Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-10-05

IRRIGATION
Not Until the President Demanded
Enactment Of Irrigation Law Was
Real Progress Made.
HE COMPLETED WORK OF YEARS
Act Most Beneficial to the West the
Work of Republican Congress and
Republican President.

Secretary Shaw, in his recent
speech at Denver, said:
1 recently examined a publication
prepared by William E. Smythe and
supposed to have been sent out by
the Democratic national committee, en-.
titled, (Which is the Party of Irriga-
tion?"
The document is a labored argu-
ment to show that Senator Newlands,
of Nevada, drafted the irrigation bill
which was ultimately passed by a Re-
publican house, a Republican senate,
and signed by a Republican president.
One can but admire the boldness OF
the minority party in thus claiming
credit for legislation enacted by the
majority in strictest harmony with
recommendations of the president.
The conclusion reached is equally re.
freshing. The Democratic national
Committee evidently takes the posi-.
tion that if any provision of the New
lands bill as drafted was ultimately
enacted into law, then of course the
electors Of the arid states should vote
against Theodore Roosevelt. In this
they do no violence to their reputation
for subtle logic. But as this is the
only claim which u Democratic
friends make for responsibility for any
affirmative and progressive legisla-
tion, it may not be out Of place TO
examine their title.
The entire delegation from the arid
states, regardless of party, has favor
ed irrigation for more than a decade,
and many bills have been introduced
providing for large appropriations for
the reclamation of arid lands. | would
not rob these gentlemen Of any of
the credit to which they are entitled
for protecting the interests of their
immediate constituents, but | can not
forget that il any n of these hon.
ored representatives had failed TO do
his utmost for irrigation he would
have been retired to private life.
After ten years of this non-partisan
effort by the representatives of arid
states, they were no nearer success
than when they begas. Here and
there in other states there was found
n nominal friend. but no influential
congressman or senator from a humid
state was willing TO risk his political
fortunes by an aggressive esposual OF
irrigation. On the contrary. there
were maryland they were not con
fined to any one political party-who
looked upon irrigation as of doubtful
craftsmanship and some openly de-
clared against the use vf public rev
enues in developing western competi.
ton In agriculture.
While both political parties in their
national conventions declared In favor
of adequate national legislation to re,
claim arid lands, there was wanting
an advocate against whom the charge
could not be made that his enthusiasm
was controlled by local interests. vii
liam Jennings Bryan. in a speech de
livered some years ago at my home
said he once witnessed a contest with
reference to allowing stock to run al
large within the city limits. A board
of aldermen was elected upon that is
sue and the campaign became heat
ed. He said that for some time be-
fore election If you saw a group OF
men talking, you would know what
they were talking about. and IL you
listened you could tell who owned
the COW. Prior to December. 1901,
when you heard a group of congress.
men talking about irrigation, il you
listened you could tell who represent,
ed arid states. But when President
Roosevelt submitted his message tu
congress in December of that year
conditions changed. In the course OF
a lengthy discussion of the subject he
said:
1T is as right for the national gov.
eminent to make the streams and riv.
ers of the arid region useful by en-.
cheering works for water storage as
TO make useful the rivers and harboTs
of the humid region by engineering
works of another kind. The storing
of the floods in reservoirs at the head
waters of our rivers is but an enlarge.
ment of our present policy of river
control, under which levees are built
on the lower reaches of the same
streams"
This has the ring Of Republican.
ism. The Republican party has fos'
tered every industry wherever prac.
ticable. II fostered transcOntinental
lines of railroad and thereby develop
ed the agricultural resources of the
western states: the mineral resources
of the mountain states and the COM
mercial interests of every state and
territory west of the Missouri river,
And the development of these indus
tries Injured to the corresponding ad'
vantage of every city and hamlet be
tween the seas. The Republican
party, against persistent Democratic
opposition. has fostered every mani
featuring industry in this country
There would not be a wooden mill Oh
a silk factory. a rolling mill, or q
glass factory. in the United States
this day but for the Republican policy
of fostering American industries wher
ever American industries are practi
cable. repeat that the presidents
message of December, 1901. as applied
to irrigation, has the ring Of Republi
canism.
And that is not all. That message
gives Theodore Roosevelt the distinc'
ton of being the first to risk his
own political fortunes by espousine
the cause of irrigation. 1t gives him
the distinction of being the first
American in high elective office to
combat the somewhat narrow sentr
ment against the loan even Of public
revenues for the reclamation of arid
lands and thus bringing them into
competition with humid lands. II
must also be conceded. | think. that
Theodore Roosevelt was extremely for
tunate In making his recommendation
at the exact moment when sentiment
L. Ir-.Lal CInton rnrnnnIinn irri