Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-10-02

I
lions they represent or serve, achieve
the fullest measure of legitimate pros
perity, nevertheless as this country
grows / feel that We can not have too
many highroads, and that in addition
] TO the iron highroads of our railway
system We should also utilize the great
river highways which have been given
us by nature. From variety of causes
/ these highways have in many parts of
the country been almost abandoned.
| This is not healthy. Our people, and
especially the representatives of the
people in the national congress, should
give their most careful attention to
| this subject. We should be prepared
I 10 put the nation collectively back of
the movement to improve them for the
! nations use. Our knowledge at this
time is not such as to permit me to go
| into details, or TO say definitely just
! what the nation should do; but most
assuredly our great navigable rivers
| are national assets just as much as
our great seacoast harbors. Exactly
as it is for the interest of all the
country that our great harbors should
be fitted to receive in safety the larg-
l
the world. so by deepening and other
| wise cur rivers should be fitted "a
, bear their part in the movement of our
! merchandise: and this is especially
| true of the Mississippi and its tribu-
taries. which drain the immense and
prosperous region which makes in very
fact the heart of our nation; the basin
of the Great Lakes being already
-;,l, -
sippi, and both regions being identical
in their products and interests. Water
| ways are peculiarly fitted for the
transportation of the bulky commodi-
| ties whihc come from the soil or unde:
the soil; and no other part of our coun.
try is as fruitful as is this in such
commodities"
THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
Regarding his public land policy the
president spoke as follows:
II want to say just a word on
matter that concerns not the states of
the Mississippi valley itself, but the
states west of them, the states of the
Great Plains and the Rocky noun !
tains. Unfortunately, I am not able |
on this present trip to visit those |
states. or | should speak to their own |
people on the point to which l now
intend to allude: but after all any
thing that affects considerable num- !
Der OF Americans who live under one |
set of conditions. must be OF moment |
to all other Americans. for never for |
get. friends, that in the long run We |
shall all go up or go down together. |
THE states of the high plains and Of |
the mountains have a peculiar claim |
upon me, because for a number of |
years l lived and worked in them, and |
/ have that intimate knowledge of their |
people that comes under such condi- |
tons. In those states there is need !!
of modification of the land laws that !
have worked so well in the well-waterd |
fertile regions to the eastward, such |
as those in which you here dwell. The |
one object in all our land laws should I
always be to favor the actual settler. |
the actual home maker. who comes to !
dwell on the land and there to bring |
up his children to inherit il after him. /
The government should part with its |
title to the land only to the actual /
home-maker-not to the profit-maker. !
who does not care to make a home. |
The land should be sold outright only |
in quantities sufficient for decent |
homes-not in huge areas to be held |
for speculative purposes or used as |
ranches, where those who do the actual |
work are merely tenants or hired |
hands. No temporary prosperity OF |
any class of men could in the slight /
est degree atone for a failure on our
part to shape the laws so that they I
may work for the permanent good OF
the home-maker. This is fundamental,
gentlemen, and is simply carrying out
the idea upon which l dwell in speak
ing to you of your own farms here in
Iowa. Now in many states where the
rainfall is light it is a simple absurdity
to expect any man TO live. still less
to bring up a family, on one hundred
and sixty acres. Where we are able |
to introduce irrigation. the homestead
can be very much less in size-can, for
instance. be Of forty acres; and there
is nothing that congress has done dur
ing the past six years more important
than the enactment of the national
irrigation law"
There was considerable rainfall dur
ing the delivery of the speech, but the
president did not allow il to interfere ]
in any way. After he had concluded
he was presented with gold headed
cane by the negroes of Keokuk. The :
presentation speech was made by
negro plasterer who assured the pres
ident that the negro population of
Keokuk had every confidence in his
and of his determine
ton to treat the black race with fair
ness.
He grasped the speakers hand and
held it until he made a reply. saying |
that he accepted the present with