The record-union., 1892-01-11

from alienation whatever Of public land
remains, and to place The preservation of
the region under charge of the Secretary
Of the Interior. That officer of the Gov
eminent has ordered that no more sheep
ranges shall be used within the limits of
the reservation; that timber cutting shall
cease and removal of timber stop; that
no roads shall be constructed in the reser-
walton; in short, that the whole region
shall be relegated to state of nature. in
order that natural forces may reassert
themselves.
This is right and proper action; it is
extremely DESTROYS, so far as all land east
of the lower end of the Yosemite Valley
IS concerned, for the reason already
stated-the upper courses OF the rivers
which feed the falls of the Yosemite
should be preserved by preserving the
natural clothing of the slope and the in
tegrity of the soil. But the Government
Of the United States has done nothing to
justify the action contemplated against it
by the syndicate of claimants we have re-
ferred to. 1t has not seized the property
of these people; it has not attempted or
threatened to do so; it has simply re-
served from entry and use by others
what is its own.
These budding claimants paid for tim
Der land 81 90 an acre. They now pro-
pose to combine and secure the passage
of an Act by Congress paying them SIS
an acre for the same land. In other
words, as is on it's face apparent, it is a
scheme to unload upon the Government
at prices that mean handsome fortunes to
the claimants. But the worst feature of
this whole assault is that represented by
the effrontery ofthe stage companies; these
people, who have only private interests
to subserve, propose to give 20 per cent
of whatever is obtained from the Gov
eminent to some one to secure the pas
sage of the bill or the necessary establish
ment Of the claim in the Court of Claims.
Congressman Caminetti has introduced
bill in the House to reduce the limits of
the reservation, cutting off two tiers of
townships, to wit: Townships and north
of 10 and 20 east, and l, 2, 8 and 4 south Of
10 and 20 east, Mount Diablo meridian.
This bill ought to pass and if it is not suffi-
GENTLY restrictive it should be supple
menred to accomplish the end at which it
aims, that is to free the Govern
ment by the surest and speediesr
means from the scheme to unload upon
it, and which latter purpose, it is now
apparent, was the spring and source of
the remarkable bounding of the reserva-
ton, which created so much surprise
when announced.
Our delegation in Congress will be ex-
pected to be alive to the situation and not
only refuse to be made the cat's-paw for
the Introduction and passage of any bill
for the purchase of the stage roads and
the recognition of the private claims to
be set up, but it should be diligent to
ascertain and resist any procedure to per-
feet any of these claims. The Govern
ment in this matter ought to be protected
from exaction and wrong by the vigil
lance Of California; the State should not
by its silence permit the extortion con-
templated, and our Senators and Con-
gressmen will conserve not only the
ends ofjustice, but the fair fame of the
State as well as the treasury of the Fed
eral Government, by defeating the
scheme to unload, which we have in
Dictated.