, 1907-02-13

Wyo., spoke briefly in favor Of the
amendment.
Il want to plead guilty for myself
and my neighbors," said C. w. Mer-
chant OF Carload, N. NJ, who then ad-
mitted that cattlemen in his section
had fenced tracts 100 miles wide east
and west and 500 miles north and south
and that the fences had been UP twen-
ty-five years. He told of a visit a few
years ago from a special agent of the
government, who made them destroy
their fences. He said that the cattle
men lost 40 per cent of their stock and
sold the balance at reduced rates. The
cattlemen, he said, then went to Santa
Fe and had a bill passed, permitting
the fencing of public roads. AS we
could locate a public road almost
where we pleased, it was not long be-
fore we had the fences back" he said.
A Trail Of Blood.
He favored government leasing of
the lands in order to legalize the fenc-
ing and he declared hat the cattlemen
would not object to homestead settle
ments within the leased tracts.
DR.. ]. M. Wilson Of Douglas. Wyo.,
vice president of the National Wool
Growers association, suggested tina.
after the defense of homesteaders by
the cattlemen, ait might be well to
look for wings on these men,"
"A trail of blood, of assassinations,
of stock manned and destroyed, has
been left across the country from Cali.
fornia to Nebraska Is the result of diff,
ferences and difficulties of cattlemen,"
said Robert Taylor Of Abbott, Neb., il
pe Gov the Burkett amendment.
Wants States to Control.
E. ]. Bell of Albany county. Wyo-
ming, a cattleman, sheepman and farm
er, said he was willing to have gov.
eminent control if Wyoming men were
permitted to say what the grazing fees
SHOULD De Ill lQdL StdlS.
Although Secretary Of Agriculture
Wilson and Chief. Forester Pinchot
were present, Mr.. Bell pointed out
that it was a mistake to put 400, 600.
900 acres in the hands of one man to
fix the price to be paid for grazing. 1T
is too great a test Of one mans hon.
esty," he said.
After a number Of other cattlemen
were heard DR.. ]. M. Wilson of Doug.
las, As the spokesman for the National
Wool Growers association, OF which
Senator Warren is president, opposed
the amendment. Mr.. Wilson said that
to turn loose an army of special ag-
ents to enforce the proposed law would
be to invite corruption.
Letter from President.
The presidents letter to Senator
Warren follows:
"The White House, Washington, D.
c.. Feb. IL. 1907.-My Dear Senator
Warren: In accordance with our re-
cent conversation l am very glad to
send you this statement Of my posi-
ton regarding government control of
the range. | am fully in accord with
your view that the local control OF the
range should be in the hands of west
ern men familiar with stock raising
and I believe in full local participation
in the management of the range. OF
course, you must not divide the re-
sponsibility to a point where you can
hold no one responsible, but co-opera-
tioL between the stockmen and the
governments officers is absolutely es-
THE grazing fee should be small,
especially SO at first. / am anxious
that the government should get a net
from grazing on the public
range, but only enough to ray for ad-
ninistration and improvement and any
might well go to the states
territories in which the fees are
collected.
To Protect Homesteader.
"As soon IS a bill for range control