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Show I HOW DEMOCRATS DO THWB8 H Dreamed They Fathered National Irrigation, but H Facts Show It Was Only a Dream. I - TRUE HISTORY OF REPUBLICAN MEASURE H Federal Aid to Irrigation Originated with a H Republican Administration Fifteen H Years Ago Roosevelt's Per- M sonal Triumph. H The Democratic party would hare the H uninitiated believe that It li responsible H (or all good thltifct. Where It could nut H k? successfully contradicted within n B flven time, it would nut hesltato to B claim the credit for the Decalogue, the H Christian era, the discovery of Ainerlcn, the Declaration of Independence, the nil- H ministrations of Washington and IJn- H cola, the construction of the Panama H canal, or, In fact, any old thins. H The Democratic press now has the H hardihood to openly nssert that the party H of negation and calamity Is resonslblo B for the National Irrigation Act. In J keeping with the traditional revelation H at Its notorious "hindsight" It has ills- H covered that this same National Irrlga- Hon Act of President Uoosevclt's la cnl- B culated to add a new Industrial empire H to the United Stales. It would fain five H thli the "mo-too" accent, hut It Is too H Ute. What are the recorded facta? Let History H The first moTe on the part of the fed- H tral government to reclaim the arid West fl began as far hack as 1889, under Presi- H dent Harrison' Republican ndmlnlstra- H tlon, when a hill was passed by Congress H authorising an Investigation of this sub- H ict with a view of ascertaining to what H -extent the arid regions of the United H 'States can he benefited by Irrigation. H This bill Appropriated $100,000 for topo- H graphical surveys for the fiscal year end- H IngtJune 30. 4880. The money was to H be used under the direction of Major H Towell, the then head of the geological aurrey. H The work was placed under the super- B vision of the Secretary of the Interior, m. and Major Powell was directed to make til report as early as possible. Upon fl Ids report and the recommendations of HI I the Secretary of the Interior, the $100,- HHH 000 was HUppleniented by nil additional HHH ' appropriation or $250,000 by the passage HHH of an act for the further investigation HHH of the arid regions. A committee of HHH-y Senators was appointed to visit the arid HHH, regions of the different Western States HBH 1 and territories, during the summer of W- 1890. It completed Its work of invest)- Hk cation snd made lbs report after having Jm.4 traveled 12,000 miles and baring beeu on Banp- the road fifty days, t Itepiihtlcnn Lend th Way. HHBI, The Itppubllciiu uatlonal convention H licld in 1'liil.tdi-lphla In June, WOO. rc- B- j fcrrcd to Irrigation in the national plat- HBH I form as follows: "In further pursuance J J of the constant policy of the Ucpuhlloaii HHH i party to provide free homes on the pub- HBj lie domain wc recommend adequate Na- " tloual livlstatlon to reclaim the arid BBBJ. land nf the Uulteil States, preserving HHEr the control of the distribution of water J I for .Irrigation to the respective States HHj! , and territories." The Democrats, or BBBJl Course, Imitating and following tho lead Hw-Ji r? of the Uepuhltcan party In all matters BBS of progress, adopted tho following plank BBBB i iii their platform tit Kansas City In July, BBBBf 1000: "We favor an Intelligent system BBBBJ of improving the arid laud pf tho West. BBBBf alnrliig the water for the purpose of BBH irrigation and the holding of such lauds for actual settlers." BBBJ . Uoosevelt 1'rlm Mover. HaJ ' In tils message to the Kitty-seventh 4 ' Congress President Uoosevelt clearly and BBBJj vigorously urged the enactment of legls- BBJ tatinii lu aid of development by Irrigation BBBJ of 'the great arid pnrtious of our cuuti- BBM try. Encouraged by the President's HaT- earnest and vigorous recommendation, BBBJ the members of both branches of Con- BBBJ cress from the arid and seml-nrld States BBBJ met lu the early days of the session, np- BBBJ poluted a committee of one from each of BBBJ he said States and territories, with Sen- BBBJ ifttur Warrm of Wyoming, a llepuhllcan, BBBJ , as chairman, for tiho purpose of drafting BBBJi' an irrigatluu measure. BBBJf This conimlttre Mltored earnestly and BBBlS faithfully, ud dually presented to the BBJj full representation from the West a bill BBk which was accepted by them, Introduced BBBJ in the Senate by Senator Ilansbrough, BBBJ a ItcpubUcan, mid in the House by ltrp- BBBJ rrseutative Newlauds, which bill, with BBBJi aubseauent ameiulmenta, was the fouuda- BBBJ tl'm for tho present national irrigation BpJ BBBJ' On May 11, 1002, lu pre-seiitlng tie bill BBBB to the House Coiigrcssinun New lands re- BBBH ferred to I'rtvsldent Uooscvelt'a mes.sage BBBB on irrigation and quoted the same in it BBBF entirely, thus admitting that the Pienl- BBJi flf ut's influence for tlis measure was the BBBJ Btrougest at that time. i "t 1'resldsnt Alters 11111. BBBJ' 'Tills measure was known as the Hans- BBBJ, brough-Newlands bill, and became the BBJs-r basis upon w Inch ilia committee work BBj. ttss ilone, but as drafted It never became BBBk a law. It was discussed by a self-cou- BBBJ-' atituted committee of representatives BBBJf from all the States concerned, wlitvh met BBBJj' nirly eviry day dunu December and BBB' on Der. S3 agired upon tho form of the BBBji rsilM bill, which, after still rurllicr BBBJ J changes by the Senate committee, pissed BBHI the Senate without revision on March ", BBH 1002. BBBJ tut. In, the form In which It was rec BBBJ oimueuded by tiie gftueral oouimlttee of BBBJ which Mr, Newlauds was secretary, and BBBJ la which it passed the Senate, the bill BBBf jtss uuscreptable to President Uoosevelt BBBj as awarding speculators and larg land BBBJ owners opportunity to monopolize ths. BBB IteJitU of the act. Mr Uoosevelt there- BBB for sent for Ssiiator Ilansbrough; and BBB ItepresiutstlveJ Metcalf, Moody a-nd BBB Itefder", all UenubUoaiKi, who woukl have BBB Cliarte of the 111 lu the House, and warn BBB 4 tfcem that unless changed In certain BBB rssaects as aaould be compelled to veto Bfll BBB ' Tbectimstss th ishart-s. BBl Tks speclflc obsngAs that ha required BBB, trsrs, first, tlut U Sscretary of Us It- terlor should be empowered to withdraw from entry nil lands proposed to bo Irrigated, Irri-gated, liiMtciid of only those required for reservoirs and ditches as provided In thi bill; tli.it ik) water should be sold or delivered de-livered except to Imiiis fide settlers, actually ac-tually living on the turn! to which the water was applied which was not in the Newlands bill sinil that the words: "but State and territory laws shall govern gov-ern and control the appropriation, use and distribution of the waters rendered available under this act," should be stricken strick-en out as virtually subjecting the control of Federal work to State Legislatures, some of which he doubtless believed, but did not my so, to be unfit to exercise such a trust, and as certainly exposing the settlert to the dangers nf endless and ruinous litigation. At the President's Presi-dent's express requirement the btll was amended In these respects and became the law at it stands to-day. Unprecedeute I Force. There had been attempts for many years to get the government to go Into the irrigation business, hut oil failed until un-til President Uoosevelt took hold of tho project. In his first annual message to Congress In 1001 he called attention to the necessity of providing water for the arid lauds and said: "Tho object of the government is to dispose of the land to sottlers who wllr build homes upon It. To accomplish this object water must be brought within their resell." The national government's policy. hs pointed out, should le to aid irrigation in the several States and territories In such a manner as wilt enable the peoplo lu the local communities to help themselves them-selves and as will stimulate needed reforms re-forms in the State laws and regulations governing Irrigation, He likewise reminded re-minded the I'ast, which wan against this policy nt tho time, that the reclamation and settlement of the arid lands will enrich en-rich every portion of our couutry Just as tho settlement of the Ohio and Mississippi Missis-sippi valleys brought prosperity to the Atlantic States. final Personal Triumph. With his accustomed vizor and Intelli gence President Uoosevelt exerted influence influ-ence in this direction on Congress, won the timid and the vacillating over to Ills side, and the Natloual Irrigation Law was enacted on June 17, 1002. That law, be it remembered, grew out of his message of 1IH)1, was enacted by a Itepublican Congress, ably coached by Mr. Uoosevelt. Uoose-velt. The measure became n law with his signature. The Itepublican Nntlonnl Irrigation Act of 100J. signed by President Presi-dent Uoosevelt, wns a fitting and natural supplement to the Itepublican Free Homes Law of 1802, signed by President Lincoln, To President Uoosevelt, Uierefore, and to him alone. Is due the fact that theru wns any National Irrigation at all in that Congress, and that the law, as enacted, -absolutely protects the poor man and u udera any largo hoiM.ugs of national irrigated land ImKsslble forever. And this is how the Democrats are "rcsiKmslble" for national Irrigation, |