The Delta independent., 1924-01-04
POLICIES DE-
VELOPED GREAT WESTERN
SECTION OF COUNTRY
(By John T. Adams, Chairman Re

/ y tSil lllt btlHObl patty eleCleu Il
President only twice-in 1884 and in
1892. During this period it was in
complete control of the Legislative and
executive branches of the government
only two years.
1t was during this half century that
the section of the United States lying
between the Missouri river and the
Pacific coast was developed During
this period all of the states embraced
in that territory were admitted into
the Union.
1t is not an exaggeration, therefore,
to state that the development of that
section of the United States not only
took place during Republican admins
trations, but was made possible by
Republican policies. A review of the
work Of the Republican party during
that half century confirms this state
ment.
| In 1862 during the administration OF
Abraham Lincoln, the Republican par
ty enacted the first homestead act.
Following the Civil war, as a measure
| of reward to the soldiers who had
fought for the Union, supplementary
homestead legislation was enacted
which resulted in the settlement OF
the great western section of the Uni
ted States by American citizens.
In 1854 the Republican national
platform declared in favor of the
construction OF traRgcontinental rail-
roads, and during the decade which
followed more than $4,000 miles Of
railroads were constructed to de,
velop the country lying west of the
Mississippi river.
The 20-year period following the
Civil war was the period during which
under such legislation as the home
stead laws and because of railroad
construction the West was settled
and its fertile soil and inexhaustible
resources became known to the
country, which in turn attracted still
greater tides of American migration
to that section.
1t was the Republican party which
first went on record in 1884 in favor
of legislation that would protect and
develop the western sheep industry.
1t was under the Republican party
that the sugar beet industry was es-
tabfished and it's development guar
anteed by Republican policies.
The Republican party created the
Bureau Of Mines and Mining, which
has meant so much to that industry
in the mountain states.
AS early as 1892, the Republican
party, in its national platform,
pledged itself to the development OF
arid lands. This policy reached its
consummation under the administra-
tion of President Roosevelt, when
the policy of irrigation and reclama-
tion became a fixed policy of the
United States-so sensible, so eco
nomic, and so necessary to the de
velopment Of western sections that
even the Democratic party when It
came into power did not dare repeal
or cripple the laws.
Under the Republican party laws
were enacted protecting public lands
and securing to the cattle and sheen
interests grazing rights thereon at
nominal fee. This policy is of in
calcuable value to the livestock in
dustry OF the West.
The forestry service, the develop
ment OF mineral and oil reserves, the
establishment OF rural free delivery,
the participation OF the federal gov
ernment in the Improvement of pub
lie highways, all played a very i'm
portant part in the development of
the West All had their origin under
Republican administrations All go
down in history as Republican poll
cies.
Throughout this half century the
Republican party rendered invaluable
assistance not only to the material
| development of the western and
mountain states, but 1t rendered even
greater aid in their intellectual and
social development. Throughout this
period the party took an advanced
stand In the matter of giving liberal
support to free schools and home rule
for the territories before they were
admitted into statehood.
The Republican party enacted the
Chinese exclusion act, which saved
the western states from flood OF un-
desirable immigration and left their
resources to be developed and their
land to be occupied by American citi-
zens.
1t was in the Republican states Of
this section of the country that the
women were first granted suffrage
Wyoming led the list in 1863, with
Colorado second, Utah third, and II
other states of that section OF the
country following before 1914. Re
publican party took cognizance OF