The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-25
NO SHEEP IN THE PlNaK. /,


To the Editor: Congressr yin Jones, In
an open letter TO the public, recently pub
lished, REQUESTS an express on of opinion
from the citizens OF the state of WASH
ington on the. subject. m;Ltter of Senator
Fosters proposed grazing bill. This Is
a very, cpmmendaple a:t on the part of
Hon. w. l.. Jones. Hefreaizes the fact
that there are others among his com
stituents, besides the, stock owners, who
have a right to be heard. 1t would have
been graceful thing on the part of Sen.
ator Foster and Representative Cushman
had they done likewise. ~ ,ytplF.
The sheepmen. irl especial, in whose in
terest principally the bill was formulated
and who are to DE it's chief beneficiaries,
left no stone unt'lrned and no reasonable
effort untried, ~ further their interests;
there was littiA Individual and no organ
i7edh- effort irfk'opposition to- them,i and
hence the proposed bill AS a citizen of
the state OK Washington, and one who
has. taken Epd still, takes a. deep interest
in this subject, at least in one of Its bear
ings, -atsrept Mr.. Jones' invitation AMI
will briedy express my opinion OF the
nieasifre. a Hi faas
The proposed bill has, in my humble
opinion, two very, objectionable features.
In. the FIRST PLACE. If the transcript of the
bill wg,ich appeared in the public prints
reeerdly is correct there is not anclause
or word in 1t to show that the Alpine
meadows Of the Mount Rainier national
IA AZ are excepted from, the, provisions
oQtfe biz. in fact, 1T IS safe TO infer that
tie beautiful meadows of our noble
mountain and those of its companion
peaks were especially Intended to be in
cluded in the leasable'lands treated of in
the bill. Secondly by the provisions of
this bill. If it, becomes,a law. the general
government will enter into the, grazing
business. and thus become formidable
to- 40 ov.ty ~ ffc
private citizens. It has been the policy
of our government (and it is one of its
| admirable characteristics) to scrupulously
avoid entering into Competitions with US
| citizens In any of the lines, of industry
In which they. are earning q living and
| by which they are, DEVELOPING the re-
| sources ,of the country. How Ca nf a. citir
zen, who perhaps has paid good price
| for his grazing land. fenced and other
wise Improved it and yearly paid takes
| on It. successfully and proitably rival a
| powerful competitor which has not been
| compelled to buy it's land, fence or pay
taxes on it, and which can nrofitably
! farm it out to paying customers at l
| cent an acre per annum? "a When the
| introduction of the grazing bill in the
| senate was announced in the press dis
patches 1t was heralded as a wise meas
! ure. because it was to add to the reve-
| nue. of the government to the extent of
| IL 1t is legitimate and proper for the gov
| ernments TO embark in the grazing BUSH
| ness, why not further increase the ma
| tional revenue by leasing, for instance,
| the unappropriated mineral lands, exact
| ing slight royalty on each ton Of ore
| produced, or by leasing the vacant tim
| Der lands, charging a small stumpage
| rate? Abundant syndicates would rush
such opportunities 1t would be hard on
| private parties and small concerns en-
/ gagged in these lines, but 1t would put the
| national Golfers in "a plethoric condition
| This policy. might be extended and added
| to till finally we would reach a system
| of government control or infringement
| such as exists now only in the dreams
| of the most ardent Popuiist or visionary
! Socialist. While I Have very grave
| doubts of the wisdom of this Wholesale
| grazing in the government forest reserve,
! doubts fostered partly by personal ex-
| perience in pasturing sheep on our ma
| h-a grasses, partly by testimony, received
| f-@.n high authorities on this subjectg but
| principally by personal observation made
SOME years ago during an extended tour
on foot through the mountain ranges Of
| Oregon and Northern California, stiu
| for the sake of compromise Ga good Amer
| lean principle). am not disposed to an
| tagonize the sheepmen as. to the forest
| reserve at large; but i am unalterably
| opposed to allowing the stockmen, espe-
| cially the sheep owners, to take their
~fiocks, in any numbers and on any terms.
| into any part of the Mount Rainier ma
| tional park. For years had earnestly
| advocated the creation of a national park
| for the protection of our grand mountain
| and its beautiful environs, and when the
| time was ripe for the contamination of
| Continued on Page Six.