The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-06-17

Roosevelt's reserve policy is bitterly
condemned as an impertinelt inter
ference and a denial of the American
doctrine of self-government by the
cattlemen gathered in Denver today
for the public lands convention to be
held here during the week, beginning
tomorrow. That the meeting will as
sumo national Importance as marking
an open break between the administra
ton and the cattle kings of the West
heretofore President Roosevelt's most
ardent supporters, there is little room
to doubt. Reports have been selt out
characterizing h coming assemblage
as the 'trans-Mississippi anti-Roose-
welt convention and %intimating that
it has already been fixed. This is
Indignantly denied by Senator Patter-
son, Senator Teller and others interest
ed in h purpose of the convention.
That the delegates of the conven
ton will go on record as opposing the
presidents public land policy is GER
tain, although the statement that all
of R~oosevelt's reform measures will
be condemned is apparently without
basis of fact Stockmen in all parts
of Colorado and other western states
have recently held meetings to dis
cuss the matter and the delegates,
without exception, have een instruc-
ted to join in the concerted opposition
to the administrators public domain
program.
Resolutions to be presented to the
convention ave been prepared by Co
dorado Cattlemen, expressing their
ideas on the questions at issue in the
following language:
Whereas it is the announced pur-
pose of the forest reserve policy to be
an internal improvement for bene-
fit of the entire country, whereas,
Clifford Pinchot, chief forester, has de
clared his intention to max the re
serves self-supporting, and that he in
tends by 1917, to derive ia e of
$500, 900 a year from the reserv by
the sale of grass, timber, water for
power, and other means; and whereas
the last congress passed a river and
harbor bill appropriating abou $4,000
900 for internal improvements, the
direct b~eneficiaries of which are not
asked to pay a cent; therefore be it
Resolved, that the policy of ex
ploitation of the pioneers who happen
to live upon or near the reserves by
charging for all products of the pub
lie lands, is uncalled for, unjust and
should be stopped by congress.
Resolved, that while we uphold
and endors the idea of conserving the
timber of the country, of conserving
the water supply by care of the tim
Der and of careful management of the
range, we favor that policy which will
most speedily bring the unoccupied
public lands under private ownership
and cultivation by actual settlement.
Resolved, that from careful obser-
walton of the results of irrigation in
the upper GuGnnison valley for a per-
iod of thirty years, we believe that
the seepage return flow is a positive
aid to the stream flow in low water
months of July, August n Septem-
Der, and that agriculture in the high
er mountain sections should receive
the earnest support and aid of the
forest and reclamation bureaus in
stead of, as at present, being tacitly
discouraged under the false and mis-
leading theory that the water is more
valuable lower down.
Resolved, That we favor the Am
erican doctrine of the self-local gov
eminent carried to the utmost practic
al limit. W. believe that the citizens
of Colorado are among the most intel
ligent and enlightened in the world,
that they can best manage their own
local affairs without interference from
distant states and cities, hat they
best understand the local conditions
or u~noccupied government land sur
rounding their homes and can judge
better of desirable rules and regula-
lions than can outsiders, and in conse
quelce, we favor a system of local
control of public grazing"
T. NJ. Patterson who was recently
succeeded as United States Senator
from Colorado by Simon Guggenheim
the smelter magnate, is n of the
leaders in h fight against the Roose-
welt public land policy. Senator Pat
terSon owns two of the most inf1uen-
tial newspapers in Denver and is thus
in a position to give his views wide
circulation among the interested par
ties.
1.-The convention is not in sense
an attack upon Roosevelt's reform pol