The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-06-19

IlnOis MANUFACTURERS aSSOClhtlOn on the
evening Of June D. MIR. ]. J. Hill made
one of the most notable speeches of his
life He considered the railroad question,
its ownership and management very eN-
business interests and trusts. The speech
is very lengthy, but below Will be found
its most important features:
Commerce is the exchange OF commodt-
files and the term is generally understood
20 include the buying and selling between
individuals, and, in wider sense, be
tween communities and nations. Behind
its adventurous leadership has followed
civilization and Christianity to the re-
hottest parts of the world. The CONNER
cial nations OF the world have, at all
times exercised the strongest influence
for good among the nations Of the earth.
The development of commerce is the ef-
fort by country TO find market for Its
own productions, or to supply itself with
material for its necessities or to further
Increase it's means of commercial eX-
pansiOn. The commercial expansion of
nation is the best index of its growth:
Commercial growth is both domestic ana
foreign. Following the Civil war came a
period OF the history of our country or
Internal development, which has been the
wonder of the world. Since the close OF
the war in 1865, the enormous territory
west of the Mississippi has grown from
frontier settlements into great, popuious
and wealthy states. The population OF
the United States in 1865 was about thir-
ty-fOur millions. The succeeding thirty
five years ending in 1900, carried II TO
seventy-siX millions, and to-day we are
increasing at the rate of a million and
half a year. The various census reports
show that the population OF the United
States about doubles every thirty years,
so that by 1890 we would, at this ratio,
have a population OF one hundred and
fifty millions of people.
\ the past the public domain suited TO
cultivation Of the soil. producing every
useful crop, has furnished homes for the
multiplying population. To-day we have
about reached the limit of our public do
main which can DC made to furnlsh
homes for an intelligent and enterpriSlnG
population. In many of the Western
states are enormous areas of the best
land which, with irrigation, can be made
Productive in the Highest Degree.
One hundred and sixty acres Of land,
with certain supply of water, which
will insure TO the husbandman bounti-
ful harvest is equal to twice that area
where the land is subject to the natural
conditions of either too much or too lit
tie rainfall Oue-half of the population
of the United States il occupied directly
or indirectly i'm the cultivation of the
land. and ! think fully one-half OF the
entire capital Of the country Is invested
in farms ard their belongings, and when
we come TO the questions Of intelligence,
patriotism and good citizenship, the agri-
cultural population stands out to-day as
Il has in the past, as the great
sheet Anchor of the Nation.
The wealth of the world comes from the
farm, the forest, the mine and the sea.
W nile our country mas bctn bleSI Win
wonderful mines of coal, iron, gold, silver
and all the other valuable mineral pro-
ductlOnS, with magnificent forests OF use
full timber still the farm has, from the
beginning, been the foundation of our
growing wealth and greatness. During
the last three years the balance of our
trade with other nations, that Is, the
amount We have sold in excess of what
we have bought, has averaged about
seven hundred millions of dollars an
nually, and two-thirds of this has come
TO us through the export of the produce
of the soil. 1 do not wish in any manner
to belittle the Importance OF our growing
manufactures, or their relative value in
the commerce of the country. The Sc
Curity of their foundations has always
rested upon the agricultural growth OF
the nation, and in the future II must
continue to rest there. Every manufac-
turer, every merchant, every business
man throughout the land Is most deeply
Interested in maintaining the growth and
development of our agricultural re-
sources.
In the past we have been in the habit
of feeling that Uncle Sam was rich
enough to give us all farm" but to-
day, as | said before, the arabic land
suitable for agriculture, without an ar
uhcial supply of moisture, is practically
all occupied.
In a few limited communities of the
West irrigation has been commenced by
what may be called individual Effort"
Owing to diverse laws, made to suit par
ticular interests, the irrigation of large
areas is attended by greater difficulties
than can be well surmounted by in
dividual effort. The policy of a broad
comprehensive. national plan of irriga-
ton has been urged upon congress with
but little success in the past. However,
an enterprise of such magnitude and i'm
portance TO the nation as whole, which
Importance viii grow as our population
grows, cannot be turned aside or lost
sight OF, for the reason that every citizen
OF every state in the Union is
Deeply and vitality Interested
In the question. President Roosevelt, who
has spent some of his time in the semi
arid regions of the West. has taken an
active interest in this subject and II his
EFFORTS, and OF others who are working
future generations will rejoice in che
memory of this work while they build
Tor themselves comfortable homes In the
thousand valleys covering that portion of
the country which is now given up as
grazing ranches for cattle and sheep.
with proper irrigation these valleys Will
furnish homes for intelligent and in
uustrious people, and the number of cat
tie and sheep raised on the land will in
crease many fold.
For the first time in the history of this
country, thousands OF our farmers from
states like Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mich
lgan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, are seek
ing homes in the Canadian Northwest,
owing to the cheap lands offered in that
country, and to the difficulty of securing
such lands in the United states. \ wise
system of irrigation by the genral gov
tiiiluFuI can DC mace not only stll-SuS-
tanning but a source of income. Lands,
that without irrigation are given away or
boid at a nominal price, can be sold as
taSt as they are furnished with water, at
ten dollars an acre or upwards, and the
cost would be little, IL anything, more
than half that sum-
| cannot urge too strongly on the part
OF every man who wishes his country
We'll, and who desires that all shall be
prosperous, in order that he himself may
De prosperous with them, the Importance
and the growing necessity of taking care
OF our public domain in such a way as TO
preserve Il for generations now unborn.
/ feel sure that no one here to night
ever expected to see the time when farm
rs and farmers sons from the best
states Of the West would be forced to
leave their country and their flag to seek
MONIES In a foreign country.
The United States has many social
Questions to settle in the near future, ana
nothing in this connection viii take the
Tor those who desire To sit under their
own vine and tig tree.
Land without population Is wilderness
and population without land is a mob.
Railway Importance.
Considering the question from broad
national standpoint, the next interest IN
Importance TO agriculture is the railway
interest of the country The entire rall-
way growth is within the memory OF
men living. twenty-five years ago Il was
not supposed possible that railways
Woul ever be able TO carry heavy ana
cheap commodities, which were up TO
That time almost exclusively shipped by
water Great elevators We're ouilt IN
chicago, Milwaukee and other lake ports.
70 hold 1he Grain for the season OF open
DIR. ID. Frank Powell, 81. Paul, Mimi