White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-29
A BASQUE OPINION OF PITTMAN


v~estigation commission, concerning
Nexada's sheep and wool industry.
with his opinion of the Basque sheer
herders. has stirred up a lot of com
ment and criticism. and the senator
has sent the state press a signed tele-
gram bearing still further en- the sub
iect. The telegram was prompt
ed largely from the criticism in the
Reno Gazette, Of Senator Pittman's
testimony. a portion of which was
reprinted in last Sundays News. n
his reply Senator Pittman says:
Il am in receipt of your letter OF
the 18th instant enclosing an editor.
ial clipped from the Reno Gazette of
June Ism eiritioizing my testimony
before the lobby investigating COM
mittee. | appreciate the motive that
prompted you in requesting the Reno
Commercial club TO defer action with
could hear from me. But have no
desire to prevent any expression or
criticism on the part of the CONNER
eial club or any other body OF Any
individual. 1t is the right of every
citizen to comment upon or eriticise
the official expressions or acts of his
representatives in congress. After a
careful review of my evidence l am
satisfied that my statements are bas-
to submit to congress. While | deny
hat 1000 people are employed in
the sheep and wool industry, or any
thing like that number, which fact
| also intend to prove, still, if such
were true, it would be no justifica-
ion for taxing the 80, 900 people in
the state of Nevada who are COM
PEELED to use wooden goods, for the
purpose of supporting, through hot
house methods, 1000 people, a ma
jority of whom are admitted sheep
herders, of foreign nationality, of
the lowest type, receiving wages far
below that which | believe a work
ing man in the state of Nevada
should receive.
KEY PITTMAN."
The Basque's who We're so con-
temptuously referred to by the Ne
yada junior senator, are naturally
fnaan1nd ond In NaIn0cIax sr G,yDtfz
4 sheep herder of that nationality,
makes an extended reply to Senator
Pittman, and hands him a few jolts
which would indicate that the alleg-
I'D despised low lifes' are not so
gnorant and submissive as they have
beer made to appear. Here is the
way one of them closes his answer
0 Senator Pittman's allegations:
Did the senator ever find a single
Individual among them living in a
hotel. in a dive-liying from hand
70 mouth. half-dressed, unelean, in
viting a handout? Not one in a
thousand years They are as a race
and Ks individuals. "of the manor
BORN instinct with self-respect and
respect for the feelings of others
a quality sadly lacking in our hon
orable senator.
.Did he ever detect a Basque man,
sheepherder or otherwise. in a penal
Institution? And one. young or old.
in some house of refuge, a subject
'or beneyolence or charity? Did he
ever discover one In a 'rouge's gal
lery? Did he eyer hear of suspi-
eious characters among them. agita-
tors II crooks? Did he ever so much
as hear of a hobo from among them
in all California, Arizona. and Ne
vada? l never did-No one ever did
He never did,
The senator, in his two campaigns
evidently failed TO observe any pala-
tiai residence on the snow-clad
mountain peaks of the Sierra Ne
Vada desert. He failed likewise to
observe that any sheepmen watched
their herds from the window of a
Pullman car, He evidently never
learnt by personal experience. that
by utter self sacrifice, hard work and
with a constitution steeled against
he icy blasts Of the winter and broil-
ing sun of the snmmer=through
hunger and thirst. privations and
hangers of all sorts, only, the sheep
industry can be made a success.
This blending of physical and
moral makeup has been found in the
Basque in the highest degree and con-
sequently the Basque boys haven't
got the beat of them anywhere in
his particular avocation of live.
These are the lads that have made
Il