The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1916-12-16
LooTlNa THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

There are four measures nov pend
| Ing IN Congress that should he dc.
feated They are measures masquerade.
ina ~ conservation bills They con.
stitute the last great raid by she ex-
ploiters of the people Of the United
States upon what Ia left that is val
uabie of the public domain.
/ appeal to the President to prevent
the passage OF these bills,
The first bill is the Shields Water
Power niil Senate Bnl 1891 This
bill has passed the Senate II gives
away all the remaining water power
upon all the nayigable streams Of the
United States forever Il IL absolutely
indefensible II gives away water power
enough for the needs Of two hundred
millions of people more water power
several times more, than In nov in use
IN the United States. II Ii practically
a perpetual grant, although this bin
pretends that IL il a grant for fifty
years for the tlfty year limit is set
not upon the grant but upon the right
Of the united States OF other public
agency 20 condemn the property. and
II this bin becomes law, the remain.
ms water power Of the United States
il gone forever into The hands Of spec.
ulators. to be used to exploit the people
of this country
The second Is thu Myers Water
Power 1911 II 40s As this bill
passed the House of Representatives.
II was a very bad measure and utterly
indefenslble, but the Senate reported
substitute on March itth last, which
makes the Myers Bill one OF the most
infamous Of measures
The Myers bill gives away all the
water power on all the public domain
except national parks and military
reservations, and by It's terms, without
any reservation whatever. provides for
the unlimited exploitation OF the ma
tional forests and national monuments
and what liz left of the public domain
II makes the granting Of n lease man
datory. and provides for no rental until
the plant II In operation
II this second water power bill goes
through. a monopoly will be created Of
the water power OF the United States |
The owners can hold II forever, charge
what they please for tho use Of II, and
exploit the people
Great combinations have already ac
quIred the water power heretofore i'm
proved, aud combinations with capital !
as great az five billions Of dollars have
been organized which own the public |
utilities. such as electric light, street
railroads. and gas plants. II they can
corral all the remaining water power
of the United States, and tie 1t mp so
that no one else can improve it, they |
can charge what they please for that
which they have already improved.
The fact OF the matter II that this
water power should all be reserved by
the Government and should be ulti. |
mately conveyed 60 the States where IL
Ii located. never so be sold or leased |
bat 10 be improved by the States II |
should BIZ changed to the form of cleo
,ricity 10 be ueed for the benefit of the
whole people II Is power and heat for
every purpose II IL power and heat
20 run machinery and 10 warm our
homes.
The scientists nov declare that elee.
trtcity and light are known 20 travel At
the same speed of $4,000 miles per
second they both travel in unduIating
waves: they both originate and come
from the sun and are alike Really
they are one and the same thing b.
yond The earih's atmosphere, through
The hundred million Of miles of space
from the sun to the earth the rays Of
ltEhr pass without producing any heat
u hatNer u Is only when the rayt of
light strike the atmosphere of the
earth that hea' Is produced, and this
heat is in proportion TO the density Of
Tie atmosphere n Tact, II there yer"
no carbouie acid gas Ia the atmosphere,
| there would be- no heat upon the earth
and without beat there would be- no life
Nov. the water power which belongs
to the Government can be changed into
heat and light and supply those ueces
slties to the people If the United States
az almost no cost This power should
never Be- sold bur should be developed
BY the people for the public good
The third measure is the phelau 0il
Land Rtl The Government had re-
served a ftR hundred million dollars