The Glenwood post., 1907-03-30

otnclal Oatn. L nave acted through
out in accordance with the advice OF
the attorney general. as l was bound
to do, and will continue to so act.
am sensi BILE of the wisdom and mode.
ration of your editorial comment upon
this matter. and l thank you for the
public service you have rendered in
making it. Very truly yours,
JAMES WILSON,
Secretary.
The letter of Senator Fulton re.
ferred to by Secretary Wilson and
which was printed in tn g Blue Noun
tain Oregon American is false and
misleading throughout and is on a par
with some of the vicious advice which
has been given the stockmen in this
state by their false friends. Senator
Fulton's letter to Editor Combs and
which Combs severely condemned edi-
torially is as follows
Washington. D. c. Feb. 4, 1907.
Mr.. J. D. Combs, John Day, Ore.
My Dear Mr.. Combs: l have your
letter of the 2sth ultimo. 1, as you
probably are aware, have been op-
posed to the management of the forest
reserves in the manner it is being con :
Quoted and have tried to get some
backing from the stock organizations;
but every time Mr.. Pinchot goes out
and meets the stockgrowers they seem
to indorse his plans. Now, had there
been the right sort of a campaign
made by the stockmen against charg
ing for pasturage in the forest re-
serves, that policy would have been
defeated.
went out against it at once. but
could not get the stockmen to back
me up However, it may be that
this policy serves their interest the
best.
Now, SO far as the forestry officials
not permitting you to turn your stock
out or to enter upon the forest re-
serves before June or any other time
is concerned, that is all nonsense.
There is no law against turning stock
on reserves at any time. The only
thing they could do would be to drive
them off.
If were living right adjacent to a
reserve, l should not hesitate to turn
my cattle out at any time and let
them go on the reserve; and if they
should go on the reserve, it would be
no offense against the law. In other
words, there is no law making it a
crime for cattle to be turned out in
the vicinity of, or indeed, to be driv-
en- upon, forest reserve.
If any official tells you that he will
have you arrested if your stock is
turned out or goes upon the reserves,
| wish you would give me his name
and positi He is simply telling
you falsehood and probably knows
it. You tell the people that they
need have no fear at all about turning
their stock out that there is no law
against it, even though the stock do
go upon the reserves OF course the
forest rangers can drive the stock off
the reserve, but that is all they can
do. They can not arrest the stock,
impound them, or charge the owner
anything because of their being on
the reserve. All they can do is to
drive them off. Sincerely.
c. W. FULTON.
The Blue Mountain American com.
mented editorially upon Senator Full
ton letter as follows:
Elsewhere in this issue is printed a
letter from Senator Fulton to Joe
Combs. a wellknown stockman of the
John Day country. 1t is certainly a
remarkable communication, and, as
it has been forwarded to the forest re-
serve chiefs at Washington. an ad-
justment must be forthcoming within
few weeks or the condition will be
somewhat chaotic, if not anarchic,
within the borders of not only the
Blue Mountain reserve, but all other
reserves in Oregon, where Fulton, by
reason of his position, stands for
something. That he has made seri-
GUS mistake in advising Combs and
others that they can range their stock
at will and without compliance with
the regulations and requirement of
the service will hardly admit of ques
tion. That these regulations and re-
strictions are based upon the law
which created the reserves and has
prepared for their policing through a
service of rangers is pretty we'll un.
derstood. Because Senator Fulton
like good many others, opposed the
enactment of that measure is no rea
son why 1t should not be complied
with at this time.
Pinchot evidently understands his
position pretty thoroughly as chief of
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