The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-20

there gain a living taken from nature is not yet
so distant that its effects not still noticeable
in the character of the people of this country as
opposed 10 those of Europe and the older nations
with history of feudal landlordism. Even in
the cities, the bone and sinew the mental vigor,
/ of the masses can be traced with more or less
certainty to their descent from men who lived
the free life of the forests People, like the
forests themselves, need for original growth space,
and light, and air. Their deprivation of this
boon is the tragic penalty paid for the individual
ownership of a common heritage.
OF course, Rockefeller and the rest have the full
right and warrant Of the law to own their vast
mountain estates. In the absence of system
of forest preservation by the Government, such
ownership is, in accordance with its extent pub
lie benefit rather than public injury. In .
moderate degree preserves set apart for purposes
Of pride pleasure prevent commercial denuda-
tion of mountains, keep the streams stocked with
fish, hold the wild life of the woods to an extent
safe from destruction But there ought not to
be forgotten the point of view of these simple
folk who have grown up under the shadows of
the hills; who for generations have considered
the streams their larders the mountains the in
exhaustibe storehouse provided them by nature :;
who have lived in Gods great out-of-doors' un-
I'll they have come 70 feel themselves part of
it as much as are the birds that sail the air or
the shy things that live furtively in its shades.
To these people the trails are roads, the noun
tain pools are for their pleasure, the mountain
heights their churches and cathedrals. To lock
up their sanctuaries, to place s. gins of warning
along their highways, to make it crime for
them TO go forth in the land in which they were
born is certain to make them anarchists against
a confused and confusing law as il is to make q
dangerous beast of peaceful bear whose den
with Young has been invaded. For the good OF
society they must and should be punished; but
il Is of the hard things attending society that
it must punish as intentional crime acts which
are the acts of nature.
But when in the next Congress there come:
up again for consideration the long sought anc
} long delayed bill looking to a system of forest
) reserves, these Adirondack outrages ought to b.
given the consideration they deserve They ough
to point another consideration marking the neces
sty for conservation of natural resources before
they are exhausted resources, in fact which o
i right belong to the people, and which ought t.
be held against the right of private ownership
by the declaration of public ownership in al
I vance. Not only is the time come when Govern
i ment lands ought to be held for the people VIII
own them but when the people, acting as tn
:. Government, should buy back at hard bar
gain the lands with which they short-sightedl
c parted. Otherwise. this will become a Natiol
of street dwelers, of humanity packed like sar
Dimes with no reserve force, no small and print
tive element preserving simplicity from whic
{ the cities can draw their constant need of ret
II blood. When that time arrives when the stun
shall be the common and not the exceptional con
. dition, when all the lands are fenced and al
u the highways paved, the mobs that will result
= will in the explosion of their passions make tn
= occasional red wrath Of an ousted mountaine
u the pop of cracker beside the boom of grea
=. gun.
u AS the Government fears socialism, let it loo
! carefully to those incidents of government whic
! force its growth and give its mania the colo
y of reason