Gilpin observer. (Central City, Colo.) 1897-1921, 1910-05-05
e. T. TAYLOR
DEFENDS MINING INDUSTRY

Congressman e. T. Taylor, of Colo
rado, before the House Of Representa-
t1ves few days ago, in voicing his
opposition to a bill which authorizes
| the president to suspend and for the
Time being nullify all our public land
laws whenever he pleases, and to
! Withdraw from location, settlement,
Thing and entry any or all of the pub
lie lands in the United States and
ALASKA, wakes eloquent in defense of
the miners and the mining industry.
IN concluding one of the grandest ad-
dresses we have yet read in the Con-
gressional Record, the able Colorado
| repr esentative says:
Interference With Mining Operations.
l simply ask of this House that
you insert in this general and per-
manent withdrawal law provision
for the hardy prospectors, the men
whose bones have bleached upon
every trail Of the Rocky Mountains,
that they may be permitted to peace
ably prospect for the precious
metals; and when they find them,
that they may locate their claims
and develop them unimpeded and un-
harrassed and be able to obtain title
10 them. Can anything be more fair
or more just than such an amend
ment? If this conservation policy was
frank If it was candidly fighting
under fair banner that it claims to
be, If it was desirous Of building up
the west, as it pretends, it would
not only join with me, but woul1 in
sdst upon provision of that kind GO
ing into any and every withdrawal
law. But instead of that, the sham
conservationists are here fighting the
metalliferous miner as desperately as
they are The homestead settler.
The production of the precious met
ais has done more toward making
this Nation great than the production
Of any other substance or crop in
this country. This country wants as
much gold and silver and copper and
lead as we can get. How is conserva-
ton injured by miner digging or
blasting hole in the rocks A large
portion Of our reserves are above tim
Der line or is land or rochs upon
which there is nothing to conserve
Every withdrawal law OF proclama-
ton ever made has expressly reserv-
ed and tried to protect the miners
rights. Why do you now put him out
OF business and off of the earth, as
II he were an outlaw?
l have known the miners in my
etate from boyhood. am proud to
say they have always been my
friends; and know all this talk and
magazine scare headlines about rob-
bling the government. and looting the
public domain, SO far as it pertains
to the miners and homestead set
tasrs of Colorado. is a cruel ard IN
famous libel. The metalliferous min
| hN;,-
expended ten dollars in toll and pri-
vation for every one dollar they have
made; and l believe this government
has received a thousand dollars in
benefit for every dollar it ever spent
upon them.
One of the last acts of the martyr
ed and immortal Abraham Lincoln,
whose memory We all love and rev
ere, was to send message to the
hardy miners of the Rocky Mountains
bidding them God-speed and assuring
them protection in the development
of the mineral resources of the west.
From that day until the establish
ment of the forest reserves and she
withdrawal of the public lands this
stream of gold and silver pouring in
to the Golfers of this nation, has fur
nished circulating medium that has
largely been the lifeblood of this
country. will not agree with the
conservationists who would now re-
verse that policy. am not that type
of a conServationis's.
Il is remarkable with what equan-
unity and fortitude We can endure
the hardships Of other people. There
is to me a kind Of grim humor in
reading the proceedings of nearly
every public gathering il the eas:,
during the past year or so. where
men meet to discuss public affairs.
They usually differ as wide as the
poles upon many policies and meth
DDS, but they always unanimously
and enthusiastically ildorse conserva-
tion Of natural resources-in the
west. They have little or nothing to
conserve themselves, and they know
little or nothing about what it IS CT
how 1t affects US. But X does not
touch them. AMI 1t sounds good and
promises TO make some one else pay
something. The conservation press
bureau has made them believe we
are getting something for nothing, SO
they always approve and loudly in
dorse the conservation OF natural re-
sources.