The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-09-13

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friend when Warren G. Harding
died. His appreciation and ap
proval Of the national park move
EML,,c ment were sIgnally shown at the
II 4MN 1923 opening of Yellowstone fol
VMEXS its ffty-frst year by an official
"%1MH\ declaration of administration pol
~ VX1 icy worthy Of it's place as the first
@~ national park in all history and
A largest and most famous OF all
Americas nineteen public play
grounds set apart by congress for the use OF Inc
people forever. That official declaration OF III
ministration policy was nothing less than absolute
protection of the national park system against
commercial invasion and exploitation.
DR.. John Wesley Hill, chancellor OF Lincoln
Memorial university, made the declaration. He
officially represented President Harding and Sec
rotary of the Interior Work at the Yellowstone
opening. His statement was prepared, careful
and emphatic. 1t contained the following:
"And we are here today to celebrate the
annual opening Of Yellowstone park, the largest
and most far-famed Of our national parks, a wooded
wilderness OF three thousand three hundred square
miles, containing Incompatible waterfalls. more
geysers than are found in the rest of the world all
put together, irrigated by rivers like miniature
lakes, and b~eautifed by lakes like inland seas,
carved by canyons Of sublimity, decorated with
colors defying the painters art, punctured with
lnnumerable boiling springs whose steam mingles
with feecy clouds. succeed with vast areas Of
petrifed forests, a sanctuary Of safe retreat for
feathered %songsters and wild beasts, a wonder
land, playground. sanitarium and university all
In one, where the eye feaSts upon the riOtOus
colors of lowers, ferns and rocks; the ear Is
surged with the symphony Of melodious sounds;
the mind is stated with a thousand revelations OF
truth and beauty, and the jaded body, weary With
the trudge of thought and toll and travel, ungirds
tor song and dance beneath the shadows of the
everlasting hills.
yellowstone history is replete with crises
- - l~,o H. - ~ ro~ n~I ~ - -
have had to fight with a heroism worthy It's ex-
plorers and discoveries to retain 1t intact against
the bold and presumptuous claims Of the advo-
Gates Of special privilege. determined to CONNER
cialize this land of wonder, to build railroads
through 1t, tunnel Its mountains, dam its lakes
and streams, and secure stranglehold monopoIies
with small compensation to the government and
total loss to the people.
"And regardless Of all facts and figures. appeals
and threats, therefore, any plan, however meri-
torious on its face, for the commercial exploita-
ton OF parks must by the very nature Of its
aims and purposes be Immediately doomed to
failure.
Good projects. bad projects, Indifferent prof.
ects, all must face the same fate, for IT is at last
established policy of the government that our
national parks must and shall forever be main
tanned In absolute, unimpaired form, not only for
the present, but for all time to come, a policy
which has the unqualified support OF President
Harding.
This is the fixed policy Of the administration,
and / can assure you it will not be modified 1t
will not be swerved a hairs breadth by any iEfu-
ence. financial, political or otherwise.
IF rights are granted to one claimant, others
must follow, SO q precedent must not be estab-
Iished. It would inevitably ruin the entire national
park system"
Doctor Hill might have been more definite In
the matter Of the attacks by commercial interests
mon Yellowstone. Since early in 1920 it has
--.s..d ocjnO vipiIancp and aQprQSStvp or
panfzed effort on the part of the vast army Of
national park enthusiasts to defeat these attacks.
the winter and spring of 1920 the Sixty
congress nearly passed the Smith bill Gre
ating a commercial irrigation reservoir in the
corner of Yellowstone for the benefit OF
idaho And it did pass the water power bill
granting to a commission power to ease public
waters, including those of the national parks and
uouument2, for water power.