Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-12-07
PREsipENT's MESSAGE.
{ Concluded from First Page.)

who live in the country; for the vital
line OF cleavage is the line which di-
yides the honest man who tries to do
well by his neighbor from the dishon-
est man who does Ill by his neighbor-
In other words. the standard we
should establish is the standard OF
conduct, not the standard OF occupa-
ton, of means, or of social position.
II is the mans moral quality. his at
titude toward the great questions
which concern all humanity. his clean
liness Of life, his power to do his duty
toward himself and others, which real
ly count; and II we substitute for the
standard OF personal Judgment which
treats each man according TO his mer-
Its, another standard In accordance
with which all men OF one class are
favored and all men of another class
discriminated against, we shall do ir-
reparable damage to the body polite
| believe that our people are TOO
sane, too self respecting, too ht Tor
self government, ever to adopt such
an attitude. This government Is not
and never shall he governed by piu
tocracy This government Is not and
never shall be governed by mob. 1t
shall continue to be In the iutufe
what II has been In the past, gov
ernment based on the theory that each
man, rich or poor. is to be treated sim
ply and solely on his worth as a man
that all his personal and property
rights are TO be safeguarded, and that
he is neither to wrong others nor 10
suffer wrong from others.
The noblest of hll forms Of govern
ment is selfgovernment; but 1t is also
the most difficult. We who possess
this priceless boon. and who desire 10
hand it on to our children and our
children's children, should ever bear
In mind the thought so finely express
ed by Burke; "Men are qualified foi
civil liberty in exact proportion to
their disposition to put moral chains
upon their own appetites; In proper
tion as they are disposed to listen tt
the counsels Of the wise and good II
preference to the flattery OF knaves
Society can net exist unless a con
trolling power upon win and appetite
be placed somewhere, and the less o
II there be within the more there mus
be without. 1t is ordained in the eter
nal constitution of things that men o
Incorporate minds can not be free
Their passions forge their letters"
The great insurance companies af
ford striking examples of corporation
whose business has extended so ia
beyond the jurisdiction of the state
which created them as TO preclude
strict enforcement of supervision an'
regulation by the parent states. II
my last annual message recommend
ed that the Congress carefully con
slider whether the power of the burea
OF corporations can not constitution
ally be extended to cover interstat
transactions in insurance"
Public Land Laws.
Once again call your attention t
the condition of the public land laws
Recent developments have given ne'
urgency to the need for such change
as will ft these laws to actual pre-,
ent conditions. The honest disposa
and right use of the remaining publ
lands Is OF fundamental Importance
The iniquitous methods by which tn
monopolizing OF the public lands
being brought about under the pres
ent laws are becoming more generall
known, but the existing laws do no
furnish effective remedies. The re
concentrations of the public land
commission upon this subject are wis
and should be given effect.
The creation OF small irrigate,
farms under the reclamation act Is
powerful offset 10 the tendency of Gel
tain other laws to foster or permit me
nopoly of the land. Under that ac
the construction Of great irrigation
works has been proceeding rapid.
and successfully, the lands reclaime,
are eagerly taken up, and the prospec
that the policy of national irrigation
will accomplish all that was expecte,
of 1t is bright. The act should b,
extended to include the state of Texas
The reclamation act derives mucl
OF Its value from the fact that 1t tend
to secure the greatest possible mum
Der OF homes on the land, and to ere
ate communities of freeholders, II
part by settlement on public land, IL
part by forcing the subdivision o
large private holdings before they cal
get water from government irrigation
works. The law requires that no righ
to the use of water for land in pr
yate ownership shall be sold for
tract exceeding 100 acres to any on,
land owner. This provision has excit
ed active and powerful hostility. bu
the success of the law itself depends
on the wise and firm enforcement o
1t. We can not AFFORD to substitut.
tenants for freeholders on the publ,
domain.
The greater part of the remainin,
public lands can not be irrigated. The,
are at present and will probably al
ways be OF greater value for grains
than for any other purpose. This fact
has led to the grazing homestead oi
$40 acres in Nebraska and to the pro
posed extension of 1t TO other states
II is argued that a family can not be