The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-28
sCHURZ' TIMBER POLICY.

The debate In Congress over Carl Schurz'
timber policy has come to an end for the
present at least, but there is fair prospect
circumstances even less agreeable than here
tofore to the distinguished Prussian who pre-
sides over the Interior Department.
| The timber amendment to the deficiency
bill made In the Senate, instead Of appropriate
ing $4,000 to sustain Schurz' imported system
of spies and pimps, places at his disposal but
$4,000 for detecting trespassers upon public
lands. and forbids the use of any of this sum
in harassing actual settlers on unsurveyed
lands in the Territories.
We notice, however that while the amend
ment specifics that but $4,000 shall be allowed
for paying these spies, or "extra clerks" as
they are called, it makes another most suspi-
cious allowance Of SIS, 900 for other purposes.
What these "other purposes are will be an
interesting conundrum for Congress to solve.
1t will be remembered that when the Calca-
sieu sufferers from the log seizures found
themselves unable to bond the property Sc
questered, an order of court was made, by
consent OF all parties, directing It's sale for
cash, the proceeds, of course, to remain in
lieu of the property, subject to the final iudg-
ment Of court. Under this order some $4,000
logs were sold, the lumber men purchasing
about one-fourth, at prices ranging from
seventy-five to ninety-five cents, for which
they were required to pay cash, in accord
ance with the terms of sale, amounting to
purchaser OF the balance at from five
to ten cents per log, for which not
one cent was deposited, and the govern
ment has failed absolutely to comply with the
terms of sale as fixed by the court Never
theless the logs purchased by it have been
released to it's agent, Carter, who is reselling
them at handsome profits. Tt Is barely posi-
BILE that this indefinite ''oUher purposes" re-
fers to this deficiency, though what object the
government can have in supplying it, since it
has obtained possession Of the logs without
compliance with the terms of sale, we are at a
loss to imagine. It would be in order for
Congress to inquire into this suspicious ap-
preparation, as it doubtless will do. But,
even as it now stands, the action OF the Sen
ate in relation to this amendment clearly i'm
plies most unqualified condemnation Of
Schurz' peremptory and arbitrary course in
this matter.
- In England such rebuke would compel
the immediate removal of any minister in
the kingdom; but it is the fault of our Amer
can system OF irresponsible cabinets that the
will OF the people as expressed through their
representatives, can exert no control over the
conduct or policy of the administration. The
only check they can place on the vagaries of
the executive departments is the granting or
refusal of the appropriations necessary to
carry them out. When no appropriation is
needed there is no check at all, and such the
district attorney felicitates himself is the
case in the present instance, as appeared from
the report of his remarks in yesterdays DEM
oCRAT. ."-.M. .+"@"
There is a process, however, by which an
obnoxious minister can be got rid OF, even in
the United States, and that is by impeach-
ment. This is a recourse to be resorted to
only in the last extremity and in cases of ex-
ceptional incapacity or villainy. Yet, I'M
usual and difficult as the impeachment of
cabinet officer may be, there are facts con-
nected with the log seizures in this State
alone which have involved such cruel suffer-
ing and gross outrage of private rights, that,
could they be properly brought before Con-
gress, would demand the immediate proseeu-
ton of the Secretary Of the Interior.
Weare happy to note that there Is now