Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-12-03

paid to the gunnery of the navy, but
II Is yet far from what II should be.
earnestly urge that the increase ask.
ed for by the secretary of the navy
in the appropriation for improving
the craftsmanship be granted. In bat.
tie the only shots that count are the
shots that hit. II is necessary to pro-
vide ample funds for practice with the
great guns in time of peace. These
funds must provide not only for the
purchase of projectiles. but for allow.
ances for prizes to encourage the gun
crews, and especially the gun point.
ers. and for perfecting an intelligent
system under which alone ii is pos
sible to get good practice.
There should be no halt in the work
of building up the navy. providing
every year additional fighting craft.
We are a very rich country. vast in
extent of territory and great in pop
ulation; a country, moreover, which
has an army diminutiye indeed when
compared with that of any other first
class power. We have deliberately
made our own certain foreign poll
cies which demand the possession of
a first-class navy. Inc isthmian ca.
nal will greatly increase the efficiency
of our navy if the navy Is of sufficient
size, but If we have an inadequate
navy, then the building of the canal
would lie merely giving a hostage to
any power of superior strength. The
Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American for
eign policy; but II would be worse
than idle to assert IL unless we intend
ed to back it up. and 1t a be back
ed up only by a thoroughly good navy.
A good navy Is not a provocative OF
war. 1t is the sures guaranty OF
peace.
There is not a cloud on the horizon
at present. There seems not the
slightest chance of trouble with a for
eign power. We most earnestly hope
that this state of things may contin-
ne; and the way to insure its con-
tinuance is to provide for a thorough
ly efficient navy. The refusal to main.
tain such a navy would invite trouble.
and II trouble came would insure dis
aster. Fatuous self-complacency Of
vanity, or short.sightedness in refus.
ing to prepare ,or danger, Is both
foolish and wicked in such a nation
as ours; and past experience has
shown that such faulty in refusing
to recognize or prepare for any cris.
is in advance is usually succeeded by
a mad panic of hysterical fear once
the crisis has actually arrived"
, The increase in p~ostoffice receipts
is cited as an evidence of the general
prosperity and the country is congrat.
ulated upon the success and contin'
uous extension of rural free delivery,
Irrigation and Land.
, Few subjects of more Importance
: have been taken up by tAe congress
/. in recent years than the inauguration
of the system OF nationally-aided r.
t rigation for the arid regions Of the
far west. A good beginning herein
mas been made. Now that this policy
of national irrigation has been adopt
ed, the need of thorough and scienti
! fc forest protection will grow more
: rapidly than ever throughout the pub
lie land states.
e Legislation should be provided fol
4 the protection of the game, and the
: wind creatures generally on the fores'
reserves. The senseless slaughter o.
J. game, which can be ny judicious protec
y ton permanently preserved on our ma
. tional reserves for the people as {
whole, should be stopped at once 1
Is. for instance. a serious cOun
against our national good sense {,
A permit the present practice Of butch
ering of such a stately and beautiful
. creature as the elk for its antlers o
tusks.
Z SO far as they are available for az
r riculture, and to whatever extent the.
@ may be reclaimed under the nationa
= irrigation law. the remaining publ,
lands should be held rightly for tn,
home builder, the settler who live
h on his land, and for no one else. Il
a their actual use the desert land Law
the timber and stone law, and tn
A Communication clause OF the homestea
law have been so perverted from tn
intention with which they were Ell
"a acted as to permit the acquisition @
large areas OF the public domain fo
other than actual settlers and the col
sequent prevention of settlement.
Moreover, the approaching exhauI
70 ton of the public ranges has Of lat
led to much discussion as to the hes
manner OF using these public land
in the west which are suitable chief
only for grazing. The sound an
STEADY development OF the west d.
~ rends upon the building up of home
y therein. Much Of our prosperity as
SC nation has been due to the operatio
~ of tho homestead law. On the 9th,
&c hand, we should recognize the fa'
'e tina, In the grazing region the ma
81 who corresponds to the homestead
IL may he unable to settle permanent
" II only allowed to use the san
u amount OF pasture land that his brot
u er. the homesteader. is allowed
III use OF arabic land. One hundred ar
sixty acres Of fairly rich and VIC
" watered soil, or a much SMALL
amount OF irrigated land, may ke'
a family in plenty. whereas no OF
~ could get a living from one hundr'
and sixty acres Of dry pasture lar
ne capable Of supporting at the outsi'
ne only one head OF cattle to every I,
acres.
In the past great tracts Of the pu
ry lie domain have been fenced in
re persons having no title thereto. in
m rect defiance OF the law forbiddil
IN. the maintenance OF construction
ng any such unlawful Enclosure OF pu