Gunnison news-champion., 1909-01-29
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chAB9es which violently opposed
Ne~s-Champ'on sagsest,oa that
At Was time for the state 10 take over
the public lands and both reclana-
ton and forestry bureaus, are quot
ing with approval the report of
State Engineer Jayoox, who declare
that the action Of the reclamation
service in denying Colorado people
reservoir and water rights for the
benefit Of irrigation enterprises ia
other states, should be resisted by
the legal arm of Colorado TO the
bitter end and that this legislature
should make appropriation for such
lawsuits
For five years News Champion
has been harplng ON this danger, and
a great many thought US crank
about it, but events are proving
differently.
The whole state is up IN arms,
and hardly a prominent business
or public man Of Colorado who has
Investigated the matter at all, but
agrees. Governor Sbairoth calls at.
tention to the danger in his message,
Senator Hughes makes his speech of
acceptance center about the
question OF protecting our state
from encroachments of the forestry
and reclamation bureaus, and the
attempt to enforce a system Of
permanent absentee landlordism.
Nor is Colorado alone Nine -teptbs
OF the representatives in congress Of
the western states are feeling the
same way, and not even the false
public sentiment which Pinchot and
Garfield and the president have
created in the east by inspired"
magazine and newspaper articales
will keep the truth down much
longer
1t seems to us the only logical
solution is TO turn the remaining
public lands over to the several
states. The idea Of having two
thirds Of Colorado ruled in perpe-
tutity by department bureaue which
continually us0rp more power, which
sapplant the state government,
which annoy our settlers and block
our citizens in their plans for
development, which enforce an OBJ
noxious fee system, whose only
dssign is TO make money TO support
tax gathers and carpetbag politi-
ciaDs, 10 IN intolerable prospect. 1t
might b wise for the grant to spe-
city tAaa wafer power privileges and
perhaps coal lands should only be
sold subject 70 the right Of eminent
domain OF the state to enforce .
reasonable charge, and it might be
wise to specify that moneys received
from the sale Of public lands should
go into revolving reclamation fund
to carry on enterprises like the
Gunnison tunnel and the High Line
canal 1t might be wise to specify
that certain really timbered lands
should be preserved az forests, for
for the use of Immediately surround
ing communities, but by all means
let the citizenship of Colorado
manage its own affairs. We are
grown up and have right to our
inheritance. We may squander
some of it. No scheme has been
devised to furnish vigorous young
manhood the experience of age
without giving him responsibility.
With the primary ballot, the initia-
tive and referendum and recall. we
are reasonably well protected
against graft.
This is along the democratic idea
OF giving states and local commrni-
ties the utmost power consistent
with stable government. The re-
publicans of Colorado favor it for
did not their last state platform
contain the following.
We realize the urgent necessity
Of concerning the fuessts, water and
other natSEal resoassss Of the state,
bot favor n ADMINISTRATIONS
AND DISPOSITION Of he public
lasds sd other nsssral recosrcss
whicA will Dos rstard our Dsssral
growth md dsvs3opos.t. II view
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