Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-07-12

I dIlu DlJC hCGOI az OCI Tain SCCSOOAAO "
the year streaming in torrents an6
doirg damage. How to provide means
for bringing them together to Stimu
ulate production that many blades
might grow where none now grow
has been the problem presented. Ii
has not been scientific problem, fOl
the method was known, and not one
difficult Of execution, but the question
was rather political and financial.
Both governmental authority and
realized better than the Western ir.
rigationists themselves the difficulty
of inducing Congress to make an ap-
preparation for irrigation purposes.
The reasons were obvious.
WORK FOR IRRIGATION.
1t remained for Representative
Francis G. NewlandS to devise the
plan which finally obtained congress
SionaI sanction and which is now a
law. He has been in congress for ten
years and in season and out Of season
has perSiStently agitated the question
Of irrigation, believing that the pub
lie mind must be educated upon this
great question before legislation could
be had. The real work, however, he
began as the campaign of 1900 APP
preached. He then urged upon West
ern men of both political parties that
they should go to their respective ma
tional conventions and insist upon the
insertion of an irrigation plank in the
party platforms. This plan was adopt
and as result both the Republican
and Democratic national platforms
contained plankS declaring in favor of
irrigation. Mr.. NewlandS was him
self delegate to the Kansas City
convention, and drafted the irrigation
plank in the Democratic platform
which declared in favor Of an intelli-
gent system of irrigation and the hold
ing of the lands for actual settlers,
for home building and against any
system that would enable the cOnSe-
Grafton of large holdings. The declar-
alton of the Republican party took
substantially the same form. 1t was
in opposing permanent retention of
the Philippines and advocating do
nestle development that Mr.. New
lands delivered his famous epigram
that 1.-THE United States should cease
its irrigation of foreign lands and be-
gin the irrigation Of its arid lands"
NEwLANDs AND sPRINKLING SPOT.
So persistent has the Nevada Rep
reSentative been in urging irrigation
that the cartooniStS have pictured
him with a Sprinkling pot as they
do Senator Tillman with his famous
pitchfork. The plan of devOting the
proceeds of the sale of public lands is
his, and he has followed unique
course in advocating it. His bill was
first introduced in Congress after the
campaign Of 1900, but then the friends
of irrigation looked upon its accomp
liShmentS as an irrideScent dream. He
not only urged it before the commit
tee on public lands and irrigation, but
in order to educate his colleagues in
the House upon this subject he inaug-
urated a series of dinners at his cUun-
try place near Washington to which
Senators and members Of the House
were invited. After the meal Mr..
NewlandS provided an entertainment
in the shape Of a magic lantern dis
plays of the arid region showing the
desert condition of a particular tract
and the change that had been wrought
by irrigation and reclamation. Pict-
ureS Of streams at flood tide and in
periods Of drOuth, and of reservoir
sites were displayed upon the stereop-
tican canvass to give the audience a
vivid Relation OF what irrigation
will accomplish. At these dinners
addresses on irrigation were deliver
ed by Secretary Wilson, who is an en-
thuSiaStic irrigationiSt and has done
great deal toward securing the pass
age of the recent bill, by Secretary
Hitchcock, the director of the geulo-
gical survey, the chief photographer,
and other leading irrigationiSts. Fin
ally meeting of. western men, both
republicans end democrats, was held
at his home and he presented to them
the bill which he had drafted and it
was unanimously endorsed. This bill
was introduced in the Senate by Sem
atOr HanSborough and was thereafter
known as the HanSborough-New
bill. Representative Newlands had
Il. Il
measure by the Democratic campaign
committee and had lined up the mi
nority with but few exceptions in sup
port of his bill, and it only remained
for the western Republicans to deliv-
er a sufficient number of votes to in
sure majority. This was easily done,
and when the vote was taken the bill
was carried two to one.