Gilpin observer., 1903-05-07
MANY THOUSANDS GREET THE
PRESIDENT ON COLORADO SOIL

have builded hopes without a quite
sufficient warranty of fact behind, but
good will surely come, at once, and
well nigh immeasurable good for the
future from the policy which has thus
been begun.
I'm Colorado two-thirds of your
agricultural products come from irri-
gated farms ard four years ago those
With the aid of the government far
more can be done in the future even
than has been done in the past.
THE object of the law is to provide
small irrigated farms to settlers and
actual homemakers, dividing the land
in small tracts under the terms of the
homestead acts, and settlers receiving
the irrigating water at their lands at
| cost of ten annual payments.
THE land now under private owner
ship can be watered in small tracts by
! small payments, but the law forbids
abuse or privileges. and the aim of the
government is rigidly to prevent a
combination of rights for speculative
purposes. (Applause.)
THE purpose of the law was, and
that purpose is being absolutely car
ried out, to promote settlement and the
occupation Oh small farms.
THE water for irrigation. under the
terms of the law, becomes pertinent to
the land and cannot be disposed of
wrongfully. This is the main factor
for future success. The policy is the
policy of aid and encouragement to the
home maker and the man who comes
to establish his home, to bring up his
children, as citizen of the common
wealth, and his welfare is TO be guard
ed by the union of land and water
"As the government caEot deal sue
cessfully with our people individually,
we have encouraged the formation of
associations of water users to cultivate
the soil in small tracts. The ultimate
ownership and control of the irrigation
works will pass away from the govern
ment into the hands of these users
and home makers. Our aim is-the
aim of the ational'government is-to
give locally the ultimate control Of
water distribution, and to leave neigh
borhood disputes to be settled locally,
as they should be as far as possible.
The law protects vested rights. and
in framing laws it is important the
states should cooperate with the ma
tional government. When the works
are constructed to utilize the waters
Eow wasted, happy and prosperous
homes will flourish, where twenty years
ago it would have seemed impossible
for man to live.
1T is great national measure of
benefits, and. while. as say, it Is prim-
arily to benefit the people of the noun
tain states, and of the great plains, it
will ultimately benefit the whole coun-
try, for it is always a truth that any
thing that is of benefit to one part of
our country is of benefit to all the
Republic. (Applause)
THE location of new homes upon
desert lands means greater prosperity
for Colorado and the Rocky mountain
states, and inevitably their greater
prosperity means greater prosperity
for Eastern manufacture and the
Southern cotton grower; for all of our
people throughout the Union.
And now, my fellow citizens. I want
in closing to dwell upon the fact, which
l think that most of you have shown
by your actions that you have at heart.
"The national government can do
something to help u.s. good laws. ma
tional and state, can help us. Honest
and upright. fearless and intelligent
administration of the laws help us still
more; but when all is said and done,
the chief factor in working out the
success of any community must be
the sum of the qualities that go to
make up the average citizenship Of
that community character.
You, my comrades of the great
war. and you, my comrades of the
lesser war Qaughter), you know from
practical experience that while you
need organization, you need proper
weapons to make good soldier; yet
the main stuff that goes to make a
good soldier is the right type of man
hood
IF a man hasn't got the stuff in
him, you can't get 1t out of him! II
a good man is pitted against another
good man, he has got to have good
weapon to win. but If he is poor SOL
dier and has the best weapon in the
world he will not win. 1t Is the man
behind the gun that does the work. 1t
is the man back of the law who counts
most
II believe with all my heart in your
success. believe in the success of this
great typical American state. because |
believe you have the right type Of citi-
Zenship in you. because believe in the
standard of manhood here in your
state. This is the factor that will de-
termine our success.
"Of course. we must have good laws.
and Of course we must have them hon.
estly and decently administered. We
must have men with the fighting spir-
1t back of them in war. and we must
have in peace a similar type of man
to administer the law. That man
should have sound body: he
should be a strong man physically. 1t
is even more important that he should
have a sound mind. Man or woman. a
sound body is important. a sound mind
is far more important. and most i'm
portant of all Is that which counts for
more than mind or body-character
(Applause.)
II believe in your future because