The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-01-18
Arrogant Wool Growers.

w OOI uTOWGIS.
The wool growers of Idaho met at Pocatello last
week and with their old-time arrogance and assump
ton ordered everybody who differed with them to
"get off the earth" They resolved against President
Roosevelt Forester Pnchot, all the forest rangers,
and against everything and everybody who had the
temerity to suggest, by indirection, that any
body except the "sheep men" had any rights in
Idaho One of the speakers is reported to have made
a decided hit when he took contemptuous fling at
the cowboy" as Roosevelts friend. The Pocatello
convention sent delegates to Helena to attend the
meeting of the wool growers of the West.
The Helena meeting made its attack on forest
reserves, Roosevelt and everybody who dares to
suggest that any one except sheep men have
any right or interest in the public domain.
1t is the plain intent of the wool growers
Citations to destroy and wipe out forest reserves.
They are careful at all times to state that they en-
dorse the policy of forest reserves but matter
of fact and practice there IS not detail OF the
policy which they do not severely condemn
They demand the right in the sole interest of the
sheep industry, to determine how forest reserves
shall be regulated and what they shall embrace No
greater calamity could to Idaho than the doing
away with forest reserves. The large sheep owners
might prosper nightly for few years, but the lum
Der trusts would strip the country of all its
aVa1laDle TIMBER not stopping even at the HedQS OF
streams, and in comparatively few years the sheep
men themselves would wish they had the forests
back In the meantime the mischief would be done
to the rancher and the home-bui1der. President
Roosevelt is to be commended for his forest
policy, and the sheep making mistake in
their organized and vicious attack him account
of his stand for the preservation of our forests.
They do not deceive any one by empty words of
endorsement. Their intention is to return to old
the use and benefit of their own industry without
restriction tax by any power, and regardless of
the effect this selfish policy would have any other
industry, on the future prosperity and we'll being
of the State.
If the sheep men will contest temporarily and fair
1y, take an honest position and deal frankly with
the people, they will have the support of the people,
and the abuses and mistakes of the forest reserve
administration will be rect6ed There hasn't been
a public in Idaho for twenty years of any
standing, of any party, who has not vigorously
opposed the leasing of our public lands by the gen
era1 Government There is not in Idaho who
has the interests of the State at heart who is not
opposed to putting nontimbered grazing lands in
forest reserves for the purpose of allowing the for
ester to lease them to stock men, This system would
discourage and destroy the small stock raiser and
harass and unduy hamper the owners of large focks
The sheep will be supported in their reasonable
demands. They will not be in their indiscriminate
attack on President Roosevets forest reserve policy
The sheep men have not very long memories, they
would recall that their forgetfulness of the rights OF
others caused them trouble with the other good