White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-05-31
CRITICISM Of
CONSERVATION
PUBLICATION IN DE-
TENSE OF GOV. AMMONS SEES
DANGER IN FEDERAL GOVERN
MEN1~s LAND POLICY.

A recent issue of the Denver Min
ing Record utters some forceful edi-
torial opionions on the subject OF
federal sovereignty. There Is a very
serious question involved as to just
how far the government should go
in the matter Of appropriation and
control of lands and the Record in
supporting the sentiments OF Gov
ernor Ammons of Colorado, suggests
the belief that the sentiments of a
good many In Colorado and other
parts of the west are faithfully re-
Elected. 'Some criticism" says the
Record. has been uttered nce
ing a remark ascribed to Governor
elias NJ. Ammons of Colorado during
his recent visit to Washington on an
errand of protest against the admin
istration's public land policy. The
western executive was quoted as hay-
ing said that many western cities had
BtOAI ~ hatt nv 1Atiai 6ofCt
ment. Perhaps the matter would
would have encountered less objec-
ton If IT had not arisen at a time
when the Ammons administration
was under fire for another reason
namely. the labor war in the south
ern coal fields. II is a singular fact,
which no doubt most citizens have
overlooked, that the issue Of state
sovereignty has been interviewer
with the events of the last three
weeks concerning two very signin-
cant, though apparently unrelat-
ed subjects: land and labor. Con-
corning this somewhat abstract ques-
lion We now feel disposed to speak In
a very emphatic way.
Far from c%riticising Governor
Ammons for having said the thing
attributed to him in Washington.
we rather commend him for having
told the administration a truth which
1t cannot afford to disregard. II may
not be that the western people. in
great numbers. have felt the senti-
lnent of hate toward the federal gov
eminent. but it is certainly true that
there is a widespread feeling of sus-
picion and latent antagonism. born
of the injustice which the public
land states have suffered at the
hands of the mis-styled conservation
lists. Governor Ammons. without re-
gard to the possible ground for criti-
cism concerning his administration
of the labor situation. which was in
herited by him from his predecessor.
deserves far better at the hands of
Colorado and of the western people
than the opprobrium which had been
heaped upon him during the last
week or ten days. For We may
assert that he. above all other public
men. has most keenly appreciated
the danger of modern federal en-
croachment upon the public land
traditions of the nation. His preach.
ing of this warning has fallen upon
deaf ears.
Now we find ourselves surrender
Ing western sovereignty. Ammons
himself has been forced by public
ciamor to offer this surrender in his
appeal to the government for federal
troops in the coal strike zone. Too
few are they who perceive In this
event the tragic contamination Of the
hypocriticaf conservation policy
which has obsessed the lawmakers OF
the east. Western states have been
steadily weakened. both from
within and without. While state
sovereignty has. In general. become
a shadow of its former self, IN the
presence of the more powerful
federalism. In one direction. and the
increasing political influence of the
municipality. in the other: while this
process OF weakening has been GO
ing on throughout the county. it has