The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-03-09
sEATTLE, TUESDAY. MARCH o.



sioEsi action can be had snnulllEg the 70
cant forest reservations Every Eastern
newspaper which has come 70 hand con-
tanning comments upon the forest reserves
aud upon the senate attempt TO snnul
them has pronounced views Ia favor Of the
reservations being continued. and the
unanimous sentiment appears TO be that
the senate action was brought about solely
by the blind and peTverse hostility 10 MI
Cleveland and 20 every action Of bis adj
mlnissration which has been the striking
Characteristic OF the free silver senators.
with the exception OF Washington. the
states whose mining industries are threat
sned with injury by the reservations were
represented Ia both houses Of congress ny
free silver men. The movement 10 annEl
the forest reservation was especially
chsmploned In the senate BY Pe,tigrsw.
Cannon. Clark, Teller and Dubois. ard this
fact. with the Eastern newspaper critics.
seemed 10 settle The status % tbs whole
case. II was not because Of any injury
which the reservations worked that these
senator's were 40 oiamorous. argue the
Eastern newspapers hut because the order
was promulgated by Mr.. Cleveland. IL
was simply another display OF the extreme
luminosity felt by these senator's to the ad-
minisIstion.
Unfortunately, the display OF these sena-
tore on other occasions has given grounds
for such a belief. although In this particu-
lar instance the silver senators have had a
legitimate ground for complaint. BY their
many previous causeless exhibitions of
animosity. however. they have weakened
or destroyed all faith that IN this psrticn-
lar instance they were aetuated By any
other motive.
Again. the Eastern press polnts out.
which cannot be Eainsald, that the for
estry commission. which recommended the
reservations. IL composed OF eminent SCI
entlnc gentlemen. associated with some OF
the largest educational institutions in the
country. aud who have made the matter
OF forest preservation deep study. What
Is overlooked. however. is that thiS
eminent commission. instead OF
thorough investigation Of the mat
ter. made a simple jaunt through
the country In Pullman cars. stopped
at the hotels In tho large cities.
and never made any attempt whatever at
an investigation OF the regions which they
have recommended TO be Withdrawn as "a
reservation. In their very brief visit 20
Washington they confined themselves 10
the accustomed routes of travel. and con-
seqnently never set foot within the limits
OF the enormous Cascade reservation of
which they recommended the establish
ment. All that they know OF II Is from
nee,ing glimpses with a field glass. caught
from an observation car passing many
miles away from the borders OF that rsser-
walton.
Yet the recommendation Of this com
mission will bear great weight with the
Eastern members OF congress. and IL Will
require strong presentation OF the facts
10 overcome the prejudice thus created.
Every one In Washington knows that the
announcement of the reservations made
came as a great surprise TO the people OF
this state, and that there MAS no demand
from any source for the selection Of these
particular reserves II residents Of Wash
ington with practical knowledge Of the
topography Of the country had been con
suited. the absurdity o. the reservation
as forest reserve would have been shown
10 the commissioners IA advance Of their
action.
Yet Prot Brewer. OF the Sheffield scien-
unc school. one OF the forestry commits
sion. has stated that Re found strons
demand among tho farmers and rsnehmen
fer the making OF these reservations. and
that the opposition came from 'the biz
humber companies and mining prOaHectors.
who did as they pleased with pgene prop
erty." He also stated that great guam
titles of valuahis timber were destroyed
b. irea which the prospeetoEs started IN
erier to lessen their work
These statements In themselves ara
ample proof that PROT Brewer aia not take
she trouble 20 learn Anything abou, The
subject be was charged wIth the duty Of
Investigating. but secured his fund OF mis-
Information from irresponsible Pullman
car gossip. Any Federal officer In this
rtsts connected ~ith the lana ofTccs or ths
Federal courts could have tntarmea him
that the big lumber companies" in WASH
ins,en have net n the ias; twenty years
.rrspasset enc inch en- government land
nor ent stick Of timber en- land % watch
shey eia not have a ti,lA Cutting govern
naent timber Ia an e1snss "a closely fol-
lowed up ana as rsgtaly prosecuted as are
e1enses against che postal lava ans is o.
as rare or EArsr. occurrence.
Any person familiar with the Topography
q the country n which the bulk ., ths
Informed hira that az TIE timber xhieh
has eeSa destroy 81 by pTozpecsevs IN thls
state would ret fcaos a. average - Acrs
farm. Rsiee FROM tat wnicA AS been used
leEstiaaseiy for arsweoe sne s,ias timber.
ard thas has. So rule. eeon cat en claims
located @na Vas eoaseo asatly TIE prop
sTty eg tie gsss.
The oaly Pssnt. xstSs fson tAfs. worsAr
o. note Is that. seeSrssnS % Prcs Brewer.
the reservations we're aesteneAly made .
tn1ure The prospseters sn8 mtnsrs. Re
sSyr however. that ths commissioner q. ~
work upea plan fer protesting The rirhts
OF agricultural settlers whe have alreAav
located spos ne lands bat tie rroelesa
vas ssTealt ca.
TEE sentiment created by suea STATE
meats &c saas es Pref Brewer Is enc