Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-09-09
Cameron the RniIder


ore within the canyons recesses nearly
four decades ago, packed this to the
railroad hundred miles distant. es-
tablished stage lines, mail routes, and
II was the energizing force that built tho
first railroad. And when the Grand
canyon district became well people1
he maintained law and order. To this
day Cameron and courage are synony-
nous terms in the canyon realm.
A Tribute
desire at this point to offer my per
sonal tribute to the rare and delightful
personality of Ralph Cameron.
He seems to embody the magnitude,
the rugged strength the colorfui
warmth the ingratiating charm and
the alluring attractive heart appeal
which besets one when within the mag
fical and devotional canyon area. His
being had undeniably been charged
with these rare qualities through
years of intimate association with this
marvellous work of nature
He truly embodies soul, heart, mind.
and visional qualities that could -4enly
have become his through lifetime
contact with this wondrons shrine The
| AAtSA = - S~AS VI SOiIldCl a nave with
Ralph Cameron, the more certain am
thatghe embodies the unexcelled quail
tiles essential for an Arizona senator to
possess.
Predatory Interest Attack
lsS Cameron was early attacked by pre-
datory interests who desired the
valuable equities this pioneer hal
laboriously garnered midst the hard :
ships, trials and dangers of these
early days. These selfish interests
have continued their malicious at
tacks to this day, Joined from time
to time by new forces, all united
Sinking, hyena like pack to des-
troy this pioneer and devour his
hard-earned rights.
The fight made by Ralph Cameron
in defense Of his pioneering equities
was so outstanding, courageous and
brilliant. that the citizens Of the
Territory of Arizona elected him defe-
gate in congress in 1908, believing
that 50 resourceful man was the
only Arizonian to lift them from
territorial bondage to the status of
an independent state.
Got Arizona statehood
Delegate Cameron, with his char
lacteristic energy and matchless abil.
ity, had Arizona within the circle OF
states in less than three years. This
was accomplished despite the con-
tinuous harping criticism of dis>
gruntled politicians who boldly and
repeatedly stated he would not and
could not secure statehood. Gamer
on's predecessor had fought unavail-
ingly for 80 years to secure state
hood This extraordinary speed of 20
years ago is still being maintained
by Cameron, as his present record
we'll shows. Arizona's citizenship can
afford to relinquish the services Of
SO valuable a servant
To my mind, one of the outstand-
ing constructive and singularly bril-.
liant proposals of statesmanship ad-
vanced by Ralph Cameron during his
term as delegate was the one in
connection with Colorado river devei,
opment.
Conceived Colorado Developments.
Cameron, with rare vision in the
early part of 1911, based on 80
years of past experience with this
mighty wonder of nature, initiated
and widely promulgated a most rigid
and an all-embracing constructive
plan to convert the potential resour-
ces of water and power and real
contiguity to the mighty Colorado
into definite economic utilization for
Arizona of the present and of the
years to come.
This plan was fundamentally
sound in 1911, today, and will ever
so remain as long as the delta
lands remain above the sea and rain
falls within the Colorado river drain
age basin.
It is undeniably the only possible
plan of maximum efficiency, for the
waters will be used the most
fertile and productive tropical lano
available; likewise these waters wiz
generate the maximum of power, due ,
to the minimum altitude of the land
to be irrigated.
The Plan
Delegate Cameron desired, first, TO
acquire from Mexico any right they /
might claim as to any of the flow
waters of the Colorado under the
provisions of the Guadlupe- -Hidalgo
treaty; second, to acquire the delta
lands of the Colorado riveE lying
within Mexico; third, after securing
full title to the waters and these
lands, to forthwith build impoundlns
reservoirs to irrigate the lands, also
generate electric power for local in
dustrial purposes.
1t will be stated now that Ralph .
Cameron and I outlined the fore
going plan and the ones to follow
more than SO speeches
throughout the length and breadth of
Arizona during the fall of 1911; hence