Imperial Press.
VOL. 11.
Not Eligible.
An editorial writer on the Redlands
Review wrote a personal letter to Ed.
Leake of the Woodland Democrat,
asking him if he would be a candidate
for the Democratic nomination for
Governor, and his reply is printed in
that' paper. After saying • that the
many notices in the papers had been
without' his knowledge, he says:
"The instances are very exceptional
in which an editor has been an avail
able candidate for a high official posi
tion conferred by popular suffrage. He
is expected to have a positive opinion
on all public questions. If he does his
duty to the public he gives expression
to these opinions and they become a
matter of public record, ie is his
business to write things, and he is
wise beyond his generation if, during
the course of a long journalistic ca-
reer, he does not make mistakes. The
wise things he writes and the good
deeds he performs are soon forgotten,
but the enemies he makes in the dis
charge of a public duty never allow his
mistakes to be overlooked.
"Some of our most successful poli
ticians gain a reputation for wisdom
by maintaining an evasive or non
committal attitude when vital' issues
are discussed, and shrewdly following
the trend of public sentiment. But
the editor must be aggressive, decis
ive and positive in order to be of any
force and wield any influence in the
community, and he naturally invites
criticism and arouses antagonisms.
"In many instances the man whom
he assist to office has a short mem
ory, or at least only credits him with
having done his duty, while the can
didate whom he is instrumental in de
feating never forgets.
"The editor may be a potent force
in promoting the success or defeat of
others, and he may be influential in
shaping public politics. He may be
powerful in political councils, and
politicians who are successful seek his
advice and support and mainly rely
upon editorial influence as the motive
power of their political advancement,
but the editor himself, on account of
the conditions described above, is
rarely ever an available candidate.
"There is still another and weight
ier reason why I am not an aspirant
AND FARMER.
"Water is King— Here is its Kingdom."
IMPERIAL, CAL, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1902.
and why my name will not be pre
sented for political preferment in the
campaign soon to be inaugurated. It
is an almost invariable rule that the
editor of a country newspaper who de
votes all his energy, ability and time
to his vocation, never acquires wealth.
"The editor has a responsibility in
the community^'that is imposed on no
other profession. In order to be mode
rately successful he must work long
hours, burn midnight oil, make per
sonal sacrifices and practice self-de
nial. Although the public impera
tively demands this much of him, his
opportunities for acquiring wealth are
less than those of any other profes
sional man. My experience is no ex
ception to the' rule."
We are very much surprised at the
position taken by Mr. Leake in the
last paragraph. We had always sup
posed that the editor of a country
weekly newspaper would eventually
HEADGATES OF THE IMPERIAL CANAL SYSTEM NEAR THE COLORADO RIVER.
become very wealthy. We had been
looking forward to the time when we
could purchase the Philippine Islands,
endow a few universities, or at least
get a new suit of hand-me-down clothes
or indulge in some other extravagant
luxury, but now all our hopes seem to
be blasted.
Carnegie and the Filipinos.
A dispatch from New York dated
May 15, says: "As proof of the often
made assertion of Andrew Carnegie's
intense opposition to this country's
policy in the Philippines-, George F.
Seward, president of the Fidelity and
Casualty Company, says that Carnegie
once offered to pay the $20,000,000
called for in the treaty between the
United States and Spain, if he were
given authority to tell the Filipinos
that their independence would ulti
mately be acknowledged by this coun
try. President McKinley told Mr.
Carnegie that he did not understand
the situation. Carnegie never made
any further offers, although his sym
pathy for the Filipinos is well known,
and he has often condemned our pol
icy in the islands."
Salt River Valley.
The Salt River Valley in Arizona
is very much like the Imperial Settle
ments in California so far as soil and
climatic conditions are concerned.
There are several towns ana cities in
that valley — Phoenix being the
largest, having a population of 10,
000 or more. And yet these towns and
cities have not a very large backing
from irrigated land. On this point
the • Republican says :
"The figures show that under the
present system of water distribution,
excluding the canals which would not
draw water directly from a reservoir,
there is a total of 255,088 acres. Of
this total there are 117,700 acres in
cultivation, and. 137,380 acres lying
idle for lack of water."
Here is only 117.000 acres of land to
support a city of 10,000 people; and
several towns like Mesa, Tempe, be
sides.
The Imperial Canal system has
already more land under water to sup
port the commercial center — Imperial
— besides Silsbee, Calexico and other
towns yet to be established.
It is true that the Salt River Valley
can more than double its irrigated
area, but it will be at great expense.
The program for doubling the irri
gated area more than twice at Impe
rial is already arranged for.
Phoneix has its railroad and Impe
rial has its railroad being built by a
rich corporation that can fill its con
tracts, and other railroads are in
process of incubating — will be built.
Phoenix irrigated lands are worth
from $50 to $200 an acre with a very
limited water right. What will Impe
rial lands be worth with an abundant
water rights?
It doesn't take a smart man to cor
rectly answer that last question.
Heaven will not be so badly crowded
as the epitaphs on tombstones would
indicate.
The End of the World.
Adventists profess to believe that
the recent earthquake and volcrifTic
eruptions in the West India Islands, is
a sure indication that the end of this
world is- near at hand.
The flood at the time that Noah
lived was somewhat of an upheaval,
but it did not destroy the world.
The destruction of Lisbon by earth
quake in 1755 was somewhat of a dis
aster, but the earth survived.
When the Atlantis Continent disap
peared disconnecting the two hemi
spheres, the shake up was one long to
be remembered, but the earth rolled
on in its course without losing a sec
ond of time.
One political party in the United
States goes out of power and another
comes in, and then the program is re
versed again, but still we do not hear
the statement put forth that "Time
shall be no more."
Possibly we may be able to survive
the Martinique disaster. We shall
see — probably.
An Intelligent Chinaman.
A Chinese cook at Calexico wrote
the following letter to Lo& Angeles.
Read it carefully and see if you can
tell what he wanted. We publish it
verbatim et literatim et Spelatum:
May 7 1902
Mrs.
See you set to Chinaman to come
Calexico will to work Will cook must
no one me to work hay owe to do all
work houre I no your whit no me
in hare not mac men to in if house
I thinks on 10 Pearps he must to very
day see can you set him to do in
paerss I come Ap. 23 was see you Get
Chlnadow for Los Angeles st. Kirn
Youn 508 Los Angeles Cal.
My name Jue Ark
The truly good neighbor keeps his
chickens penned up.
A half loaf is better in the case of
some bread.
No. 7