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

they were all referred considered all
and retained what was deemed feas-
IDLE in each and rejected what was
deemed unwlse. They strengthened
the weak places, and under the advice
of the president. addead new and ini-
portant features, and then submitted
the result of their deliberations To
the congress.
Senator Newlands' bill vas defec
tive in many respects. This | doubt
not he will admit as promptly as any
one. | do not understand that the
distinguished senator claims o
than that he was of the number who
helped grind out a bill in harmony
with the presidents wishes. For in
stance. his bill expressly provided for
the sale of water for land in private
ownership. and it did not require the
owner to be a resident of the state
even. In other words. the Newlands
bill, by some oversight, failed 10 pro
tect against nonresident spectators,
through friends and relatives, monop.
olizing practically the entire benefits
to be derived from the government ex'
penditure. The bill as passed express
~ forbids the sale of water for land
in private ownership unless such
owner be an actual bona fide resident
of said land or occupant thereof resid-
ing the neighborhOod of said land,
and in no such case can water be sold
for more than 100 acres to any n
person. Under the bill as passed,
spectators owning large tracts of
land can not divide their holdings
among nonresident friends and have
il reconyeyed after title to water has
been acquired. To whom is credit due
for this wise restriction? Most as
suredly to the president, for he per
sonally examined every bill; he on
suited freely with members of the
committee. and insisted that this pro.
vision safeguarding the individual DC.
cupier of the land TO be benefited
should be incorporated in the bill.
This ultimatum was along the line so
tersely expressed in his subsequent
message. Listen:
80 far as they are available FOR
agriculture. and to whatever extent
| lita ma Dt lttldlllith IlItl AHt Ia
tional irrigation law. the remaining
public lands should be neld rigidly for
the home builder, the settler who lives
on his land, and for no che else
Theodore Roosevelt may not have
been the first, nor is he the only
person To demand that the public
lands shall be reserved to the home.
builder and the land occupier, but he
is entitled to great credit and fore.
sight for the incorporation OF that
idea into the irrigation law.
The claim made by the Democratic
national committee as respects the a.
rigation issue is briefly presented in
the following proposition: Shall tn
people who have been and are to be
benefited by the irrigation law, vote
for Judge Parker because Senator New.
lands drafted a bill in many respects
good, but which could not and did not
pass, and if it had passed as prepar,
ed, must have been vetoed, or shall
they vote for Theodore Roosevelt in
recognition of his fearless statesman.
ship in espousing the cause of irriga.
ton and of his foresight In insisting
that the bill should contain provisions
which will bring to the arid states an
actual occupler. and therefore. a resi-
dent family upon each and every lG0
acres or less of land reclaimed?
1t is at this very point in the al
ministration of Theodore Roosevelt
where his opponents propose to make
the bloody angle OF opposition. They
claim he violates the constitution by
influencing legislation. If il be a VIC
lation of the constitution for the chief
executive 10 clearly and firmly define
what safeguards to The individual cit,
izen must be Incorporated in legisla.
ton in order 10 ecure his signature
then as respects irrigation it must be-
admitted that legislative preTOgatiyes
have been violated. He did salCruu
the individual.
This issue may cost Mr. Roosevelt
the votes of a few wealthy /. . N who
have made or who have hoped Ia
make much money out of lands they
do not occupy or improve. but it ought
not TO cost him any votes within the
state TO develop and populate which
he took the risk with full knowledge
OF conditions and of possible results
DO not misunderstood me. Theodore
Roosevelt did not render the arid
states this great service for the pur.
pose OF securing their electoral votes.
II 1t shall eve be your privilege to
know the mar Roosevelt as | know
him, you will understand that the mo
tives by which he is controlled are
neither selfish nor sordid. Theodore
Roosevelt does what he thinks will
forward the interests of the American
people as a whole, and at the same
time protect the rights of the individ.
ual, and having done MS duty he
leaves results to an intelligent con
stituency, who. In rewarding courage
and craftsmanship, also their
own best interests.
And now a word with reference to
comparative craftsmanship. our Dem,
ocratic friends can always be relied
upon TO ole for the establishment
Of industries in which their immediate
constituents are interested. For in.
stance. they will always vote an ap,
preparation for the Improvement OF
rivers and harbors. il a gOodly shore
is to be expended in their immediate
locality. They will usually vote an
appropriation for public buildings, II
a goodly number are 10 be located
within their respective districts. But
II any of you gentlemen ever observe
the Democratic party as a party vot
ing for the development of a nation
al industry. make note Of IL. for you
need not expect such a delightful spec
tacle oftener than once in a life time
Not until the Democratic representa-
tives of arid states go on record in
favor of some plan or policy, | care
not what il is, for the creation OF q
merchant marine. or for the develop
ment OF some new manufacturing in
dustry. can their craftsmanship be
compared with Republican policies
which have baen ~pSnonsihle for ON