Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1915-10-30
RIGHT OF PETITION
Damage Done by Elk on the State For
est Will be Settled by the
State.

| Tlgnt mas Deen ana Is widely exercised
in every community. Without doubt it
was formerly very potent factor in Sc
curing reforms or desirable action on
the part of authority. However, it may,
and frequently does become, the instru-
ment of calculating and unscrupulous
individuals as well as the vehicle of pub
lie opinion or desire.
Cunningly worded petitions, contain
ing statements half true and altogether
false, have, when ingratiatingly present
ed, carelessly read, and thoughtlessly
signed, frequently prompted action the
results of which are principally bad, or
work to the advantage of few selfish
individuals rather than for the common
good, which was exactly the result aim
ed at by the insligators.
The Petition recently circulated local
ly by people living on the State Forest
gives every indication of being one of
the sort calculated to bring advantages
to few interested individuals rather
than to the community at large. Drawn
up by a gentleman in Rapid City abso-
lutely unacquainted with the conditions
the petition purports to have remedied,
and at the paid instance of an interested
individual it has been presented for sig
nature indiscriminately in this part of
the County.
Like every other Petition, be it good,
bad, or Indifferent, it has been signed
quite generally by all classes of people,
from bankers and business men to curb
stone habitues, and also, like every other
petition, the great majority of signers
have no very clear understanding of its
purport or motive, or are even interest
ed in it beyond a desire to please or
pacate the circulator, or save themselves
the annoyance Of having the paper thrust
at them repeatedly
Ofthe signers of this petition some
few had reasons, mostly personal, the
rest had no reason they could well ad-
vance. Does it constitute valid reason
to say, ''Oh, what's the harm, it won't
do any good anyway" or, 81 never even
read the thing" or, II had to sign
it for business reasons, or, al signed it
to getrid Of him." (?) Statements made
to the writer Of this article by business
men and public officials ofinfluence and
standing in the community. How much
weight should such signatures have, as
much as those of the irresponsible speci-
mems proping up the sunny side of some
building. ~ Surely not any more than
that.
Many, perhaps most, Of the responsible
men who took the trouble to read the
petition before signing it, signed it with
the honest belief that if conditions were
as represented they assuredly needed
remedying. Others, knowing most Of
the statements to be without foundation
in fact refused to endorse by their sig
natures those things, only endorsing the
modicum Of truth in the unreliable mass.
Unfortunately, however, there is moth
ing in either their signatures or the petit
ton to indicate that they do not per-
sonally stand back of every statement
contained therein, no matter whether
true or untrue. There we're people who
had the hardihood TO back up their
sense of fairness and their good judg-
ment and refused to sign what they had
reason to believe was neither true nor
for the best interests of the community.
One Of the circulators of the petition,
when confronted with the statement
made by man Of conscience and back
bones that, ninetenths of the petition
was made out of whole cloth, and he,
the circulator, knew it, made the reply,
perhaps it is, but we have to make out
a strong case" Endorsement of this
kind of strong case" known to be
strong" by the circulator, the signer,
and also the authority to whom the petit
ton will be presented, does not reflect
any great amount of credit upon the
honesty and judgment of two of the par
ties to the performance. No wonder
most petitions fail of the desired effect
and the influence Of the rest is preiu-
diced.
Concerning the statements made in
the petition, the one relative to danger
to life or limb from buffalo and elk roam
ing at large on the Forest is without
vestige of probability. The circulators
of the petition have never seen the buff
falo, let alone suffering from them, nor
are they apt to do so unless they visit
the 700 acre pasture ON Squaw creek
where the animals have been enclosed
ever since last spring. The danger to
school children from these animals
would consist in their going into this
pasture which is several miles from
public road or house, and from 10 to
I5 miles from the homes OF these petit
TONERS. AS to danger to any one from
elk, there is far more danger" from
native deer, as they are many times
more numerous, ana what danger there
is to life and limb from deer every one
in the Black Hills knows.
That people have to travel ten miles
out of their way to 90 through gates is
absolutely untrue. There are gates on
every public highway and on practically
every cnt-of or private road where there
is the least excuse for one, pu. there for
the convenience Of the people both on
or off the Forest. 1t tisextremely doubt
ful if any one has to 90 over mile out
ofhis way to 20 anywhere in or out Of