The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-02-17
PASSING Of THE CATTLE KING
RoosEVELTs POLICY is TO GIVE
TsE SETTLER PREFERENCE.
Part Of General Plan Of Admin stra.
zion 70 Treat Domestic Questions
From Economic Standpoint
Seen IN Land Message.

Washington. Feb. ". - Pre-idau,
ROo-eyeIt.s land message 10 congress
.s .u harmon. With an administration
policy which has made far greater pro.
sress iu the last two years than the
public ComprehenGs. The conservation
Of the nations timber and fuel supply
has kept pace wi'A the progress Of
the hOmesteatar. Between the cattle
men and the homesteaders there has
long been a war which has finally been
settled by complete victory for the
settler Occasional cases can bee cited
where the cattle interests have de-
MED the hnmesteader his rights. but
the policy OF the government to give
every protection TO tine man who will
cultivate Do, soil s. accepted in con.
gress and the departments without eX-
ccption resolved the doubt in favor Of
the homosteader
The passing NJ the cattle naron.
who operates on the big ranges. Is
forcibIy illustrated by the appearance
in Washington at this time Of the re.
preventative cattle growers Of the ives
tern states. Their light now is for
such protection as might De granted
through the appointment OF grazing
lands. And even here II is proposed
that when grazing district has been
defined under lease. the homesteader
shall have the right to stake his claim
and whatever land can be legally ia.
ken by him under the homestead act
b shall Dee exempt from the provisions Of
the grazing lease
The conservation OF the fuel and tim
ber supply the governments irriga-
tiu project and the protection 10 the
humos,oader is part OF a compreheu.
siyo domestic policy which the ad.
miui-rrltion has worked out quietly.
Although this work has not beeu So
spectacular as many others the val
has been lmmcasurably greateF than
any other work which has been done.
It has been as difficult to convince the
lumber interests and senators from
western states that the nations for
ests should be treated with regard to
their economic value rather than their
convince the coal companies that the
vast mineral and fuel deposits should
bee treated by the government solely
with reference ru their economic val
ne.
The coal lands of the Indian Terri
tory illustrate this contention more
forcibly perhaps than any other The
value Of these coal lands on com
mercial estimate would not exceed
$40 per acre But when economic val
ur and the general good Of the general
tiuns yet to come are considered, it is
the governments contention that II is
nothing short Of criminal to fritter
away the Nations inheritance There
has been W'le sympathy among the
western senators and representative
for the governmental contention. The
scientists in the geological survey and
in the forestry division, who have res
ulutcly planted themselves and who
have taken advantage OF the newspa-
pcrs and magazines to represent their
contention to the people, have been
most bitterly assailed rs impractical
Missionaries. Those congressman, how
ever. who have not been subjected
to the commercial interests at home
which have sought to appropriate the
peoples inheritance have sympathizcd
with the governments contention and
they constituted a majority
Il has been only a few years since
great many people expressed alarm
because the great ranges were disar-
pcaring, and IT was feared that the
meat supply would be destroyed. i
has become generally understood that
one acre Of land under agriculture pro.