Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-09-23


Manhattan Island. but I BELONG west
Of the Missouri river"
This'is key to the depth and breadth
Of the Presidents knowledge concerning
all things pertninin: to the United States.
He II tho first President who ever rc>id.
ID west OF the Missouri river. lie IN th"
6rst Who ever perceived the inralculable
importance OF the arid west. aud b. Is
chiefly responsible for the national irri-
CATION act which In To transform deserts
tnto gardens. By \ chain OF rndlcss rev.
saues derived from the sale of public
lands Ia tho arid States. each arid State
In turn II to be reclaimed and populated
by independent. hf::h. minded. seif'sup.
sorting citizens.
Roosevelt established himself. In 1854.
"a Q ranch at the headwaters Of the Lit
lie Missouri rivcS In South Dakota. lie
Wax thca only 20 years Of sIr. After
Q rcsitence there OF about two years hr
returned to New York. not only restored
In body. but a different man mentally
aud psyehica!iy. lie had entered Into the
spirit Of the West - completely that he
Vas actually westrrniErd. There the
ssountsins communicated to lin the s-'
erct OF their strength mud lie learned Of
the b~n~dIetinns Of tho unciouded sun.
lie made \ ranch. hcri-i cattle. nlnsi.si
With cowboys nnd hunted the Ids game
Of tho plains There. too. hs learned the
sarvcis Of the arid soil when }oincd to
the waters OF the mountain streams
Vast Arca. to Ils Reciaimed.
u was such experience. as these that
enabled him To link his name forever
With tho great Irrigation movement lie
thus was induced To put the presidential
shoulder against tho barred doors Of
arid America and do one OF the bisEs-s,
ShinkS since the sisnins OF our p--lara'
tion OF Independence. Perhaps few OF
o. havs more than y vague CONSCIOUSNESS.
OF the mighty issues involved In this act.
II adds at once I:5.OO.obD acres OF fer
tile soil 10 our agricultural aud hsrtieui.
turai area and op~ns up ono Of tic most
beautiful and promising sistAs ever per
ecived by tho hushsnim-n Of America.
- elsewhere. Il might b- said By earii'
srs that the reclamation Of these deserts
Was Inevitable. sometime. hut Il was by
no means inrsitsbic that they should hc
reclaimed by means OF public works. Hnd
chat the owncrship Of land and water
0ould be indIssaiuhiy unitrsi. Tho sr-ats
est thing President Roosevelt has don
h~rr was Ia write this flaming sentence:
-rEtvATE OWNERSHIP OF WAT
Eis. APART FROM LAND. CANNOT
PREVAIL WITHOUT CAUSING ES
DURING WRONG That was ano;h.
or Proclamation OF Emancipation. late
the great struggle between private greed
and public good came. at the rsJciislos
teal moment. the mighty words OF the
6rst Irrigation rrcsii-at-ani the battle
vas won.
Praise for the rrcsiieut.
William u. Smythc. author Of Con
guest Of Arid America q pioneer In the
irrigation movement. and now Demo
cratic politician Of San Dicso, California.
writing OF rrcsidcnt l;n"-crclts visit 4"
che West awhile aga. cxriaiinr,is -wrl
eptur. Thspibrc 1sopscvrltl Welcome
because you arc the Prrsidcnti Welcome
again. because ypu wrunT national irri'
Gation from an unwilling ConErcssl Aud
thrice welcome. because with q stroke Of
your pcu you slew the dragon OF water
moaopaiyi Much a. the men of to-day
appreciate the thing you did when op-
cortunity opened the door. II IL only the
mcn who are TO live. M the long genera
tiens shall unfold. who may know the
full Significance OF that great decd" !,
ts universally recognized. irrespective Of
politics. that the passage Of the national
Irrigation act by Congress. June. inIs,
could never have been accomplished " i
had not been for the fact that Mr.. ISosc
welt 40 s'rpnEiy rccptaricndci irrigation
legislation In his message p Congress
and put his personal shoaiicr 10 the
wheel TO help the friends of the hill
swinx the forces Into Hnc In It's favor.
When HE nf1ciii signature was duly
afixcj 10 tho measure, making Il the
law Of the lauj. the press from the At
taufic 60 the rlCiGc. from the lakes tn
thc Eulf. and irTcsaSCtive Of rclisioa or
politirs. sent IN ono hearty acclaim Of
'ucii doucT' Il was a sincere heart
tribute to the man. ~ his honesty. pat.
rivtisn. ssatcsmanstir. Americanisn
Maine vic,i with California. aud the Mis-
sissippi valley sail Amen The cuic-
gics, information. cyuiiAticus. predictions
and prophecies were elisyinI ari inspir-
iur. They emphasized the Monroe doc
trinc Of America for Americana" Tx.
tracts from many Of the papers publish.
cd In different parts Of the cnbntry-ap.
pcsring at the tme--aEe here reprc-
duccd:
President Rco.e~e't's Triumph.
As the first distinC,ivciy administration
measure to pass both houses OF Congress
during the present session the national
irrigation till Ia deserving Of cspcCia- at.
trntion at tie moment. Not that its spc-
cifc provisions or its passage prcscut
any thing new In matter that has long
been under pul,iic aud legislative discus
sion and consideration in this country.
but because irrigation legislation was one
Of the comparatively few things to which
President Roosevelt called tic especial
attention Of Congress In his first annual
message. and TO secure which lio has de
votcl his energies and Influence unccas-
ingiy for nearly seven months. His nP-
provai OF the bill by formally attaching
his signature TO il--whici; he will nat
unaiiy do with becoming promptncss-