The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-17
THE NORTH IDAHO TREsPAss,

We print this morning from Boise.
an cXultaut report Of the triumph OF
law over malcfactor. The Chicago.
Milwaukee & ST. Paul rairoad has
been found guilty of fhc scandalons
offense of building its railroad through
Northern Idaho. It has done this. 1t
appears, in defiance Of certain forestry
regulations that forbid all trcspass ON
forest reserves, Naturally, therefore,
the court finds the culprlt gmlty with
out ado, sweeping away all tcchnicalI-
ties and coming to the heart of the mat
ter al once. What does tho constmc-
tion of railroad amount to- compared
with the preservation of trees ana the
strict inviolability Of forest reserve
II might have been pleaded on behalf
Of the railroad-pcrhaps II was so plead
ed and was waived aside as triNIaIlty
or techuicality-that the railroad
company had secured permission of the
Secretary of Agriculture 10 90 through
the Montana forest reserve. and lncau-
tiousIy thought it was getting permls-
sion to go through any forest reserve
through which il might wish 10 bnild.
This. however, was n shocking error, and
is likely TO cost the company dear, 1T
neglected 10 get specific permit to go
through The North Idaho reserve, ana
so stands condemned as wanton, guilty
trespasser
What docs anybody or any railroad
company want 10 build railroads FOR
ANYHOW in this Western countryg Docs
not every one understand fully by tins
time that the chief thing to be kept IN
mind by all is that tho national inter
est in tho forest reserves and pubic
lands in this Western country is SUI
prcmc, and that that interest must not
be meddIed with by the settlers, or by
those who would develop the country
on lines of civilization. as the eastern
re gion is dcveloped2 What is to be
done if it is necessary to go through
forest reserves and TO cut down some
trees or bushes in order 10 get on with
tho peopling and tho development of
this mountain country? The alterna-
tive is easy; don u cut down the trees
and bushes; do not develop, but leave
all this to future generations. Eastern
people want TO keep all of this noun.
tain country as a playground for their
grandchildren and great grandchildren,
and do not want to see anything done
by way of disturbing the natural con
ditions by the people now living, and
especially by the pioneers of the west.
If an Eastern colony should come out
here and undertake to open lands and
cut down trees to build their houses
and fences, we suppose there might be
some palliation and some excuse for
their trespass on a forest reserve. But
for Western people to do this, and espe
ciallv for a railroad or other company TO
do il for the benefit Of the Western
people, such gross offense is such a
scandalous stencil in the nostrils of the
people of the East that it cannot be
borne.
1t certainly must be n delight 10 the
jealous advocates Of the forest reserve
policies TO see that this railroad has
been brought up with round turn for
its enormous jmpertinence in building
railroad through Northern Idaho. There
is absolutely no excuse for that kind
of vilainy It is too soon to build rail
roads through these mountains; wait un
iii posterity wants them. True mum
Der Of lines have been built heretofore,
but they have vested interests, that
ought not 10 be encroached upon by now
construction. Look at it any way You
please. this signal triumph of the law
over the Chicago, Milwaukee & st, Paul
Railroad must be one Of the most stjm,
ulating events of the year TO the East
ern conscience and anticipatory greed