Idaho Springs siftings., 1904-09-10

erDor OF New foFA lie HHee remarked 2
Il am Of the sixth generation born on
Manhattan Island. but | BELONG west
Of the Missouri river
This is key 10 the depth snd breadth
Of the President knowledge concerning
ell things pertaining - the nited staies
He is the frat President who ever re-id-
ID west Of tha Missouri river lie - the
hrst who ever perceived the inealculabis
Importance Of the arid west, sad he l.
chiefly responsible for the national irri
Cation act wh'ch Is to transform deserts
Into gardens Br chain Of eadless rev
enues derived from the sale Of public
lands In the arid States, each ard State
in turn Ia TO be reclaimed and populated
By independent. high minded, sslfsup-
porting citizens.
Roosevelt established himself Ia 1854.
on g ranch at the hesdwAier- os the Lit
tie Missouri riFer IN South Dakota He
Was thea only 20 years OF age. After
. residence there Of about tive years be
returned 10 New York. not only restored
In body. but different man mentally
and psyehicHlly- He had entered into the
spirit of the West % completely that De
was actually westernized. There the
mountains communicated 70 lin the
errt OF their strength aud he learned of
the benedictions Of the uucleaded sun.
lie made ranch. hertied cattle. mingled
with cowboys an1 huHtcd the bg game
Of the pisinz- There. too. be learned the
msr.eIs OF the arid soil " ben Joined 10
the waters Of the mountain streams
Vast A rea- to lie Reclaimed.
IL was such experiences as these that
shied him to link his aame forever
With the great irrigation movement, He
thus was induced 20 pli the presidential
shoulder against the barred doors uf
arid America and dp one Of the biggest
things since the signing ~ our Decinra-
tion OF Indcpcuiencr Perhaps few of
us have more than a vague CONSCIOUSNESS
OF the mighty issues involved ia this act
II adds at once 35.OpaOpo acre. OF fer
tile soil 20 our agricultural and hoEficui
turai area ard opens 80 one of the fnaai
beautiful and promising sistns ever per-
eeived by the hasbanhmeH Of America.
or elsewhere. IL might be said by eavil
ers that the reclamation u these deserts
was Inevitable sometime But il WIS hy
DO means inevitable that they shouid be
reclaimed by means of public works. auf
that the ownership Of iaHd and waier
would be iudissolably united. The gFeat
sst thing President Roosevelt has dunt
here was 10 write this flaming sentence=
"PEINATE OWNERSHIP OF WAT
Err. APART FROM LAND. CANNOT
PREVAIL WITHOUT CAUSING IN
DURING WRONG That was aHoth
sr Proela nation sf Emancipation. Int
the great struggle between private Ercesi
and public good came. AZ the p-ychplog
icsi moment. the mighty words af the
trst irrigation President and the BATHS
vas woa.
Praise for the President.
William f.. Smyihs. author OF Con
guest Of Arid America, pioneer in thu
Irrigation movement aud How peme
cratic politician Of San Diezo. California
writing OF President Roo~eyelt'- visit t.
the West awhile ago. exclaimed; .Wei=
come. Theodore Roosevelt. Welcome.
because you are the President, Welcome
again. because you wrunE national irC
cation from an UNIV iiling Congress- An3
thrice welcome, because with stroke at
your pea yoa siew the dragon OF water
monopoly Much a. the meu Of to-las
appreciate the thing yau did when op.
portnnity opened the door. it i only the
men who are to i've. a. the long genera
tions shall unfold. who may know ths
full significance of that great deed" II
Is universally recognized. irrespective Of
politics. that the passage OF the national
Irrigation act By Congfess. Jnne. i'-t2
could never have been accomplished n i
had not been for the fact that Mr.. Rooss-
welt so strongly recommended irrigation
legislation in his message 10 Congress
and put his personal shoulder 10 the
wheel to help the friends Of the hiii
swing the forces Into line ia its favor.
When his Official signature was duly
af1red 20 the measure. making il ths.
law of the land the press frem the AT
lantlc TO the Pacific. from the lakes ta
the gulf. and irrespective OF religion or
politics. seat up one hearty acclaim Of
"weii done.-' IL was n sincere heart
tribute TO the man. tn his. honesty. pat
rictisu. craftsmanship. Americanisn.
Maine vied with California. and the Mis-
sissippi valley SAIL "Amen.' The eulo-
gies. information. exuita tons. predictions
and prophecies were ,lisyiny and inspir-
Ing. They emphasized the Manro. doc
trine OF America for Americans" EN
tracts from many Of the papers pnhlish-
ed In ditferent parts OF the eouiitry-ap-
pcsring at the time-are here repro
daeed:
Pre.ident Roo,eveit'. Triumph.
As the first distinctiveiy administration
measure to pass both houses of Congress
during the present session the national
Irrigation bill is deserving OF especial At
teution at the moment. Not that its spe-
ciGc provisions or its passage present
anything new in a matter titat has long
been under public and legislative discus-
sion aud consideration in this country,
but because irrigation legislation was one
Of the comparatively few thiaEs to which
~ - AZ. 4 -
attention OF Congress in his FIRST annual
message. aid to secure which he has de
voted his energies and influence unecas-
ingly for nearly seven months His ap
proval OF the bill by formally attaching
Ma aieuaturc tn it--vhiei. he will nat