The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-10-10
WESTERN STATES ARE AFFECTED.


the desirability of electing Hon.
Charles N. Pray as representative 10
congress-, and another republican
United States senator from Montana,
one of them being presented by a
Washington correspondent of the
democratic Butte Miner. A portion
Of a special dispatch recently printed
by that newspaper reads as follows:
mo congressional election in the
last forty years q compare in i'm
portance with the one that will occur
in November, so far as the public
land states Of the great west are con.
cerned. Few people OF that mighty
region have any conception Of the
dangers that not only threaten to inn
pede and prevent the great industrial
development nov taking place, but to
absolutely paralyze many Of the great
industries OF that section. The people
Of Colorado. Wyoming, Montana,
Idaho, Utah, Nevada and the terri.
tories of Arizona and New Mexico,
are today literally standing over a
commercial volcano the extent and
proportions Of which cannot be over.
estimated.
"About five years ago an agitation
was started which sought to withdraw
all Of the public domain within the
states of the union from settlement
and entry now being taken up under
the timber and stone, desert land and
homestead laws. 1t was further pro.
posed to impose q tau on all lands
used for grazing purposes by stock.
men Of the west. The scheme was
taken up by certain interests and
pushed forward with energy and zeal.
Eastern commercial organizations
were induced to pass strong resolu.
lions favoring the scheme. 1t was ex.
planned to them that the public lands
were owened by the government and
that the people OF the east were as
much q portion of the government OF
the United States as the people of the
west; that they had equal interests in
the western lands with the people OF
the west, and that under the existing
laws the people of the west were de.
irving all of the benefit that flowed
from the distribution of the public
lands.
"Three years ago q Mr.. Maxwell,
representing several OF the great trunk
lines, organized a lobby at Washing
ton and came very nearly securing
legislation that would have Withdrawn
all the public domain from settlement
and entry under either the timber and
ston or the desert land laws. The
scheme was ultimately unearthed by
the western members and when laid
bare in all its hideousness, ven the
eastern members refused to support it.
The scheme in brief was, to withdraw
all public lands from entry. This
done, settlers in the west would have
been compelled to purchase their
homes from the railroad companies
holding the vast tracts OF land given
them by grants.
"Shortly after the fifty.niuth con-
gress convened last December, the
western members were amazed by the
receipt by the house and senate OF
drafts of Il bill prepared under the
direction of the secretary OF the in.
terror, and accompanied by a strong
communication urging its enactmen,
into law. The bill in substance pro
vided for the classification Of every
acre of land in the public domain
and its withdrawal from entry unde,
any or all of the homestead laws o,
the United States. When the lane
was classified it was to be leased L
livestock men in the west, who were t(
be charged such fees for grazing priv.
ileges as the secretary might see fit tt
impose. The vast revenue derived
from this source was to be applied t(
the construction of certain irrigation
projects by the government officers
but which could o be constructed
owing to a lack of funds.
THAT bill created CONSERVATION
among the western members. 1t wa,
the first time such u scheme had eve
been openly advocated by the nationa
administration. Following this cam
message from the president urgin
the withdrawal from public entry {
all coal lands not yet filed upon al
included in the public domain"
A republican congressional delega
ton from Montana is necessary ,
look after legislation affecting tn
and other western states.