The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-29
ABSENTEEISM
Condemned by President ROose-
velt at Boise, Idaho.
Talks of the Benefit of Irriga-
tiOn to the West.

Boise, Idaho May 29.-President
ROOSevelt'S train reached Boise exactly
on time and left again at $50 for the
trip to Salt Lake City.
The programme arranged for the re-
ception in this city was carried out
without a hitch.
The president and party marched
through a lane of children as they ap-
preached the grand stand erected at the
Jefferson street front of the capitol
grounds. Little ones numbering about
two thousand cheered him Justify and
waved a forest of flags This feature of
the reception proved highly pleasing to
the visitor
The city was thronged with people to
see the president and when the latter
took his place on the grand stand there
were many thousands packed in the
streets. He was introduced by Governor
Morrison and spoke for 40 minutes.
After the speaking the president ad-
dressed few words to the Grand Army
post drawn up in the rear of the stand
and the Spanish war veterans The tree
was then planted in the state house
grounds near the one planted by Presf-
dent Harrison in 1891.
The president and party were then
taken for drive about the city. All
the principal points of interest were
visited.
In his address the president opened
with a tribute to the city and its peo-
pie He spoke principally on irrigation,
'.The forests and the grasses said the
president are not to be treated as we
properly treat mining, that is as ma
terial to be used up and nothing left
behind. We must recognize the fact
that we have passed the stage when we
can afford to tolerate the man whose
object is simply to skin the land and
get out That man is not an equitable
citizen. We do not want the absentee
proprietor. 1t is not for him that we
wish to develop irrigation. It's not for
him that we must shape the grazing
lands or handle our forests. We must
handle the water, the woods, the grass
es so that we viii hand them on to
our children and children's children in
better and not worse shape than we got
them.
.'Inasmueh as I myself passed a large
portion of my life in the mountains and
on the plains of this great western coun-
try, 1 feel a peculiar pride that it was
given to me to sign and thereby make
into law the act of the national govern
ment to my mind one of the most i'm
pOrtant acts ever made into law by the
national legislature. the national lrr1-
cation act of a year ago. The national
government in my Judgment not only
should but must cooperate with the
state government and with individual
enterprises in seeing that we utilize to
the fullest advantage the waters of the
Rocky mountain states by canals and
great reservoirs. which shall conserve
the waters that go to waste at one sea-
son so that they can be used at other
seasons.
7 tel.es-e with all my soul in the
Monroe doctrine This western hemi-
sphere was not to become a region for
conquest over which foreign military
powers may acquire control think Il
should be a cardinal doctrine of our
American foreign policy. But / would
great deal rather see US never an
nounce that policy than for US to an
nounce it and then lack either the viii
or the power to make il good. The one
means for making it good is the build
ing of an adequate navy I ask that
congress go on with the building up ef
the navy that congress go on proV1d-
ing means to make that navy the most
effective on the globe. earnestly hope
that not in our time viii we see war
again, but it is impossible to say that