The Glenwood post., 1906-03-03
MANY men OF
MANY MINDS
Various Opinions on a Subject
Now Settled and Where Opin-
ions Have Little Value
STOCK ASSOCIATION FOR RESERVE

No public question has ever been of
greater general interest to Western
Colorado and none has ever been SO
ludicrously misinterpreted and mis-
represented than the question of the
government protection of the forest
and grazing areas and the order rela-
tive to grazing permits and grazing
fees.
Men have essayed to discuss the sub
ject who knew little or nothing of the
rules or the plan and policy of the
government and all kinds and manner
of erroneous statements have been sent
broadcast on the subject, some made
maliciously and with studied effort to
deceive, but the majority, let us hope,
from nothing worse than lack of
knowledge as to the aim, purport
and practice OF the government.
As an example of the different
views of and construction given the
subject the Post publishes the ex-
preston of two newspapers and cat
tie association, as these views are
fair expression of the pros and cons
of the case.
The Pilot says the ranges of Routt
county have been preserved to the cat
tlemen' - Since when, Mr. Pilot2
We have always understood that Uncle
Sam owned and controlled the ranges
and don remember of him having
ever turned them over to either the
cattlemen or the sheepmen. If we
are mistaken, then we want to be cor
rected Sentinel.
Here you are, Mr.. Sentinel, hot off
from the bat. Who is Uncle Samf
He is only you and l, the cattleman
and all of us collectively. A few
years ago he had millions of acrea in
northwestern Colorado which he want
ed to sell. He said to prospective
settlers, at least by implication, come
and settle and develop this laud.
Your cattle may roam the unoccupied
lands without restriction, you raising
hay for their winter feed, for thus 1
will grow in influence and wealth
The settlers came to wrestle with the
wilderness They conquered and as
they are about to emerge from their
trials this same Uncle Sam, who is
you and | and the rest of us, saws,
you are getting too prosperous. You
must dig up thousands of dollars each
year in ad 1ition to those you con-
tribute to the government, national,
state and county, to allow us to keep
in the field bunch of range riders,
a supervisor, forest chief and
whole lot of officials who never should
have been needed. We meaning
eastern Routt county, do not need
forest reserves. We have more snow
and water than we know what to do
with. The ranchman and cattleman
miles and miles away may benefit,
but he is not required to pay one cent
for maintenance That must be borne
by the comparatively few people liv
ing adjoining the reserve. Is there
justice IN thaty Is that your boasted
square dealr' You know better
and so does every resident of Routt
county. 1t is only blind partisan
ship which will uphold such rank in
justice Steamboat Pilot.
great many democrats, and es-
pecially the editor of our esteemed
contemporary, the Pilot, are losing
considerable sleep over the forest re-
serve. tax The tax is on to stay and
nobody need worry as to the results
If the government had only started
this move a few years sooner Routt
county would have been away ahead
in more ways than one. 1t would
gons of the county from being COB
bled up by spectators and corpora
tions to the detriment net only of the
cattlemen but of every settler in the
county. There is nothing whatever
to hinder those who have gained pos
session of the thousands of acres of
land through the timber and stone act
to fence their holdings and shut out
everybody As long as the land re
mains in the hands of the government
everyone will have an equal show and
especially the prospector and the home
builder 1t is not frank injus.
tice as the Pilot claims, to pay a
grazing fee. The same thing was
probably said several years ago when
the sawmill men were forced to buy
their timber from the government in
stead of stealing it. They we're 30 in
the habit of getting it for nothing