The Prescott daily news., 1910-08-29

Law. The wise use O. our public domain has always been conditioned upon Ma tional action. The states can greatly help, but the Nation must take the lead as re- gards the land, regards the forests and waters; and perhaps peculiarly in the case of the waters. because almost all streams are really interstate streams.
 Coal Lands.
 The same principle applies with pecu- liar force to the coal lands, and especially to the coal lands in Alaska, whose pro- lection and ownership by the Federal government Is SO necessary. both for full and free industrial development in the west. and for the needs of our fleet in the Pacific. The coal mines should be leased not sold and those who mine the coal should pay back part of the profit to the people. It Is the right and duty of the people to demand the most vigilant trus- tesshlp on 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 effective national action would be the first to turn round and protest against state action If such action in its turn became effective. and would then unhesitating- Ay iHNoN tne law 10 snow that the state had no constitutional power to act Long experience has shown that II IS by no means impossible in cases or constitutional doubt to get one set of judicial decisions which render if difficult for the nation to act. and an- other set which render it impossible Tor the state to act. In each case the privileged benefciaries of the decision invoke the aid of those who treat the Constitution, not as a healthy aid to growth but as Q fetish to prevent growth; and they assail the advocates or wise and cautious progress as being opponents of the Constitution As have said before am strong beliey- CT in efficient national action. where such action offers the best hope of se curing and protecting the interest of the whole people as against the inter- est of few. But l am emphatically In favor of state action, where state action will best serve this purpose: and am no less emphatically in favor of cordial ana hearty cooperation be- tween the nation and the states where their duties are Identical or overlap.
 IT there is one thing which is more unwiss than another, it Is the creation by legislative. by executive. or by Judicial action of neutral ground in which neither the state nor the nation has power, and which can serve as "a
 
 and especially for the lswless man of great wealth. who can hire the best legal counsel to advise him how to Keep his abiding place equally distant from the uncertain frontiers of bota state and national power
 The Open Range.
 am here at the invitation of the Colorado Livestock association and desire to express my appreciation of their steadfast stand for decency ana progress in the handling of nubIic lands and national forests. They haye met and overcome the unrelentine on position of S1me of the most influential | stockmen or the state; they hay. won | because they have been right. I want | 10 express also my appreciation of tu, | work or the American National Livesto,s | assoclatlon- IL has been one of the really | important forces working toward eff | fectve railway regulation while lis | support Of the policy of federal range ! control has given 1t a large place in | national affairs. As an old-t stoc,r | man realize that the present order | or things on the open range cannot | continue, and that the sure way to nro | teot the range itself. prevent the in crease of big outfits promote the ooult. aole use of the grazing lands and fo. ter genuine homestead settlement is to extend over the open range a system | ot range control somewhat similar to that now in effect on the national for. ests
 Whatever system of range control may be adopted in detail, there are two things IL must not do. It must not handicap or exclude the small man by requiring him to spend more money Tor fences than he can afford, and it must leave every acre that can be set- ied by bona -tide homesteaders freely open to such settlement
 uo not believe that a 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 in their desire to re- move every obstacle from the path oi the genuine homesteader, and to put every possible obstacle in the pathway or the man who tries to get public lands by misrepresentation or fraud. This is absolutely necessary on the - 2ricnitural lands. It is at lea sf aouatIv