, 1908-01-08
HAS SOME FRIENDS.

The howl about Baron Pinchot" is
not universal. Occasionally an editor
who has had opportunity to observe the
character of the man and the
in which he is performing the duties
Of his office has the courage to say
just what he thinks. Editor Crawford
or the Saratoga sun lives right 1t the
edge of the Medicine Bow national for.
est aud also within a stones throw OF
the Sierra Madre national forest, and
his judgment of the man and his work
seems to accord squarely with Colonel
Bells expression, that Mr.. Pinchot
has treated the people of this section
of the state fairly" Editor Crawford
says:
Every now and then one notes a
red hot roast for Mr.. Pinchot, head
of the national forest, in some of the
western papers, for his conduct in that
Office. There does not seem to be any
well defined reason for this-just sim.
ply n desire to roast for the sake of
roasting and not because 1t is in any
measure deserved. 1t is perfectly ma.
tural that in the first years of build.
Jig up a new department in the gov.
eminent that there should be mistakes
and even grave errors in the work.
This has been the case in the matter
of the national forest and it was to
have been expected. Time, patience
and much thought has to be expended
on such a large matter as the creation
of a new branch of government ser,
vice. And If these errors and mistakes
are not the result of "A purpose to
harm, then they shoul dbe dealt with
%leniently. They should not be ignored,
nor should they be enlarged upon, but
should be treated in all fairness.
Unfortunately We have many men
occupying editorial chairs hat will go
to any length in criticisms of a pub
lie officer. Some do this because they
believe they are doing their duty, 9th
ers do 1t to attract notice to them.
selves, for their only hope of getting
into the limelight is to do some out
landish thing.
1T is pleasant to turn from all thiR
abuse of o really faithful and consci.
%entious public officer, to listen to what
his friends say of him. One such, in
conversation with the editor of this
paper, said recently; Mr.. Pinchot is
one of the finest men l ever met, and
my acquaintance with him has been a
real pleasure. He has a keen analyt
ical mind, and since he turns his mind
to a subject he seems to go to the
very bottom of it before he lets up.
And it does not take him very long
to do it. 1t was a matter of surprise
to me to see how quickly he got at
the very marrow of every question that
came up before him. He seems to bore
into the matter with the speed and
certainty of an electrical drill, and
when he energies he is master of ev.
erything that is worth knowing in that
direction. Personally he is a perfect
gentleman. | never met a more rein.
ed, scholarly man than | found him to
be. He is thoroughly master of every
detail connected with the national for.
est. OF course there has been some
conflict between his theories and the
way they have worked out in practice,
but no man on earth is so willing to
learn and so ready and anxious to cor
rect his mistakes as Mr.. Pinchot. Much
of the criticism of the man has beer
of the wild-eyed, spread-eagle kind, and
when we consider that it comes from
men who have not been able to have
their way in running the public for,
ests, or their tools, We should take 1t
with a great many grains of allowance
This is not intended as a defense of
, Mr., Pinchot, Tor he does o need that.
. His work is of such a character that it
needs no defense. Time will show that
he is pursuing the right course and
working and living on the broad and
? commendable principle that the forests
are the heritage of the people n AS
such should be preserved from every
, source"
{ Catarrh Cannot Be Cured.
with LOCAL APPLICATIONS, as they
g cannot reach the seat of the disease.