The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1916-03-09
BELL SCORES
PHNCHOTISM
State Mining Inspector
Declares IdAahe y is being
Robbed of her Rights.

I'm their present iaudable but decid-
edly hampered ambitions for state pride
and progress, the people of Idaho are
confronted by definite prospect OF be-
ing permanently disfranchised out of
about two-thirds Of their natural state
rights and revenue resources, and Of be-
ing put back in federal territory as to
the bulk Of their state area. The most
conspicuous and pressing effort on the
part OF the government agents at WASH
'ineton in this connection is the prom
.ised early passage OF the so-called Ferris
bill, and other federal leasing bills,
which would deprive this state of con-
Istitutional right that has been recog
nized ever since it was admitted. The
administration of its water resources,
which. our courts have always admins
tered and adjudicated, by not only trans
Eferring this inalienable state right to ex-
|clusiye federal authority. but at the sug-
gestion Of wealthy Shylock citizen of
Pennsylvania, this law would make the
Epeople of Idaho pay millions of dollars
tribute to Pennsvlvania - and other
states--for the use of its own unacknowl-
edged resources and exact its develop
ment under an uncertain tenure of title
administered by national political ap-
pointee. This. together with the avowed
intention of administering all our other
priceless natural resources by perma
neEt ownership and leasing system, is a
subject that should demand the most
vigorous protest Of our citizens and es-
pecially those who are still here that
fought so long and hard for admission to
the Union on an equality with the oriei-
nal thirteen states, a condition that our
Enabling Act guaranteed us.
"The conservation policy OF the Unit.
ed States is based largely on egotism an6
avarice. The government seems to have
Idivested itself of so many sources OF rev
enue that it has to pick on the far west
ern states in an effort to make up seri
GUS deficiency. There isn't any question
but that this policy was induced by tn,
license of vested interests in resources o
this nature, but after providing an In
tterstate Commerce commission and STATE
Utilities commission, who operate under
the eyes Of critical court of vitally
interested local public opinion, anc
(which are SO effectively regulating thess
Ipredatory inclinations and promises ts
tcontinue faithfully at the job, the con
servation features could be very well lef
to the administration Of the states in
volved, under restrictions il necessary
without burdening their communitiet
with a hoard of highly expensive ma
tional agents that can only result in du
pIicating administrative costs, hampe
their industrial progress. and stir up
feeling Of dissatisfaction and unres
|
among the people of the public Ian,
states in regard to the abuse Of theii
lsovereign constitutional rights 1dah,
is hit harder and stands to lose more il
proportion TO its area than any other o
the public land states by the propose,
texteusIon Of the federal policy OF leasin,
land controlling everything.
''We have the beautifully inconsisten
lexample, according to recent press re
Iports, of the supreme court being short
| ly called upon to adjndicate the revenu
rights between two Of the original state
to strip Of mud fats bssween high an,
flow water on the Connecticut river
lwhile the same tribunal is expected I.
lsanction the deliberate alienation of hun
ldreds of millions of dollars worth of rev
Ienue rights from the people OF Idaho b
1.-THE national government, for the salts
lfsction of questionable theory.
"The business of the government is +
lgovern, but not to do the thinking TO
Independent citizens. If Idaho has any
Ething that the nation needs and canno
kget along without, il is willing to relin
kquish its constitutional mortgage on lib
leral terms, but if it has an excess of re
sources over the immediate national re
Equirements, its people are at least enti
tiled to an Indian allotmens. In thei
efforts to grab the revenue rights of tn
Ipublie land states, on pretext OF con
kservat.on, the federal authorities an,
other eastern meddlers of the Pincho
lstripe are overlooking some real prob
Hens OF national import. = -
ITO renew and conserve the primar,
fertility OF the nations soil, the most vi
Ital baais of its life. and 6orhle the nro