The Ordway new era., 1909-09-03

irrigation is OF value to the United
States in very many ways. but the
greatest of all Is this. that national
irrigation multiplies the men who own
the land from which they make their
living. The old saying. Who ever
heard OF man shouldering his gun
to fight for his boarding house, re-
fleets this great truth. that no man is SO
ready to defend his country. not only
with arms. but with his vote. and his
contribution to public opinion as the
man with a permanent stake in Il, as
the man who owns the land from
which he makes his living.
Our country began as a nation OF
farmers. During the periods that gave
It its character, when our independ-
ence was won and when our union
was preserved, We were preeminent-
ly a nation Of farmers. We can not,
and we ought not. TO continue exclu-
sively. or even chiefly. an agricultural
country. because one man can raise
food enough for many. But the farm.
er who owns his land is still the back
bone OF this nation: and one OF the
things we want most is more OF him.
The man on the farm is valuable
to the nation. like any other citizen.
Just in proportion to his intelligence.
character. ability. and patriotism, but
unlike the other citizens. also In pro-
portion to his attachment to the soil.
That is the principal spring OF his
steadiness. his sanity. his simplicity
and directness. and many OF his other
desirable qualities. He Is the first OF
home makers.
The nation that will lead the world
will be a nation of homes. The OBJ
ject of the great conservation move
ment Is just this. to make our country
a permanent and prosperous home for
ourselves and for our children, and for
our children's children. and 1t is
task that is worth the best thought
and effort of any and all Of us.
ITO achieve this or any other great
result, straight thinking and strong
action are necessary. and the straight
thinking comes first. To make this
country what we need to have 1t we
must think clearly and directly. about
our problems. and above all we must
understand what the real problems
are. The first thing we need in this
country, as President Roosevelt SO
well set forth in that great message
which told what he had been trying
to do for the American people, Is
equality Of opportunity for every citi-
zen. No man should have less, and
no man ought to ask for any more.
Equality of opportunity is the real OBJ
ject OF our laws and institutions.
Equality of opportunity. a square
deal for every man. the protection OF
the citizen against the great concen-
trations Of capital, the intelligent use
Of laws and institutions for the public
good. and the conservation OF our
natural resources, not for the trusts,
but for the people: these are real is
sues and real problems. Upon such
things as these the perpetuity of this
country as a nation Of homes really
depends. We are coming to see that
the simple things are the things to
work for. More than that, we are
coming to see that the plain American
citizen is the man to work for. The
imagination is staggered by the mag
nitude of the prize for which we work.
II we succeed, there will exist upon
this continent sane. strong people,
living through the centuries In a land
subdued and controlled for the service
of the people. its rightful masters,
owned by the many and not by the
few. II we fail, the great interests.
increasing their control of our natur.
al resources, will thereby control the
country more and more. and the rights
Of the people will fade into the priv
leges Of concentrated wealth.