Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-05-06
TIE lie
Secretary Schurz on the
Timber Steal.
He declines to Stop the Cal
ifornia Prosecutions.
A srr OF PAST POLITICAL HISTORY.
Why Tilden Did Not Make
q Fool Of Himself
49, a...
lsrsciAL pi.rArcurs 10 rus COIN Hiil
DAILr Naval
Tn. r,-s.- p.pr.....,...

DAILY Nk~s.l
The rimbsp Depreciation.
WASHINGTON. Nay 5.-Secretsry sehurz
has written q very interesting letter TO
Representative Page. In response to the
requests and suggestions contained In
Pages recent letter TO him. and in the
memorial Of the California State officers
and other citizens. IN which his attention
was thereby formally directed. The secre-
tary says; - have given the subject OF
d~eprsdations upon public lands Of the
United States careful attention. The state
ments contained In your letter, and tho
memorial addressed 10 the California and
Nevada Congressional delegations. arc not
new, and arc similar 10 those presented To
me from all sections Of the country where
there arc public lands covered with val.
liable timber. not open TO purchase and
entry. The fact that extensive depreda-
tions were being committed upon these
public lands made IL necessary. In my
Judgment. to introduce q change In the
system heretofore followed for the sup
preston Of such illegal practices. There
were two duties plainly presenting them
selves 10 this Department. First. to en-
force the laws as they stand; and. secondly.
TO protect timber upon public lands against
such indiscriminAte destruction A. would.
in its consequences. materially imperil
the prosperity IL the country and we'll
being Of the people. The latter considera-
ton applies with especial force to the
mountainous States and Territories OF the
Union. where tho timber grows principally
upon Mountain sides, and where tho for.
ests. u once swept OF. will never renew
themselves. deem IL unnecessary 10 go
iuto any elaborate statement Of the conse-
enc which must inevitably follow
such reckless waste and destruction.
The execution Of the laws A. they stand.
with regard TO public timber. may entail
certain hardships TO the inhabitants Of
certain States and Territories. where the
timber lands In most part are unsuryeyed.
aud where timber cannet be obtained from
tho government by purchase or In any
other legal way. such hAriships. how
ever, do not relieve the Executive branch
Of the government Of Its plain duty TO see
that the laws are enforced. IL III, laws
are not such as they should BE-, IL does not
follow that they should remain . dead let
ter, but that ID il the business, not Of the
Executive. but Of the legislative power. to
adapt them 10 the circumstances and wants
Of the perple by proper legislative action.
To leave the laws unexecutcd would be a
plain dereliction Of duty on tho part of
the Executive branch. Moreover, with .
view 10 the necessity Of preserving the
public timber as 9 matter Of public pol
lev, II seems To me that the temporary and
local hardship caused by the enforcement
Of the laws. would DO Of far less consc-
auenco than the permanent evil which
necessarily must follow the reckless. in
discriminate and rapid destruction Of
forests in violation Of the laws. Your
petitioner. have very clearly pointed out
where the true remedy lies.
Here Secretary Schurz quotes that por-
ton 81 the memorial which recites tho
long-continued efforts male by the memo
r~ialists to procure legislation by which
they could acquire government title to
timber lands. and proceeds as follows /:
''In my opinion your petitioner, ..Seiear.
" right in looking fol relief, not tn the
Lyscuuss branch of the Government,
whose duty II is to enforce the laws as they
are, but 10 the legislative power. whose
duty il Is 20 make the laws what they
ought to be. Whether the hardship Is as
great a. represented In this petition. ! will
not here inquire. There are reasons for
believing that these representations are
highly colored by interested parties, aud
that the prosecutions for the illegal taking
Of timber from the public lands. interfere
much more with the operations OF men en-
gagged In large business enterprises than
with poor people who require wood for do
me,tic purposes 10 relieve their daily ne
cessitie.. The latter. I believe. are not
touched at all. That this subject is not
. new one IL plainly shown by your
petitioners, and by the reports and rec.
concentrations Of my predecessors and Of
the Commissioner OF the General Land Of
Ace. Recommendations have been repeat
ely made for additional Legislation to
provide some way for the sale and disposal
% timber upon unsurveyed public lands,
la order 10 meet the necessities OF persons
engaged In mining and Agricultural pur-
suits. Legislation has been pressed upon
tho attention OF Congress without any
beneficial results. II must, therefore. be
presumed that Congress intended to leave
,he lAw = -, a. n....,o So,s~
nceIs enaISeu win ~ aa,,,.usa, y,
ehis's Nni1 iansinn. 49, 49, tenn
petitioners propose, although q practice
49, "a INSTRUMENTATION IN am.
,s,sa unu IT, a. ah.sn.a ~ .nw
OF my preue.. ~, y. ~,
Ishi,"as 4, III : -comncTi,io, n, a ,nm.
s,lue1' .ontJ sglrI no na,msnan,
ocr y, - AZ" Ill san,Is;npJ ~ o.,
teu,eu' .u !" - ,hsn con,in,.Ii.
suen .ns..o" "a, al diaicni,y
w., Nsu. ..s,.aaa nas u, oniy
wou'I r,n a,a.mss, ~ s.n,.ssnn.
.ns'. wv Io ~ ,hosa .hn hr.ss ,hs
,erin, " "s.a ou LII a. eon,iana,a
law. law or.aAus VII ann NJ.
appear pron.Ao,e .u'P' In VI. u1.w.
seeuto .nAn W. ~. oiiy
nent remedy h.s in PIoPS, s,nu
your PeuuoneIs NV ,e.y e'H,! phs.
Out. ~ snai. pAsS ..w s.i n"a
ikinS . setiemeh' TOT pas. usP'.ua''ons;
aud AZ the SAME ums p,o.'as ~yUW
iegnIa,,ns tne sAi. n'Wu upon ~,
iands, , snAii mo's eh''I'a,y sA'eu' va
law anu see tnat Tvs P'o''s'"ns ae iu'y