The Glenwood post., 1907-03-30

The regular annual meeting of the
Roaring Fork and Eagle River Stock
growers association was held In Car
bondale last Saturday in the hall in
the Odd Fellows building. The meet
ing was called to older by the presi
dent, Fred Light, and Secretary Price
Sloss called the roll.
Immediately after roll call Donald
McLane from near Aspen arose and
said 81 am not certain whether l am
member or not and l would like to
know. You might call me back
slider. l joined this association with
good grace, but in the meantime
was compelled TO ask for permit.
If l violated the rules, [ want you to
strike me off the list or blackball me.
The range rider told me that if I vio-
lated one of the regulations l violated
all. and told me l could not even get
a stick of firewood to cook with SO l
thought would apply for permit
under protest. If l did wrong you
can fire me out.
S. P. Sloss, the secretary, assured
Mr.. McLane that he was in exactly
the same condition and said the asso-
citation could expel him If they saw
fit.
Mr.. Copeland then explained that
il stockman turned his stock on the
reserve and refused to pay the grazing
fee, he would be reported to the
Washington Office, and if declared a
trespasser, he would be deprived of
all reserve privileges, but that until
he was branded as a trespasser be
would enjoy the same privileges as
other reserve users. In other words
that the mere refusal to take out a
grazing permit did not as had been
repeatedly stated, vitiate anyone's
rights to the reserve. Mr.. McLane
was forced to admit that Mr.. Cope
land explanation was correct.
Light Less Rabid Than Usual
| President Fred Light then arose to
pour oil on the troubled waters. 1t
was evident to all that McLane had
brought can of powder to the meet
ing and the dullest observer could see
that it would take but little to set it
off. Nearly or quite half of the mem
bers who at Basalt had signed the
iron-cl agreement to refuse to take
out premits had already applied for
'ame while others present had already
made up their minds that their loyal
ty to their business and financial wei
fare should outweigh their obligation
TO keep pledge which their better
Judgment now told them they should
lot have made. If any action of the
meeting had been taken condemning
those who have taken permits it is
.ertain there would have been a rapid
withdrawal from membership. But
the president was wise and in very
fair manner explained his position as
follows:
This organization is not going to
strike out the name of anyone, wheth-
er he has complied with the rules or
not. A man is going to protect mis-
home first. If he is fair he is not
going to eliminate that out of being,
I think we will get out. lots of us.
| would like to have every one stay
with the agreement, but whether or
not they do do not think it neces
sary to make man neglect what he
considers his best interests. l want
every man to participate in this meet
ing.
I'VE have asked the government to
give us test trial and we propose to
mold out until we get test.
If we are wrong, put us right. |
am willing to follow anybody who
can show me l am DOING wrong and !
want to do right. Mr.. McLane.
think the ranger over there talks too
much. He said we were a lot OF tin
horn orators, and that If he could at
tend one Of these meetings he would
put US right.
I'VE are opposed to paying this fee
because our taxes amount to $25 per
hundred. The federal government
wants the same In fees and we claim