Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1902-12-25
AGAINST THE POOR MAN.

AGAINST THE POOR MAN.
Repeating Stone and Timber
Act Takes His Profits.
A writer in the Lewiston Tribune
in writing upon the movement to
abolish the stone and timber act
expresses the sentiments of hun
dreds Of the common people when
he says:
am surprised by the fact that
no western observer has resisted
the intense effort to withdraw the
timber, stone and desert lands from
the public domain. The cry is
echoed from the Office Of the secre-
tary Of the interior that fraud is
being perpetrated under the pres
emit law. The agents Of the gov
eminent have sleuthed about every
land Office In the west for two
years to find substance for the cry
of fraud. There have been no vol
umes Of evidence collected to feed
the desire that gave this scheme
birth.
The fact is the timber monopo-
lists have been opposed in their
grab game by the common people.
This effort to repeal the present
land laws is for no other purpose
than to disarm the public for the
fight against monopoly. While
the robbing script method was per-
mitted to operate unchecked there
was no opportunity for the poor
man to share the profits to be de
rived from the progress Of develop
ment that gave values to the public
domain.
The robberies Of the railroads
and the timber syndicate became
80 glaring q few years ago that the
people put them down by the pres
sure Of righteous indignation
The only legal weapon left to the
p oor man was the citizens right to
appropriate his quota Of this do
main under the laws. This right
gave to the citizen small interest
in the timber, stone and minerals,
which became a recognized equity
in all public domain.
1t will be observed that the peo-
pie who have this equity are not
charged with felony for accepting
a consideration therefor. The echo
is promulgated to conceal the i-ct
that hundreds Of poor men q
profited by cashing this equity.
This fact, which is concealed, is
the primary cause Of this cry Of
"stop thief"
If this movement to abolish the
stone and timber act is carried to
fruition there will be no possible
opportunity for the poor man tn
divide the profits that are accumu-
lating faster than the interest on
all the government bonds by the
progress Of the country. This tim
Der will grow and advance in price
for the syndicates alone. There
will be NO new laws enacted to give
you or me the pro6ts on 0pr share
Of the domain which will no longer
be public. It will then be a
straight deal betwesn the rich buy
ers, and who ever knew the gov
eminent to get a cent from land
deal with corporation?
The timber reserves are in line
with this agitation to hold the nat.
uraf resources of the country for
the syndicates, The enlargement
of the Bitter Root reserve ie not
for the purpose Of protecting tim
Der, for there is not timber enough
in the acquired territory to meet
the demands Of the mines. There
is no waight to the claim that water
will be conserved by this extension
for irrigation. The forest reserve
scheme goes hand in hand with all
the other subterfuges to place the
poor man in the role Of buyer and
the syndicate in the role Of jobber
and seller.
II the movement now being
pressed to repeal the stone and
timber act and desert land act il
successful there will remain nc
means for the poor man or the
common citizen to derive . benefit
from the public domain.
This scheme is like the other
steals that have been put through
congress for railroads and other
syndicates. The citizens of Idaho
have receiyed hundreds Of thous-
ands Of dollars for their equities in
timber lands during the past three
years. I ask any friend of the re-
peal scheme to point out how any
common citizen who is not the
agent Of some syndicate of mil
lionaire dealers will make dollar
out Of the remaining million acres,
if this stone and timber act is re-
pealed.
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