The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-03-01

behalf of the people of the west In
calling attention TO the menace con-
tanned in the administration leasing
bill now before congress. The colonel
has written open letters to several
western senators. one of which ad-
dressed to Senator Borah was pub
ished in the Miner. Senator Cham
berlain, of Oregon, was also favored
with a letter and this was published
in the Oregonian of February IL. The
presentation of the situation by Col
onel KEENAN, so impressed the editor
of the Oregonian that the same issue
in which the letter appeared contained
the following editorial leader:
TIE New Feudalisr.
indefinite postponemeht of the
Shields and Adamson water power
bills by congress means that for an
other session development of water
power in the west has been blocked by
the obstructive hand of lobbyists OF
which Clifford Pinchot is the head and
by the body of bureaucrats headed by
Secretary of the Interior Lane. With
the general dam bills go the bills for
leasing water power on public land
and for leasing the vast areas OF land
containing coal, oil and other miner
ais. Representatives of the west re-
fuse their consent to the imposition or
a perpetual feudal system on the
t,tr condition
sent from congress to their develop
ment. Therefore an embargo Is plac-
ed on the use of the land in question,
in the hope that the next congress or
some future congress may be able to
override western opposition or that
the west will be wearied into accept
ance of position of permanent in
feriority to other states. 1t Is
holdup by band of fanatics and bu-
reaucrats, nothing else
'.The situation is forcibly set forth
in a letter which has been addressed
to Senator Chamberlain by Chester L.
KEENAN, and which Is published in an
other column of the Oregonian
CLIQUE of lobbyists and of appointive
officers is attempting to impose Its
will upon the elected representatives,
of the people. The lobbyists represent
nobody but themselves, for they have
been repudiated by the organization
which they profess to represent. The
officials do not represent the people
for they are not elected by the people
Yet on the false pretense that by their
policy alone can public domain be
, saved from spoilation they have inn
members of congress.
This is not party question. The
leasing policy is supported both by
the great body of democrats and by
the great body of republicans. Rep
resertative Mann, leader of the re-
publicans in the house. is one of its
most ardent advocates. So are Sen
ator Morris and other republican sem
ators The opposition includes both
republicans and democrats from the
west and some democrats from the
south. It's support from the west
comes from men like Senators Cham
berlain and Lane, who are more con-
cernnd about party regularity than
about the vital interests of their states
or from men like Senator Walsh, who
represent states where the power sites
have already passed into private own
ership. Regardless of the attitude or
these latter senator's, the question is
sectional, for the east. south and mid
die west are attempting to impose on
the far west a system to which they
would not be subject and which they
would passionately resist If the at
tempt were made to fasten it on them.
ut is proposed to make the secre-
tary of the interior, as the representa-
tive of the government, the landlord
over an area greater than many
kingdoms of Europe combined" COM
prising an average of 67 per cent Of
the area of each of the eleven states
in question.
This is feudafism, abolished in
Europe and in Japan, but to be reviv-
ed in the twentieth century in the
country which boasts itself the freest
on earth.
1T is landlordism. which has been
the bulwark of aristocracy in every
monarchy.
1T is absentee landlordism, which
was the curse of Ireland, for this
huge estate would be administered
from distance of 1000 to 5000 miles
1T would make the secretary of the
interior a greater landlord than the
car, for his domain would exceed the
q huge personal holdings of the Russian
antocrat.
ut would make eleven states prac-
tically dependent on the policy OF
each successive secretary for their
prosperity. At his will they would
either thrive or stagnate
THAT official would WELD create,
power than any other man In the
country below the president On his
will would depend the fortunes OF
thousands, either invested under lease
or derived from industries which drew
power or raw material from the pub.
lie domain. He would collect and dis.