The river press., 1904-10-19

When President Roosevelt said. II
BELONG WEST OF THE MISSOURI
RIVER" he spoke from his heart It.
was not that he loved the east less,
but the west more.
He felt that, in certain way. the
country at large did not properly appre-
miate this crude, big brother. whose
wonderful development and accomplish
lneilts are destined to bring the greatest
fame and riches to the family-the Ma
ton. He got acquainted with this big
brother and found out that he was worth
winning and saving. He started out ar
once upon his patriotic and phlanthropic
uiissiOn. @s''
Mr.. Roosevelt firmly believes there is
nothing too good for the west. He has
Iint that section next to its immeasnr-
able future, by the National Irrigation
Act; which, it is universally admitted,
could not have become a law without
his urgent personal influence in the
House, any more than without his sig
nature as President Then, there as his
open Door, policy in China, and the
Panama Canal, assured as a permanent
highway to the worlds commerce. These
measures are vitally associated with the
west.
knows and Loves the West.
No other President has ever spoken at
such length or so explicitly on the sub
ject Of irrigation. 1t is equally true that
ilo other President ever had 50 wide an
acquaintance with the subject as Mr..
Roosevelt possesses. He is, as it We're,
an adopted child of the west and knows
its wants and sympathizes with them
The proposed reservoirs in connection
with the reclamation service will hus-
band for the great empire beyond the
Mississippi the waters necessary to add
the desert rea lies there to hahitations
and productivity. Tins will insure the
enduring qualities of his fame. His
knowledge of the west shines through
all his utterances. He holds that irri-
CATION is the coming necessity, and that
by it our natural resources can be un-
covered to degree undreamed Of and
our population and industry more than
doubled within our continental limits.
His work here will mark the special
achievement Of his administration. and
his irrigation proclamation will 90 down
ih history as one of OF the greatest acts
Of any President.
POCency or NATIONAL ACT.
The National Irrigation Act is gauged
on an honest, intelligent, extensive plan,
well considered, and will he wisely car
ried out. By it we will be able rs n
alation to add to all former triumphs of
this Republic new illustrations of our
power to do things. BY a system of
judicious forestry almost The entire area
can be re-forested, in hundred years.
The climate could be changed aud i'm
proved. We couid give an impetus to
every kind Of trade. which. with our
new advantages in THE Orient. would
more than double the volume of our
present commercial traffic. In this area
dt intense agricultural and horticultural
development wall he created field for
the exercise OF every kind of skill and
every attainment of hallhcraft. Here
many of the vexed social and economic
questions are destined to be settled. In
giving to the Nation race of land
owners, 4 race of men and women will
be insured who, by interest, instinct and
choice, will be patriots.
Innate Heme-Owninx Desire.
There is an innate desire in the heart
Of the Anglo-Saxon American to own
home. There is an inherent yearniny
OF the common people, apparent on every
page Of history, to own in fee simple
some portion OF the earth. The desire
is still as keen as it ever was. OF all
OF our wealth producing class, the farm
er needs home most He must have
land, he should by all means own it.
His farm need not be so large as some
suppose, but it should belong to the
farmer, not to some one else. This is
not only self-evident because OF the ad-
yantaEcs to the farmer, hut because OF
its advantages to the Nation at large.
It is the cornerstone Of our National
life; it lies at the root of all true pa
triotism and all social improvement and
content.
Give man home upon the soil and
you have made him patriot who will
defend your institutions at the ballot
box or on the battle field. Open the
doors of this great arid west. with the
key of National Irrigation. and you need
not worry about the future. Let the
people have easy access to the land and
most of our other troubles will settle
themselves. The property owner is Il
conservative man who loves his family
and his country Let the property own
ers, be as numerous AS possible.
Hope for Honest Toll.
The National Irrigation Act passed
by Republican Congress at Mr. Roose-
velt's earnest request and as result
Of his personal efforts, has already be-
gun it's work OF neasureless good to
American citizenship. 1t is placing
within the reach of the andleSs man
our manless land. 1t is to speak with
a voice that cannot be misunderstood
BY combining the two powerful factors
Of irrigation and reclamation, in it's up
building work Of the Nation. it's mis-
sion will be well night irresistible. 1t
will lift from the pathway OF the bread
winner the dead weight of poverty and
congestion which has obstructed our ma
tional progress, created internecine strug-
giles between capital and labor and
threatened to shipwreck our future pros
perity.
Expansive Arena of Action.