The Glenwood post., 1907-06-22
FIRST SESSION
BIG LAND CONVENTION COMES TO
oRpER AND ORGANIZES.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
Policies Set Forth by Big Fellows, Lit
tie farmers and by Pres-
dent Roosevelt

| that Will be discussed by the Land con
Vention during its three days session:
"a Has the United States govern
| ment the constitutional right to hold
the public lands within the borders of
| new state in perpetual ownership
| and under municipal sovereignty
| without the consent of the state?
| 2) 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 tor its citizens under the laws of
the United States?
| 90 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?
| (4 Has the United States consttu-
tional capacity to engage in merchan-
dizing timber and coal in competition
with citizens of the state, and if so, is
there any limit to that capacity?
t5) If tie 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
ment of the states?
co. Would the power proposed to
be conferred by Congress upon the De
partment of Agriculture. to regulate
the control grazing upon the unappro-
priated and unreserved lands of the
United States,' retard the settlement,
development and gradual absorption
of the public lands into private owner
ship as contemplated by the constitu
ton?
| ca Has the government of the
United States the constitutional power
TO interfere with public or private en-
terprise in the construction of irriga
ton works and the utilization of the
waters of the streams within the state
for irrigation or other purposes, or to
deny such projects 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 to wipe out all state
lines That is. that the general gov
ernment make rigid rules and resula-
tions for the government of the public
domain in the western states and ter
ritorios and hire an army of employees
to enforce them.
For instance. he would bar the vari-
Gus states entirely from having any
thing to say with reference to the ad-
minis'ratioa of this vast area. leaving
the whole thing for the government to
exploit for the benefit of the people, ir-
respective of the doctrine of state
iYl,t tl,., ,,G.tt tttt ttfNys, Il
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 a tax
upon him in some ways. He wants to
be protected in his rights, be in a po-
sitOn to join with others to build irri-
saton and reservoir systems to re-
Calm the arid lands contiguous. In
short, he does not want TO be ham
pcred by government regulations in the
Development of his section.
Some of the stockmen want leas-
their cattle or live stock. Other cattle
men do not want this controlled by the
government and charge made for the
privilege.
How Big Fellows Would Lige It.
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 out 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 to 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
| lneatre.
Great flags fioated from the balco
MES and the boxes. and the 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 soothing sermon
of welcome and the Rev. George Be
dell Vosburgh opened with prayer. The
temporary organization also went
through as If it was creased.
At morning caucus the anti-admin
istration delegates, which are prac
tically all of the delegates to the con
vention, finally agreed on DIR. j. NJ
Wilson of Wyoming, a big wool
grower. as permanent chairman of the
convention. and he will be chosen with
little opposition.