, 1927-08-24
Are We T~Wenty-one?

and human liberty owns a great
deal to non-conformists.
Our flag shows a cluster of stars
of equal magnitude. There IA not
one central star nor one controlling
group from which all light and
power issues.
The nature of both men and ami
mails is fixed largely by what they
eat.
The lion and tiger feed their fe-
rocity on flesh. The docile COW and
the domesticated sheep and horse
are made mild by their diet of
grass. Men living on these western
ranges trampling wild flowers and
cactus beneath their hobnailed
shoes. feasting on the blood OF elk
and the bark of tender trees, can
never live the life nor think the
thought of those whose appetites
demand the Goldfish, the bean and
the untaxable security.
1t may be s%uspicioned that those
elements determined to make of the
West a mere playground for the
East see in this a method of forever
keeping at a minimum the political
power of the West.
Many western states are like u
own Wyoming, limited to one lone
congressman. Numerical strength
of the Atlantic states enable
them to control national legislation.
We can hope to augment our rep-
resentation in. Congress only by an
increase in our population.
This cannot be while so per cent
of our territory and So per cent
of Idaho's territory is withdrawn
from settlement and utilization.
These western states have liberal
tendencies which are feared. They
cannot be handled as the mill boss
es of New England handle their
factory hands. 1t is thought wise
to hold us to our present sub
lection and the policy of Conserva-
ton is the means to thai end.
When a state is admitted to the
Union, when it puts off it's terri
torial garb and takes its place on
the field of stars it becomes as a
youth who has reached the age of
twenty-one and comes into posses
sion of his inheritances.
We are as much entitled to the
profits from our oil. coal and lum-
Der as Pennsylvania. We are as
competent to care for our scenic
attractions as is New York to care
for her Hudson and her Niagara
Falls.
There is another word which is
Conservation.
That is Restitution. Let Penn
sylvania set her accountants to work
to ascertain how much she owes
the National government for roy-
alties o n oil and coal extracted
from her soil. Pennsylvania, with
her Saturday Evening Post and her
Clifford Pinchot, is the strong fort
OF Conservation. She likes to
prattle about posterity to distract
attention from the past.
IT she declares thai we never had
a share in her oil hat she owns a
share in ours she is then asserting
that the several states are not pos
sessed of equal rights.
If allowed to use our own natural
resources rs the older states used
theirs, Wyoming would now be the
richest state in the Union, and the
levying of taxation in the present
manner would be made
They appropriate our resources,
convert them into dollars, give us
a few Csc pieces back and then
fill our newspapers with tales of
their generosity.
All our lands, our minerals. our
forests, our streams and our noun
tains should be returned to us, al
ways excepting the Yellowstone Park
which was already set aside when
we became a state.
This concerns only the live
stock industry but every individual
and industry in the West. The
West a never have equal rights
nor equal opportunities until this
~cession is made of our constitutions
al inheritances.
Our obvious duty is to form a
league of all the Western states,
under some such name as the
Rocky Mt. League or League of
Western Interests.
Our eleven states have twenty
two members of the National Sen
ate.
There has scarcely been a session
of that body. for many a where
in twenty-five members standing
a H--4I -. - =