The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-20

THE WESTERN DEMANDS.

tested at that convention was alto
gcthcr patriotic and sensible in so far
as il called a halt on the lawless con-
servatiol policies put in force TO the
injury of this whole mountain and coast
country. There is not the least differ
ence of opinion among candid thinking
men as 10 the injury which those pol
icies inflict. Nor is there, nor can
there be, the least difference of opinion
on the point that those policies reverse
the policies and the practice of the
United States from its earliest settle
ment. The policies and practices which
have been in vogue all the time have
resulted in the settlement of this coun-
try with a freedom. with rush. and
a splendid, conqucrnG advance such as
was never seen in the history Of the
world before, All that is needed is
continuance of that free and progress
sive policy, which the laws amply pro
fully obstructed by the conservation
practice under Mr.. Pinchot. Mr.. Gar
field, and President Roosevelt while
they were in Office.
We take it that the demand of these
Western Governors is the answer of
the West to the East where the East
undertakes to intrudo its obstructive
hand in the development of this West
ern region. The real desire is to have
the obstructions removed, so that this
w nj
in its proper growth and progress with
out the unlawful distractions put an
the way by officials who have small re-
gard for the law or for the rights of
the settlers. These Governors unques-
tionably would be practically salts
fed with Just, fair administration OF
the land laws such as has prevailed IN
past years. 1t is no answer to their
position to say that monopolies are
created, for the immediate reply to
that is that the policies themselves
perpetuate the very monopolies that the
advocates of conservation pretend so
much to deplore, for competition is i'm
possible If the coal lands, water power,
and the forest reserves are held away
from the people s use,
1t was we'll for the Governors to be
unrcserved and candid In making their
demand. This will show the revolt
against the oppressive policies which
have been put in force hitherto without
regard to law, and to the injury of
all these Western communities. The
idea that water power sites can be
withdrawn and held without use for
speculative purposes is negatlved by
every court decision ever rendered
throughout this water appropriating di-
vision of the country, those decisions
having been uniform and emphatic to
the point that water is to be regarded
as appropriated only when applied to
beneficial use. This is the good, whole
some rule, the rule that will undoubt-
edly always apply, as it ought to do.
1t is not likely that the Western Gov
ernors will get very much encourage
ment or consideration in the st. Paul
conservation convention, because that
is put-up Pinchot job from the first,
All of the old sentimental, restrictive,
obstructive gang will be there, and they
will be in control And yet the Gov
ernors did wisely and we'll in deter
mining to send delegates there, so as
heard Tt is high time that the voice
of the West, which has suffered so
much from the sentimental folly Of
Pinchot, Roosevelt, Garfield and the
rest of that gang, should rise up and
demand its rights, And this is exactly
what the Governors assembled in Salt
Lake City the past two days have de-
termined shall be done. They will not
carry their demands at the st. Paul
convention to be sure, but they will
is any representation of sense there
that is not thoroughly obsessed with
the Pinchot humbuggery, that repre-
sentation Will heed what the Western
men say, and this will be bound to
have a very strong influence in the
country at large, These Governors
represent the States in which the evil
work of the conservation sentimental
lists is mostly done. and which have
chiefly suffered from those obstructive
policies, 1t is we'll that these States
should rise up through their Governors
and demand not only to be heard, but
that change should be effected where
by their States will be relieved from
the disabilities which sentimental con.
seryation impracticably has imposed
upon them. The Tribune is delighted
to have this emphatic and complete en-
dorsement Of its position by these West
ern Governors, Their platform or dec.
laration is precisely the same that The
Tribune has been urging on this ques-
| tion from the first of the discussion of
this conservation question.
CANNON OUT OF IT.