of her material we'll
being.
., In the Philippines our problem is larger
They are very rich tropical Islands. inhab-
tied by many varying tribes. representing
Wldely. dlfferent stages or progress to-
ward civilization. Our earnest effort Is t.
help these people upward along the stony
and difficult path that leads TO self gov
eminent. We hope to make our admin
istration Of the stands honorable to our
nation by making it of the highest benefit
to the Fflipinos themselves, and as an
earnest of we intend to do we point
to what we have done. Already a 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 Filipinos.
1t is no light task for a nation to
achieve the temperamental qualities with
out which the institutions of free govern
n1ent are but empty mockery. Our peo-
pie are now successfully governing them.
selves because for more than q 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 &C.
complish out of hand, especially when
large portions CT that race start very far
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 ever the