Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1910-09-16
or purposes Of private enrichment.


During the last session Of congress
bills were introduced to transfer the
water power sites in the national for.
ests and the public domain to the con.
troll Of the states. l cannot state too
strongly my belief that these measures
arc unwise and that it would be disas.
trous to enact them into law.
In substance their effect would be to
free these great special interests from
all effective control. The passage Of
such Il bill would be a victory Of the
special interests over the general VEL
fare and long backward step down
the hill Of progress we have Of late
been climbing.
Coal Lands.
The same principle applies with INC.
culiar force to the coal lands. and es.
pecially to the coal lands in Aluska.
whose protection and ownership by
the federal government are SO neces.
sary both for full and free industrial
development in the west and for the
needs of our fleet in the Pacific.
The coal mines should lie leased. not
sold. and those who mine the coal
should pay back part Of the profit to
the people. 1t is the right and duty
of the people to demand the most Wig
liant tr,lsteeship OH that part of that
branch Of the federal government in
charge Of the fuel resources Of the
United States.
The Neutral Ground.
Remember also that many Of the
men who protest loudly against effec
tive national action would be the first
to turn round and protest against
state action IL such action in it's turr
became effective and would then un.
hesitatingly invoke the law to show
that the state had no constitutional
power to act.
Long experience has shown that It
is by no means impossible in cases of
constitutional doubt to get one set Of
judicial decisions which render It DIFF
ficult for the nation to act and another
set which render it impossible for the
state to act. In each case the privi-
legged b0nefiCiaries of the decision in.
vos,: tho aid Of those who treat the
constitution not US :. deaitly gid to
growth, but as fetish to pre-, Ant
growth. and they assail the advocates
Of wise and cautious progress as being
opponents Of tue constitution.
AS have said before. am strong
believer in efficient national Action
where such action offers the best hope
Of securing aud protecting the interest
Of the whole people as against the in.
tcrest Of few. but am empha teal.
~ IN favor Of state action where state
action will best serve this purpose.
and am no less .emphatically in IT,
between the nation and the states
where their duties are identical or
overlap.
If there Is one thing which Is more
unwise than another 1t Is the creation
10y Legislative. by executive or by ju-
dicial action OF neutral ground III
which neither the state nor the ma
ton has power and which can serve
rs a place Of refuge for the lawless
man. and especially for the lawless
man Of great wealth. who can hire the
best legal counsel to advise him how
to keep his abiding place equally dis
tant from the nu"crtain frontiers Of
both state and national power.
The Open Range,
am here at the invitation Of the
Colorado live Stock association. and l
desire 10 express my appreciation of
It's stnsdfast stand for dccency and
progress iii the handling Of public
lands and national forests. II has met
and Overcome tine uhrelentihg OPPOSE
tf6n OF some OF the most influential
stockmch Of the state. 1t has won
because it has been right want
TO express also my appreciation of
the work Of the American National
live Stock association. 1t has been
one of the really important forces
working toward effective railway reg
''ulati6ir while it's support OF the pol
ley Of federal range control has given
1t n large place in national affairs.
1 do not believe that single acre Of
! 'our public lands should hereafter pass
into private ownership except for the
single purpose Of homestead settle
ment. and l know that the stockmen
stand with me III their desire to re.
move every obstacle from the path Of
the genuine homcsteader and to put
every possible obstacle in the pathway
Of the man who tries to get public
lands by Misrepresentation or fraud.
This Is absolutely necessary on the
agricultural lands. 1t is at least eaual
~ necessary,.o on the mineral lands. II
would lie II calamity whose balcful ef
feet on the average citizen We car
scarcely exasgerate II the great stores
Of coal and other mineral fuels still
owned by the people In Alaska ant