The Lamar register., 1900-10-17
= I I Z Z Z & +t++t
. THE LAND BOARD.
/ Thomas Wants Arid Lands Coded
. to the State-Some Big Leases
. and Sales of State Land.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I, and Sales of State Land. I:
ss......s.........s. :
Governor Thomas position in favor
of the cession of the arid lands by the
| general government to the several
states is well known. He is n states
rights Democrat, in that matter, and
profoundly distrusts the ability of the
United States government to manage
land Affairs. His views on this sub
Ject We're expressed at some length In n
| letter he wrote to the last Cattlemen's
Association at Its meeting In Denver
last spring. After telling them that he
| was their friend and wanted to do
whatever was best for them, and that
there was n disposition on the part of
| the national government not to treat
them right, he went ON rs follows:
40 my mind the plan of state ces-
sion Of these arid lands is the one ef-
fectivo remedy. or course / do not
pretend to be infallible, nor am l in any
sense welded to such n policy. 1 can
and do recognize that 1t is open to ser-
GUS objections. l have given this sub
Ject, however, careful and anxious
thought for along time, and am not
able to reach my other satisfactory
conclusion. (uld not advocate un-
conditional cess'0n by any means.
think the government should place am
/ ltic restrictions in its act of cession and
bind the state Sslicy with reference to
such lands. " should be open to
homestead and prc-emption as hereto
fore, the only difference, being that the
state and not the nation, should have
| charge and regulation concerning them.
| No monopoly should be permitted in
their sale, and no sale over and above
n certain limited amount at n given
time should ever be allowed, If at all.
Whether they should then be leased or
subjected to free range the people of
each state could themselves decide, and
that decision would, of course. be final,
until the people themselves should
change it, The per capita tax could
be adopted if desired. resulting in an
appreciable revenue for state pur-
| poses.
81 know that 1t Is urged that state
Legislatures cannot be trusted to adj
minister such affairs. and that the land
commissions in the past have been I'M
polite in their execution of such
trust, but every argument of that sort
is applicable with added force to the
Congress of the United States, and to
the general land department. 1 say
with added force, because these great
tribunals are controlled and regulated
by the people of the United States,
while our states are controlled and
their policies outlined by the voters
VINO reside within their borders. No
general assembly or land board in
western state holding such a donation
could do otherwise than obey the man
date of the people, and any evil result
ing from their impolitic or wrongful
action would be resented through the
polls from time to time. Such policy,
T gt nf hn ntrx,
could agree upon it would cement and
unite the action of n dozen states,
whose common policy would powerful
ly influence congressional legislation
and enable your intc' IS to be pro-
tectcd practically vii t expense to
yourselves, and by the general needs
of number of great commonwealth
acting in harmony with each other.
The land secured. it is for you, then. to
determine how it shall be managed
and the terms under which its common
use shall be enjoyed, beg of you SER
iously to consider these things before
finally determining what your course
shall be.
Let me say in conclusion, that am
in absolute harmony with your purpos-
cs and objects. and l trust that as
result of your deliberations some well
defined policy will be outlined that can
be pursued by all of us to the same
end. The interest of the citizen is the
real interest of the commonwealth,
and IL | can in any manner contribute
toward subscribing that interest, / shall
feel that the present administration has
not been without some benefit to the
people. ! have the honor to be your
most obedent servant,
CHARLES S. THOMAS.
Governor"
In view of the record of Governor
Thomas land board. the remarks above |
about the policy being outlined by the |
people within the borders of the state
is instructive and perhaps amusing. I
and also the part that no land board I
could do otherwise than obey the man
date of the people.
The present land board made Of a
lease of some 10000 acres of land in
Weld and Larimer counties at the min
imum rate. to one large cattle COM
pany. the Warren company of Wyo-
ming. A ten-year lease was made of