THE PERIOD OF BEGINNINGS 39 



on government lands, and had become a power in Congress, especially 

 since they were allied with some of the land-grant railroads. Through- 

 out the West, the miners also needed timber in their business, and were 

 therefore opposed to conservation, while even agricultural settlers 

 near the timber districts always felt that they were entitled to free tim- 

 ber, and opposed any restriction on its disposal. Stockmen had no par- 

 ticular interest in the timber lands at this time, but they could be de- 

 pended upon to line up with the other western men. These four classes 

 included a working majority in most of the western states, and the 

 admission of several new states had strengthened the forces naturally 

 opposed to conservation. In 1850, California had been admitted; in 

 1858, Minnesota, and during the next decade, Oregon and Nevada, 

 while Colorado was admitted in 1876. These new states gave the forces 

 opposed to conservation somewhat greater strength, especially in the 

 Senate, a strength out of all proportion to mere numbers; first, 

 because these forces, having interests at stake, were active, while the 

 conservationists in Congress, having no pecuniary interests in the 

 matter, were usually half-hearted ; and secondly, because western men 

 were usually well represented in the Committee on Public Lands, and 

 thus exerted a disproportionate influence in all land legislation. A 

 further factor opposing conservation was the great railway develop- 

 ment in the early seventies. It not only called for considerable timber 

 in construction, but by the vast grants of lands, in some cases timber 

 lands, gave the railroads an interest hostile to conservation. Further- 

 more, it opened up vast tracts of timber lands previously safe from 

 spoliation. 



These were the factors at work. It should be pointed out, however, 

 that there were no definite conservation and anti-conservation parties 

 in Congress as early as this. Perhaps it is accurate to speak of "con- 

 servation forces" at this time, but these forces were never strong 

 enough to make a clear issue of the question of conservation until near 

 the end of the century ; and the "conservation movement," embracing 

 this conservation of all natural resources, did not develop until still 

 later — under President Roosevelt. It would be entirely misleading to 

 speak of "anti-conservationists," or perhaps even of "anti-conserva- 

 tion forces" in this early period. There were, however, certain forces 

 favorable to rapid and unhindered appropriation and exploitation of 



