The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-17
RAISING A GREAT QUESTION.

RAISING A GREAT QUESTION
If a resolution introduced IN both
houses of the California Legislature
prevails, one Of the greatest questions
ever raised in this country, and As yet
unsettled, will come to the front. 1T is
the question of the rights of the States
i'm the taxation of land within their
borders and the legal power OF the
United States Government to withdraw
at pleasure immense quantities of lands
and hold it out of the taxing power of
the State. These Withdrawals of land
have been for n large number of pur'
poses. including forest areas, military
reservations, mineral lands of different
kinds, water power sites, military ROAD
grants, railway land grants, and IN Tact
pretty much any purpose that the Fed
eral Government may select, either for
utility or for speculative purposes, AS
its announced purpose of considering
the proposition Of making money out
of coal lands by leasing the right OF
mining. To raise tins question whether
the Federal Government has this right
of reservation aside from lands for ITS
own proper use, is to raise the whole
question, not only Of the rights of
States, but of the rights and privileges
involved in conservation ideas Of va
rious kinds and also those Inherent In
the fads Of the day relating to this
question.
The matter is so fully presented in
the columns Of the San Francisco Chron-
icle that we copy the same herewith as
forcible presentation Of one of the
greatest questions that ut is possible to
raise between the Federal Government
and the States;
Senator Campbell and Assemblyman
Posley have introduced into their respec-
tive branches of the Legislature con
stitutional amendment which directly
ra ises tho issue OF tho nature and extent
OF the sovereign rights guaranteed to each
of the States by the people OF all The
States.
1t proposes to tax all the land in the
State not used or reserved Tor State. ma
tonal or local governmental purposes.
! That would include forest, power, and
mineral reservations.
The amendment should be adopted by
the people of this State and then we can
proceed to fight 1t out in The courts.
Only in that way can we get from the
court of last resort a definite line dra wn
through what is known as The twilight
zone between clearly established state
! jurisdiction and clearly established Fed
| eral jurisdiction,
In round numbers Is. 600. 400 acres OF
land in this Statc-asscssablc in private
| ownership at not less than billion and
quarter dolars-have been withdrawn
| retaining The title permanently in the
Federal Government, and drawing Federal
revenue from il.
| That is over 10000 square miles out of
our total area OF about l5S,000 square
miles.
In that great area il is proposed that
| the laws of California shall not run. and
that il shall never contribute anything.
except by the grace of the Federal Gov
| ernment. to the support Of state or local
government.
In some Of our counties the result is
absolutely destructive. II deprives the
county governments of any hope OF ulti.
mate effective support.
The eastern States, having been de-
! nudod OF their forests and all their nat
ural resources. having passed into private
hands and now paying their share toward
| the support of tho Government appar-
entity now propose, by reason OF their
greater strength. TO seize upon nearly
half the area OF California. and more or
| less OF other States, anu devote their row
enues To the general use,
Incidentally The proposition assumes
paramount sovereignty over the entire
area seized, So that certain laws OF this
state shall not run therein.
We do not propose TO go to war about
| II. but we do propose to go to law
Possibly should not need to- for it
! is unthinkable that the people OF the
| east when they realize the situation
should be guilty of sustaining such mon
strous wrong. But there should he de-
cision
The Western states have greatly suf-
| fercd in former years from the action
| OF the federal government in Joining
| hands with the land grant railroads 70
withhold from patent. and therefore from
taxation, valuable lands granted to these
| roads.
! We endured IL because an end mus
| come some time We have not propos.
| TO tax wild land in government hands
| so long as II was subject 10 entry and
| gradually passing into private owner
! ship
Now. when IT is proposed TO perma-
nentlY scguester nearly half the State
| and 10 transmutc temporary propric-
| tary trustccship into paramount SOW
! crcignty. the state of California proposes
| to resist TO the uttcrmost legal limits OF
! It's power
And while VIC are preparing legal
! resistance We appeal To- the honor and
fraternal feeling OF the people of other
! states TO dsavow tho usurping acts OF
| Federal officials and unite with us TO
make good TO all the states the rights
soleunly guaranteed To- us all by the
people OF all the states in the same in
| strupcnt in which they created Federal
autllTitv for certain limited and clearly