, 1891-03-21

TIE PROOF

The Sun printed the following in ITS
editorial columns on Thursday morning.
We are surprised 20 see that THE
LEADER inadvertently admits thai the
Democratic press Is in the rear OF the pTo-
czssIou on the question Of state owner-hlp
of lands. although 1t Is a fact Referring
10 the statement in the Sun that Senator
Warren prepared and submitted 10 con-
Gress a measure 10 transfer public lands
70 state control before any Democratic
paper in Wyoming mentioned the
matter, Tue LEADER lodges the point
by saving the question vas aRitatcd
IN the newspapers of Wyoming long
before Warren was elected senator.
The Wyoming newspapers. how
ever, which advocated state ownership
prior to the introduction of Warren bill,
TO the best of cur recollection, we're NJ"
Democratic By the waT. The LEADER
oa2 very easily settle this controversy by
citing a line IN its columns iaVO-iuE state
ownership Of public lands that WAS pub
lished before Senator Warrcn's bill was
prepared and submitted 10 congress. II
it Is possible for The LEADER 10 do this
let il refer to the files aud thus avoid
further controversy,
Following this suggestion The LEADER
files we're turned TO aud under date Of
July IS. 1889. nearly W years ago, the
following article, the irst we believe pub
lished in Wyoming. was discovered. The
LEADER was then opposing the gigantic
scheme OF Gen. Powell. As a substitute
the state ownership Of public lands was
proposed. The idea originated, we be-
lieve, with State Engineer Mead aud sub
sequent to the date mentioned above was
very generally discussed. Tue LEADER
article was as follows.
Territorial Engineer Mead has called
a meeting Of citizens OF Wyoming at his
Office In the capitol next Monday after
noon at . O'Clock for the purpose Of al.
ranging some concerted movement to pre-
sent information 10 the senate committee
on the subject OF irrigation.
The more Gen. POWELL vast irriglt-
ing scheme is considered with reference
TO Wyoming the more are people becom-
ing convinced that It's literal carrying into
effect in the territory will fall very little
short Of a public calamity.
Ills lAtA - W HNEltEhlt VAST lAAuNihlAH
Of public land for public experiment
This land will include much Of the avail
able land that is now lett IN Wyoming It
will be taken entirely out OF the market
for a period Of ten years, during which
time II is proposed that Gen. Powell
and his ppudrrous corps Vi ASSISTANTS are
to cuut que their experimental work.
Such schemes are moved wi,h proven
bal slowncss. The allotted ten years may
stretch ont TO a generation. Meantime
what inducements will Wyoming have left
to offer people who arc inclined IL settle
within her border
THE provisions Of the senate bill pro
vi1iug tor the "A mission Vi Wyoming at
ir,t blush strike the ad,r As beng ex
csedrurly hb,ral But how much b tier
would 1t be for Wyoming aud bow much
better for the government ii, instead OF
meduatiug a scheme to segrrgate 70 much
Of the best land that i now IN the open
market, IL should instead turn over all
the remaining uubIiu lands to the state2
Mos Of the uuw Wrstern states must
start in As states hanii,npuci to q certain
extent in comparison with older states
whose soil is richer.
IF, therefore, the idea Of the general
government is 10 provide for strong and
wealthy state governments, how may that
desidcratum be better secured than by
turning over to the states all public land-2
Tho subject is worthy of earnest atten-
tion