, 1908-05-01
NEARER TO

The letter from Senator Clarence
ID. Clark to Mr.. II. B. Goldsmith, pub.
lished in The Republican, proves one
thing most conclusively, that the PEG.
pie of the west are getting closer TO.
gether on the subject of range control.
Senator Clark clearly points OF that
some law is desirable under which
small stockmen may have legal con.
troll of limited tracts contiguous to
their present holdings. To put it a
little palmer, IL is essential that The
stockmen We now have and those that
are to come shall be given control
under the law of s%uiticicrl range land
upon which to make q living for a
family. Anything less is inviting
fraud, a fight or starvation. Legal pos.
session Is the crux of the entire situa.
ton and it does not matter much
whether that legal possession is obtain.
ed throug a lease law, a law providing
for a purchase at a nominal figure e
tended I've a long term of years or
some other form that will give abso,
lutte individual control OF the nSces.
sary mount of land to war,i of dis.
aster.
Doubtless Senator Clark has receiv-
ed other letters from constituents
urging a lease law and The msistency
of these people has maze il clear TO
him that many Of tho stockmcu OF
Wyoming are on this side OF The ques,
tion-possibly a great majority. Al
least n of the influential weeklies of
the state that has been considered in
opposition to so-called administration
policies with regard TO the control OF
the public domain, insists that every
stockman of the state desires some
law that will give individual control to
he stockman of enough land to carry
a reasonable amount of stock, in order
that he may fence and use ii as ne
deems wise. We refer to the Douglas
Budget.
Governor Brooks avers that he would
be favorable to state contro. of the
public lands and state leasing thereof,
which is only another form of govern
meut leasing of the public domain, ana
from time to time expressions are
made by most of our public men in
dicating that all realize the necessrt,
of getting away from forcible posses.
sion N upon the strong ground oil
legal possession.
These varied expressions, all with
the same ultimate end-legal posses
sion under the LAWN view, lead to
the InnnlnCiDn that ,Arhao, Ca,,to
Clark is right in his prophecy tnai
after the question is fully discussSt
during the coming summer senator.
and representatives may go back t
Washington e winter with a clCa
idea of what the people really demand
n enact legislation that will NEE
the general need. The stockmen':
convention called for the coming faI
will aid reaching a logical conclusion
Honest, fair-minded, temperate dis
cussion will finally bring all who are
interested to common ground. The
convention called by the president Il
consider ways and means of utilizing
and conserving the undeveloped re
sources of the nation will doubles:
be an exceedingly strong aid in crys
talliZing sentiment along definite am
reasonable lines.
Those who are opposing the stock
mems convention this fall or who art
scoffing at the results to be attained
through the discussion invited b,
President Roosevelt, must be .consid
cred in opposition to any solution o
the range problem-men who prefer
to exercise a show of force in thu
domination of the public domain
rather than %peaceable occupation
under a wise law operating for the
general good.