IRRIGATION, POLITICS, AND SECTIONALISM 85 



with the gradual extinguishment of lounging 

 natives and ruffling gamecocks yclept poli- 

 ticians, a day of prosperity would dawn. We 

 who are unable to accept this dogma inquire, 

 in our turn, * If such men came, would they 

 stay ?' For us the inevitable answer is ' No.' 

 If the Territory is not ripe for statehood, a 

 mere Act of Congress cannot work a miracle. 

 The answer might be less assured if the right 

 kind of men were striving for statehood- 

 men of high character and noble motive, and 

 that true, and, alas ! rare, patriotism which 

 desires the public good rather than its own. 

 To the reasonable reader the existence of 

 the customary exceptions is a matter of 

 course. 



In order to show how utterly dead to 

 shame, as regards political corruption, the 

 average territorial citizen is, I will quote a 

 conversation overheard in a public place. 

 The conversationalists were two gentlemen 

 of fair repute : 



* Yes, A. acted badly. B. has been sup- 

 porting him and his family for years.' 



' Why, certainly ; and everyone knows the 

 reason for B. doing so.' 



