The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-09-02
REPUBuCANlSM FATHER or nOMESTEAOS
Grand Old Party's Record as a Home Builder
Extent Of the Arid Regions
and Their Enormous
Possibilities.

easily be made to sustain a population
equal to that of the United States at
present.
The present President, and the next
President of the United States-Theo-
dore Roosevelt-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 pregnant 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
lions 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 qualification, laughing, to
the sea.
Presidents Message t. Congress-.
Indeed the efforts of those interested
in the west may be said to have 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
us follows:
1.-THE forests are natural reservoirs.
By restraining the streams In food 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 filing up with silt. Forest
conservation is therefore an essential
of water conservation.
"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 ~conclusively
shown to be an undertaking too vast for
private effort. Nor can 1t be best ac-
by the individual States act
alone. Farreaching interstate prob
lens are involved, and the resources of
States would often be inadequate.
1t ia properly a national function, at
least in some Of its features. 1t is as
right for the National Government to
the streams and rivers Of the arid
useful by engineering works for
storage as to make useful the riv-
ers and hafbors Of the humid region by
works Of another kind. The
Of the foods in reservoirs at the
Of u 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 us 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
the same course under the same laws as
the natural flow.
'"The reclamation Of the unsettled arid
public lands presents a different prob
lem. Here 1t is not enough to regulate
the flow Of streams. The object Of the
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
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 bs
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
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 as will enable the people in the To-
cal communities to help themselves and
as will stimulate needed reforms in the
State laws and regulations governing IT,
.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
manufactured articles will stimulate in
dustrial production, while wider home
markets and the trade Of Asia will con-
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 at
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