Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-07-27
MOVING
WATERS
Hafnessed Streams Flowing
Like Bands Of Silver
Across the Soil.
Cactus and Sagebrush Make
Way for Vine Covered
Cottages.
Special to the New Mexican.

Special to the New Mexican.
Washington, D. c., July 27.-Three
presidents of the United States have
toured the arid region of the West In
the past twelve years. The view which
they entertained of Irrigation, as dis
closed in their speeches, furnishes a
most interesting gauge by which to
measure the growth, of that cause.
Benjamin Harrison traversed the
West twelve years ago. in 1891. The
date of his trip was coincidept with the
earliest national organization looking
to development of widespread pub
lie sentiment in aid of irrigation. At
that time nobody seriously dreamed OF
system of public works, and certain
ly not of public works to be built by
the nation.
President Harrison marveled at the
contrast between the desert and the
garden wherever he beheld the results
of irrigation. He paid many graceful
compliments to the pioneers who had
overcome natural difficulties and made
the streams flow out upon the land. But
there was nothing, either in his
speeches or his conversation, to show
that he had any appreciation of the
fact that he was in the presence OF
one Of the tremendous national issues
of the future.
On the contrary, ne held to the east
ern view that irrigation is poor make
shift for rain and he was plainly re-
lieved when he opened his eyes one
morning to find himself back in the
rainfall region. This was at Hastings,
Neb. There he made speech from the
rear end of the train and congratulated
his hearers on living in a place "where
God furnishes the rain" The people
applauded enthusiastically. At that
time the name of irrigation had no
power to evoke popular response any
where. 4,
MCKINLEY AND THE WEST.
It was ten years later when William
Mckinley made much the same trip
that President Harrison had taken in
1891. During the intervening decade
public sentiment had undergone
change concerning irrigation. Time had
shown that. the reclaypation, Of aTid
lands, and the making Of 1Iumas ~taR
them, Is a work which does not lend it.
self to speculative methods, like mining
and town blooming. It is q sober in
dustrial process which pays enormous
Iy in the way Of social and economic
gains, but does not return glittering
profits to the absentee investor. Irriga-
ton Is for the irrigator, not for the
boomer, the promoter and the specu-
lator.
william Mckinley looked upon the
arid region with vision which was
denied his predecessor He was able to
see that irrigation possesses certain adj
vantages over dependence on rainfalls
and that the day would come when 1t
would present practical issue Of stu
pendous moment. He said as much In
his speeches and went further in pri-
vate conversation. But he also added
that 1t was question for the future
which would be dealt with after he
had passed from the stage of action.
Few men have had so rare a faculty as
Mckinley for understanding the real
condition of public opinion and keeping
abreast Of it, rather than SO far in adj
vance that their utterances could have
only academic value. And yet this
time even Mckinley was deceived-he
did not know the strength Of the nat
ional Irrigation sentiment, nor did he
appreciate how nearly ripe was the new
issue. al"
ROOSEVELT, THE CHAMPION OF
IRRIGATION.
Following Mckinley by only two
years, Theodore Roosevelt beheld a
wave of public sentiment in behalf of
national irrigation. True, he had done
much to create this wave. both before |
and after his accession to the presiden-
cy. But no one man. even II he be first
IN all the land. makes American public
opinion.
In the two short years intervening
between the visits OF Mckinley and
Roosevelt, the irrigation idea took
root and spread as perhaps no other
social and economic proposition ever
did in this country In; the same space
Of time. The President and his travel
Ing companions looked out and beheld
the desert, as the earlier presidents and
their friends had done. But they saw
not the desert alone--they had the Inn
agination and the gift of prophecy to
see the streams harnessed and flowing.
like bands Of silver, across the soil: to
zee the brown waste give place to field.
orchard, and garden: to see cactus.
saxebrush and greasewood fall back ia
make room for red-roofed, vine-covered
cottages. And in their ears was the
murmur OF moving waters and the
laughter OF happy children.
FUTURE SWINGS ROUND THE
CIRCLE.
What President Roosevelt and his
companions befseld in imagination, the
next president who tours the arid re-
gion viii know by. the evidence Of his
senses. For the American people have1
decreed that the thing shall be done.
"vUosvo vot tho man we've rot the