Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-07-27
THE ARID WEST.
SECOND or THE ABLE SERIES or
LETTERS ~ WIN. Z. sMYThE.
6oosevelt, The Champion Of Irrigation.
Arid America Just Discovered and
Annexed to the United states.
Under Three Presidents,

Under Three Presidents.
Three presidents Of the United
States have toured the arid region 81
the west In the past twelve years. The
view which they entertained Of irri
CATION, A. disclosed In their speeches
furnishes 4 most interesting gauge BY
which to measure the growth Of that
cause.
BENJAMIN Harrison traversed the
west twelve years ago. In 1891. Tho
date Of his trip was coinciient witt.
the earliest national organization look.
inK to 4 development Of . widespread
public sentiment In aid OF irrigation.
Al that time nobody seriously dreamed
Of ! system Of public works. and cor
tainly 81 q public works to built by the
nation,
President Harrison marveied at tie
contrast between the desert and The
garden wherever no beheld the results
Of irrigation. He paid many graceful
compliments TO the pioneers who hal
overcome natural ~dlfhculties and made
the streams flow out upon the land.
But there was nothing, either In his
speeches Or his conversation, to show
that no had any appreciation Of the
fact that he WAS In the presence Of
pf the tremendous national Issues
Of the future.
On the contrary. he held TO the east.
ern view that irrigation Is 4 poor
makeshift for rain and he was plainly
relieved when he opened his eyes one
morning 10 lind himself back n the
rainfall region. This war At Hastings.
Neb. There he made = speech from
the rear end az the train and congrat-
ulated his hearers on living IN a place
where God furnishes the rain" The
people applauied enthusiastically, At
that time the name Of irrigation had
no power 70 evoke popular response
anywhere.
Mckinley and The West.
1t was ten years later when William
Mckinley made much the same trip
that President Harrison had taken Ia
1891. During the intervening decade
public sentiment had undergone 4
change concerning irrigation. Time
had shown that the reclamation Of arid
lands, and the making Of homes upon
them. " q work which does not lend
itself to speculative methods, like min
ing and town.booming. 1t IL a sober
industrial process which pays enor
mously in the way Of social and
nmic gains. but does not return gilt
tcring profits to the absentee investor.
Irrigation Ia for the irrigator. not for
the boomer. the promoter and the spec
ulator.
William Mckinley looked upon tho
arid region with 4 vision which was
denied his predecessor. He was able !
10 . that irrigation possesses Ger.
tain advantages q dependence on
rainfalls and that the day would come
when II would present q practical Is.
u Of ~stupendous moment. He said
~ much III his speeches AMI went fur.
Their In private conversation. But be
also added that II was Z question for
the future which would be dealt with
after he had passed from the stage OF
action, Few men have had 70 rare a
faculty az Mckinley for understanding
the real condition Of public opinion and
keeping abreast OF It, rather than 20
FAR In advance that their utterances
could have only academic value. And
yet this time even Mckinley was dc.
ceivel--h e did not know the strength
cf the national irrigation sentiment,
nor did be appreciate how nearly ripe
the new issne.
Roosevelt, the Champion o. irrigation.
Following Me Kinley by only two
years, Theodore Roosevelt behcId =
Of public sentiment In behalf 81
national irrigation. True. he had done
much 70 create this wave. both before
and after his accession TO the presi.
But no one man, even II he
be first In all the lani. makes Ameri
public opinion.