Fergus County Democrat., 1910-07-26
PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW.


Butte Miner: Although continually
invited to do so, the Helena Record,
Great Falls Leader and other men,
bers of the republican press of Mon
tana have not had the courage to
come out boldly in support of the
different positions taken upon the If
rigation bill by Senator Dixon and
Carter.
1t is impossible that both these
gentlemen can be right for they took
exactly contrary stands.
The junior senator Of this state
made a most stirring address in de-
nouncing this measure which the
senior senator stood as sponsor for
Senator Dixon declared:
Mr.. President, it is my firm belief
that the west will i'll the end be better
off without the $2O,OOO,OOO, with army
engineers to boss the job, than with
the present bill, as it now stands
under the conference report. | think
nearly every senator from the west
down deep in his heart really feels
the same way and is imbued with the
same spirit in which | now express
myself.
A simple question should be en-
titled to straight forward answer,
and the Miner will ask the Helena
Record and Great Falls Leader and
the other republican newspapers of
the state, whether they are with Mr..
Dixon or against him in the position
he assumed concerning this bilo
Are these republican organs in
agreement with Senator Flint of Cali
fornia, who declared upon the floor
of the senate: Il do not care to
make any remarks in reference to this
bill, but | do want to place in the
Record my concurrence in the re-
marks of the senator from Montana" !"
Senator Newlands, Of Nevada, who
is the father Of federal reclamation,
having drawn and introduced the bill
which is now law upon this subject,
expressed himself as in accord with
Mr.. Dixon's views, saying in part:
| deprecate this movement, there
fore, as tending to cast an unde-
served stigma and reflection upon the
great profession of civil engineering
1T IS movement to substitute an
army engineer for the present di-
rector of the republican service, a
graduate of the great Massachusetts,
Institute of Technology, who en-
tered as young man upon this in-
portant work with enthusiasm and
energy, who has dedicated his entire
life to it and who has prosecuted it
to the satisfaction of all the west. |
was a member of the senate organiza-
ton committee that made a tour OF
the works last summer | was not
able to join them till late | met
them at Cheyenne and was very eager
to hear what they had to say with
reference to the works. | recall their
enthusiastic commentator. | recall
the declaration of the senator from
Montana (Mr Carter) that the work
was wonderful work. I recall the
declaration of the senator from Wyo
ming (Mr Warren) that since tha,
trip Mr.. Newell has grown mile
higher and mile wider in the es
innate of the committee
Yet Mr.. Carter, who was SO favor
ably impressed with the work OF Di
rector Newell of the reclamation ser
vice less than a year ago, last Jun,
by the means Of his irrigation meas
ure, took the direction of this worl
OF irrigation away from the reclama
ton service and turned it over to tn
United States army
Do the republican newspapers il
Montana support Senator Carter ii
this scheme, or do they stand wit
Mr.. Dixon in denouncino it.
III hey must have opinions upon thi
vital subject, and certainly the
should not be so craven and coward
ly as not to express them.
On the face of the matter. Senate
|, Dixon appears to have all the bette
! OF the argument, but this may onl
} be because Mr. Carter's defense c
his action has not been presented t
the public