The Meeker herald., 1907-02-16
AV1GOROJJs PROTEST
BY White River Settlers Against President Roosevets
Harmful and Unnecessary Innovations.
The People of Rio Banco Aonng Counties Aroused
Dangers Thse Threaten U.s.

hands of one corporation in the
V1tted States; hence, by well-known
Hnethods of modern finance. poor men
ould be unable to obtain any benefit
6m an oil lease and would be com
pelied to dispose of any lease they
might obtain to such corporation on
any terms it saw fit, and thus ordin-
AfT citizens would cease to prospect
for oil, and in n very short time
worse monopoly of the oil trade than
now existing would spring up, a mon
opoly fostered and strengthened by
the very laws designed to curtail and
prevent it: and, be it further
Resolved, That we oppose any sys-
ten of leasing or governmental su-
pefvision of grazing lands on the pub
lia adomain; while the proposed laws
% that end theoretically preserve the
right of all citizens to "homestead"
Duch lands, it is apparent on it's face
that no man would homestead land
whore the surrounding public land
49, closed to his use, and the result
0f any such scheme must inevitably
~ the landlord system of Europe,
end would be Il denial of all the prin-
4tples of individual independence,
which has been our boast as n nation
tcR bne hundred and forty years; and,
~ u further
Hesolved, That we demand the
Utthdrawal of the late executive or
der which brands every honest home
seeker of the West rs land thief,
hy tmputing perjury to the sworn
6tAAefnents of all settlers and their
Witnesses, and we declare that the
Sedef. f.forbidding any patents to issue
ntil the provisions of said order are
9Dmpiied with Is Illegal, without
warrant of law and an insult to the
Nestsrn people. Statistics show that
- than ona psr cent ot AL entries
|hsts any Atft OF fraud connected
with them, and 1t is an unwarranted
imputation on the honesty Of Ameri-
can citizens to brand all settlers as
perjurers and land thieves; and, be it
further
Resolved, That we believe firmly
and unalterably that each and every
one of the proposed changes in the
present land system, while ostensibly
framed to be in the interests of the
poor man, would inevitably result in
giving the use and control of all un-
occupied lands, whether mineral.
agricultural or grazing, into the
hands Of corporations and the veal
thy, to the absolute exclusion of the
poor man; and, be it further
Resolved, That we earnestly pro-
test apainst the attempt to attach
the proposed laws in reference to
leasing as a rider to any appropria-
tion bill, for the reason that the pro-
posed revision of the land laws is Of
too important nature and requires
so much careful thought and consid-
GRAFTON that no hasty or immature
changes should be tolerated.; and it
is self evident that no proper debate
or consideration of the proposed
change can or will be had, if the law
be enacted in the method contem-
plated. In conclusion, and as illus
trative Of the effect of recent orders
upon western communities, we give
the following statement as to actual
conditions In our own county at the
present time:
Rio BlAncO county contains lO7
Townships; Withdrawn from settle
ment for White River Forest Reserve
% townships; Withdrawn on account
of coal So townships; withdrawn un-
der Reclamation Act exclusive of
above coal landD part of the coal land
having been included in this with
drawal, about 2 townships. There
remains therefore about % townships,
mostly farming and oil lands, open to
settlement and mining claims; from
which it can readily be seen how the
administration has closed the door to
progress In Rio Blanco county.
Resolved, That copies of these res
olutions be transmitted to all our
congressman and senators; to the
public lands committees of both
houses OF congress; to our state SEN
ator and representative, and to the
Meeker and Denver newspapers, with
the request that each do all in his or
their power to defeat any and all of
the proposed measures above referred
to. G. T. CARNEY,
THOs. II. lies,
b. F. MONTGOMERY,
f. A. MARTIN,
H. J. HAY,
Committee.