Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-10-09

81. LOUIS OCI. o. rlOm SESAs
standpoint it is desirable for the ma
ton to join in improving the greatest
system of river highways within its
borders, system second only in
Importance to the highway afforded
by the great lakes; the highways of
the Mississippi and its great triutar
les, such as the Missouri and Ohio.
This river system traverses too many
states to render it possible to leave
merely to the state the task of fitting
it for the greatest use of which it is
capable. 1t is emphatica.ly national
task, for this great river system is
itself one of our chief national assets.
Within the last few years there has
been an awakening in this country to
the need of both the conservation and
the development of our national re-
sources under The supervision of and
by the aid of the federal government
This is especially true of all that con-
cerns our running waters. On the
mountains from which the. springs
serve the forests which regulate the
water supply and prevent too startl-
ing variations between droughts and
freshets Below the mountains, in the
high dry regions of the western
plains, we endeavor to secure the
proper utilization of the waters for
irrigation. This is at the sources of
the streams. Farther down, where
they become lavigable, our aim must
be to try to develop policy which
shall secure the utmost advantage
from the navigable waters. Finally,
on the lower courses of the Mississ-
ippi, the nation should do its full
share in the work &C levee building;
and, incidentally to its purpose of
serving navigation, this will also pre-
vent the ruin of alluvial bottoms by
floods. Our knowledge is not suf1c-
iently far advanced to enable me to
speak definitely as to the plans which
should be adopted; but let me say
one word of warning: The danger of
entering on any such scheme lies in
the adoption of impossible and unde-
sidable plans the adoption of
which means an outlay of money ex-
travagant beyond all proportion to the
return. or which, though feasible,
are not, relatively to other plans, of
an Importance which warrant their
adoption. It will not be easy to Sc
cure Tie assent of a fundamentally
cautious people like our own to the
adoption of such policy as that
hope to see adopted; and even if we
begin to follow out such a policy it
certainly will not be perseyered in if
it is found to entail reckless extrava
gance or to be tainted with jobbery.
The interests of the nation as a whole
must be always the first considera-
ton"
President Roosevelt committed him
self to the policy of improvement of
the waterways of the Mississippi
river. He had no outline of his pur-
poses but to the general proposition
he gave hearty approval in his adj
dres here yesterday.
This is properly a national move
ment," said the president, because
all interstate and foreign commerce,
anu the improvements and methods
of carrying it on. are subjects for ma
tional action. Moreover, while of
course the matter OF the improvement
of the Mississippi river and its tribu-
taries is one which especially con-
Germs the great middle portion of our
country, the region between the Allie
ghenies and the Rockies, yet it is of
concern to the rest of the country
also, for it can not to often be said
that whatever is really beneficial to
one part of our country is ultimately
of benefit to the whole. Exactly as it
is a good thing for the interior of
our countryth that the seaports on
the Atlantic and the Pacific and the
gulf should be safe and commodious,
so it is to the interest of the jewellers
on the coast that the il serior should
possess ample facilities for the trans
portation of its products. Our inter-
ests are all closely interviewer, and
in the long run 1t will be found that
we go up or go down together"
The president urged the Importance
of the navy and its maintenance and
said that unless we are willing to
abandon our insistence upon the Mon
roe doctrine we must maintain
great fighting navy.
Our navy" he said, lis already so
efficient as to be a matter of just
pride to every American. So 4ong as
our navy is no larger than a. present,
it must be considered as an elemen-
tary principle that the bulk of our bat
tie fleet must always be kept together.
When the Panama canal is built it
can be transferred without difficulty
from one part of our coast to the
other; but even before that canal is
built il ought to be thus transferred
to and fro from time to time. In
couple of months our fleet Of great
1rmored ships starts for the Pacific.
California, oregon, and Washington
have a coast line which is our coast
line just as emphatically as the coast
line of New York and Maine, Of
Louisiana and Texas. Our feet is
going to its home waters In the Pa
cific, and after a stay there 1t will re-