The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-02
REPUBuCANISM FATHER OF nOMESTtAOS
Grand Old Party's Record as a Home Builder
Extent Of the Arid Regions
and Their Enormous
Possibilities.

present.
The present President, and the next
President of the United States-Theo-
dore Koosevelt-is ahead of his genera
ton on this, as on many other subjects
Of national Importance. His president
vision Of the great destiny of the repub-
lie is pregnan with talismanic achieve
ments for this future garden-spot of
the world. Here he sees the old miracle
of changing water into wine done over
and over again. Not only this: He
sees as a result Of applying the living
stream to the parched earth, myriad
forms Of agricultural and horticultural
products which shall meet the necessities
and satisfy the luxurious tastes Of mil
ions yet unborn. This and more will
the precious waters accomplish as they
go from their great natural reservoirs,
high up the mountains, and from the
artificial, forced impounding prisons,
lower down the mountain sides, on their
journey of fructiicatio laughing, to
the sea.
Presidents Message to Congress.
Indeed the efforts of those interested
in the west may be said to nave found a
fitting elimination in the first message
of President Roosevelt in December.
1901. The portions of this message
which relate to irrigation have peculiar
interest in connection with the reclama-
ton law, since the latter is somewhat
general, and the working out of details
is left largely to executive action. In
considering the possible application of
the law, light may be thrown upon the
future by weighing carefully the opin-
ions of the Chief Executive, which are
as follows:
The forests are natural reservoirs.
BY restraining the streams in flood and
replenishing them in drought they make
possible the use of waters otherwise
wasted. They prevent the soil from
washing and SO protect the storage reser-
voirs from filling up with silt. Forest
conservation is therefore an essential
condition of water conservation
1.-The forests alone cannot, however,
fully regulate and conserve the waters
Of the arid region. Great storage works
are necessary to equalize the flow of
streams and to save the food waters.
Their construction has been eenclusively |
shown to be an undertaking too vast for
private effort. Nor can it be best ac- !
complished by the individual States act
ing alone. Far-reaching interstate prob
lens are involved, and the resources of
single States would often be inadequate. |
1t is properly a national function, at
least in some of it's features. 1t is as
right for the National Government to
make the streams and rivers of the arid
region useful by engineering works for
water storage as to max useful the riv- |
ers and harbors of the humid region by
engineering works of another kind. The
storing of the foods In reservoirs at the
headwaters of our rivers is but an en- |
largement Of our present policy of river
control, under which levees are built on
the lower reaches of the same streams |
Duty Of Our Government.
"The Government should construct
and maintain these reservoirs as it does
other public works. Where their pur-
pose Is to regulate the flow Of streams
the water should be turned freely into
the channels in the dry season to take
tho same course under the same laws as
the natural iow.
The reclamation of the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different prob
lem. Here it is not enough to regulate
the flow Of streams. The object Of the
Government is to dispose Of the land to
settlers who will build homes upon it.
To accomplish this object water must
be brought within their reach.
1.-THE pioneer settlers on the arid pub
lie domain chose their homes along
streams from which they could them
selves divert the water to reclaim their
holdings. Such opportunities are prac-
tically gone. There remain, however,
vast areas of public land which can
be made available for homestead settle
ment, but only by reservoirs and main
line canals impracticable for private en-
terprise. These irrigation works should
be built by the National Government.
The lands reclaimed by them should be
reserved by the Government for actual
settlers, and the cost Of construction
should, SO far as possible, be repaid by
the land reclaimed. The distribution OF
the water, the division Of the streams
among ~irrigators, should be left to the
settlers themselves, In conformity with
State laws and without interference
with those Laws or with vested rights.
The policy Of the National Government
should be to aid irrigation in the sew
eral States and Territories in such man. |
ner AZ will enable the people in the To-
cal communities to help themselves and
a will stimulate needed reforms in the
State laws and regulations governing ir-
rigation.
Will Enrich Whole Nation.
THE reclamation and settlement Of
the arid lands will enrich every portion
Of our country, just as the settlement |
Of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys /
brought prosperity to the Atlantic |
States. The increased demand for
M r,,fe n<urad articles will stimulate 81.
dustrial production, while wider home
markets and the trade of Asia will con-
sumo the larger food supplies and eff
fectually prevent Western competition
with Eastern agriculture. Indeed, the
products OF irrigation Will be consumed !
chiefly in upbuilding local centers Of
mining and other industries, which would
otherwise not come into existence 1t
all Our people - : whole viii profit,