Salt Lake Tribune | 1905-08-26 | Page 4 | Suffered a Relapse

SUFFERED A RELAPSE. The dispatch of Wednesday last, which told of the lack of Interest in the Irrigation Congress, was made plain by tho final report of the proceedings of that body on Thursday. It appears that one sot of cranks was barred out, and Its propositions smashed, while another set captured the body. We commented favorably on tho snuffing out of tho Smytho crowd, In tho hope that saner counsels were to rule. But It appears that It was merely crank ngalnst crank, and tho victors are no better than tho defeated. It looks as If the Congress had outlived Its usefulness. The absurd endorsement of tho Idea "to extend the operations of the Irrigation Irriga-tion law to Texas should have asked also Its extension to Mexico to be consistent; con-sistent; the Nation has as much Interest Inter-est in the public lands of the one as of the otherf There Is no reason, either, why the question of Statehood, joint or separate, for Arizona, Now Mexico, Oklahoma, and Indian Territory should have been taken up, much less passed upon. The futile and no doubt capltal-Istlcally capltal-Istlcally swayed declaration that tho Government should allow private reclamation recla-mation projects is nonsense, for the Government does not Interfere with any such; but of course it gives Its town public reclamation plans tho priority, and whatever Interferes with them must give way. If the declaration against "further concessions to tropical islands" In tho sugar supply means foreign islands, it Is well enough, under tho system of protection; but no such concessions are In the least likely, so that the declaration, declara-tion, In this view of it, 1b mere empty wind; but If it means no more concessions conces-sions to American possessions, it Is a reactionary declaration that the American Amer-ican people will not uphold. The disapproval by the congress of the effort to force It Into an expression of opinion on tho Immigration "question showed a streak of good sense. It Is a pity that the idea could not be incorporated incor-porated In tho constitution of the congress, con-gress, and broadened so that It would act as an cstoppal upon the Introduction Introduc-tion of resolutions, or action upon propositions outside tho especial function func-tion of the Irrigation problems that the arid region presents; then this Irrigation Irriga-tion Congress might regain Its proper dignity and win the respect which Its erratic course has forfeited in the public pub-lic mind. '