The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-06-22
FIRSi StSSIO n
BIG LAND CONVENTION COMES TO
ORcER AND ORGANIZES.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Policies Set Forth by Big Fellows, Lit
tie Farmers and by Presi-
dent Roosevelt.

yention during It's three days session:
% Has the United States govern
ment the constitutional right TO hold
the public lands within the borders OF
a new state in perpetual ownership
and under municipal sovereignty
without the consent OF the state?
90 When the new states were ad.
mitted with all rights and privileges Of
the older states. did not the agreement
include the right to acquire the public
lands for its citizens under the laws Of
the United States?
80 The withdrawal of large tracts
of public lands in the West. having
been urged upon the ground of public
necessity. does such public necessity
exist in fact as would warrant the
large withdrawals already made?
"a Has the United States constitu-
tional capacity to engage in merchan-
dizinC tim Der and coal in competition
with citizens Of the state. and II so, is
there any limit 10 that capacity?
t5D II the United States has the
power under the constitution TO en-
bark on an extensive and monopolistic
scale in the development and merchan-
dizing Of the resources of the public
lands. would such action be in the in
terests Of the progress and develop
nent oil the states
co Would the power proposed TO
be conferred by Congress upon the De
partmeut Of Agriculture. TO regulate
the control grazing upon the unappro-
priated and unreserved lands OF the
United States rstard the settlement
development and gradual absorption
Of the public lands into private owner
ship as contemplated by the constitu
tom
ca Has the government OF the
United States the constitutional power
TO interfere with public or private en-
tcrprise in the construction of irriga
tion works and the utilization of the
waters of the streams within the state
for irrigation or other purposes, or to
deny such projects a right of way over
public lands?
President Rooseveit's Policy.
President Roosevelt's policy is to
have these lands arbitrarily admins
tered through the Interior Department.
or more directly by the Agricultural
Department. so as tc wipe out all state
lines That Is, that the general gov
eminent make rigid rules and regula-
tions for the government OF the public
domain in the western states and ter
ritories and hire an army of employees
to enforce them.
For instance, he would bar the yari-
Gus states entirely from having any
thing to say with reference to the ad-
ministratioa of this vast area. leaving
the whole thing for the government to
exploit for the benefit of the people. !r-
respective of the doctrine of states
rights as well as the constitutional
rights Of these states.
What Small Ones Want.
What the little fellows seeking a
home in the West wants. is to be given
chance to run his business after he
has homesteaded, according to his own
plans. For instance. he wants to
Craze his cattle on his land without be
ing disturbed by the big fellows or the
government which has levied tax
upon him in some ways. He wants to
be protected in his rights, be in po-
sition TO JOIN with others to build irri
cation and reservoir systems TO re-
claim the arid lands contiguous. In
short he does not want to be ham
pered by government regulations in the
development OF his section.
Some of the stockmen want a leas-
ing system by which they can range
their cattle or live stock Other cattle
government and charge made for the
privilege
How Big Fellows Would liee u.
StoCkmen and other interests in the
West at least a majority of them as
represented at the convention. demand
for grazing. irrigation and the like the
same rights that were possessed by the
people of the original states and the
new states that were fashioned ont in
the East subsequently, to settle their
public lands with people on liberal
terms and by liberal laws shaped by
state authority.
In other words. the people of the
West hold that under the constitution
Congress has not even the right to en-
act federal laws and establish policies
that will make for the permanent hold
ing Of these public lands and the gov
eminent of them exclusively by the
general government, because they be-
long 10 the people and should be
administered in the interest of the
people by state laws.
Convention Opens.
The Western Land convention
opened auspiciously at the Broadway
Theatre.
Great flags foated from the balco-
MES ana the DDNSS, ana tHt stage was a
literal bower of stars and stripes. An
orchestra played patriotic airs and the
COO delegates gave no intimation that
there were grave and serious differ
ences of opinion among them as Gov
ernor Buchtel made a soothing sermon
OF welcome and the Rev George Be
dell Nosburgh opened with prayer. The
temporary organization also went
through as II it was creased
Al a morning caucus the antiadmin-
istration delegates. which are prac
tically all OF the delegates to the con-
vention, finally agreed on DR.. J. NJ
Wilson of Wyoming. big wool
grower. as permanent chairman OF the
convention. and he will be chosen with
little opposition.