The Washington herald., 1907-06-20
Land MEN At ODDS
Charges of Packing COnyen-
tiOn Made at Denver.
HOSTILE TO ADMINISTRATION
Indications of Opening Session Point
To Adoption of Resolutions Con-
demning Leasing and Fencing OF
Public Lands and Withdrawal of
Large Tracts as Reserves.

Denver, June 19-Although Federal Off
l cials and other speakers at a banquet
/ rendered land convention delegates last
night. urged harmony and getting to-
/ gether. it IS evident that the resolutions
/ which Will be adopted tomorrow express
/ ing the sentiment Of the convention viii
/ be strongly anu-administration, especial
/ ly condemnng the leasing and fencing
/ of public lands and the withdrawal Of
/ large tracts as forest reserves.
/ The Observation-Disclosures claim that
the government made a futile attempt TO
/ pack the convention IN its favor. on
/ the other hand it is charged the conven-
| ton rs really a stockmen's meeting and
packed against the administration.
\ genuine sensation developed this
morning when the credentials committee
reported II was discovered that Colorado
had 396 delegates, Wyoming 1i5, and the
balance of the States scarcely 100. The
! Roosevelt delegates took advantage Of
/ this report to make objections. They
claimed that the convention was packed
and that instead Of a Western conven-
tion. il was I'm reality Colorado cOnyen-
ton Several of the committee on ere
dentials protested that tho committee hid
no risht 20 say who should ultimately
vote but could only report the list Of
delegates present.
senator Warren Protests.
The row over the report lasted q couple
Of hours. and at times threatened 10 dis
rupt the convention. During the debate
Senator Warren said.
II came here in the expectation Of see
ing q convention from all States and not
Of Colorado people, and I believe the re-
port Of your committee on credentials
should be sent back for correction"
The convention finally sent the report
back 10 the committee ON credentials d.
recting them 20 report every person
whose credentials had been sent to the
convention. present or absent
Congressman BhouvHge expressed the
sentiment Of many delegates 90 the con-
vention this morning when he condemned
the action of the administration I'm set-
ting apart forest reserves fve-slXths Of
all the public lands in the country there
by Withdrawing this land from the pos
sbiIity Of settlement by citizens and
placing 70 in the hands Of the government
as a great land owner % be left 20 the
people as tenants
After another speech had been made
against the administrations policy. Murdo
Mackenzit president of the american
Live Stock Association. a warm friend of
Ru0sevelt's policies. demanded IF it was
the purpose 90 hear only one side Of the
question. He declared that So Tar such
had been the evident intention
Divide Things Evenly.
Senator Teller replied on behalf Of the
committee, saying il had not been hy de-
sign that such an arrangement had been
made. He said that the committee had
tried 20 divide things evenly.
After some further discussion, order
was restored. and Capt. Arnold. iutroduc- .
ed as a small rauchman Of Wyoming, .
said.
Wyoming boasts of 100000 acres Of /
wooded area. and the government cIains f.
$4,000 acres i'm that State. Thirty per
cent Of the land which has been put IN
forest reserve is not even wooded area /
The Wyoming ranchman does not say he
is an angel but if you can find any body
Of men under the flag OF more uublem- .
ished reputation I'd like % know IT, We /
have had no land frauds In our State /.
save those imported By government in /
spectors and land agents