Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-02-01
THERUFUS HATCH MONOPOLY.
Exclusive Hotel and Other Privileges in
the National Park.
A Stirring Letter from Governor Crosby
to the Chairman of the Committee
on Territories.

A Stirring Letter from Governor Crosby
to the Chairman of the Committee
on Territories.
TERRITORY OF MONTANA,
EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
HELENA, Jan. II, 1883.
To the Chairman of the Committee on Terri
tories, United States Senate, Washington:
SIR I'm recent letter which had occa-
sion to write to Senator Vest on the subject
of preserving the Yellowstone Park, as re-
fuge for the large game of the Northwest,
lightly touched on certain leases made to
private parties disposed to speculate in this
national pleasure ground. But l did not
mention the names of the spectators. AS
the newly appointed Governor of Montana it
was my duty to guard her interests in the
public Park on her borders. But, as learn
from a special dispatch to the New York
World, Mr.. Rufus Hatch, disregarding my
forbearance as to mentioning his name in
odious connection with proposed trespass
upon public rights, arraigns me by name for
guarding the interests of the Territory
which l have the honor to preside over, and
accuses me of posing as public reformer. l
cannot retort the accusation. Mr.. Hatch has
Il
as an unscrupulous monopolist and specula-
tor. But it would be irony to call these
vicious things reform. | am not unwilling to
was one when he signed the Declaration Of
Independence l should be sorry to forget
''the price of liberty"
l am attacked in good company to be sure,
for General Sheridan whose official report
struck a damaging blow at the scheme of
Mr.. Rufus Hatch and his coadjutOrs, is
fiercely assailed by this notorious speculator,
who, however, is totally mistaken in his
statement that my recent letter to Senator
Vest was written from General Sheridans
headquarters. Neither General Sheridan nor
any of the officers at his head1 larters ever
saw that letter till it was ready for publica
ton, though l believe he, in common with
many patriotic men who do not believe in
the business of feathering nests by plucking
the public, approved of the sentiments of my
letter. Mr.. Hatch's dissent is natural.
The issue between Mr.. Hatch and myself
is neither important, nor of my seeking. The
real issue is national, not personal. 1t is
whether the Yellowstone Park shall be, in
the language of the dedicatory statutes, "a
public park and pleasure ground for the
benefit and enjoyment of the people," or
whether it shall be the cattle ranch of Mr..
Rufus Hatch ct a., who propose to establish
vast cattle enterprises close to the Park"
and secure unlimited forage and immunity
from disturbance in their trespass by con-
trolling the Park as hotel monopolists, who
lease some four thousand acres embracing
every object of interest to the tourist, and
mean to let their cattle obtain free pasture
over the remaining millions of acres. The
issue is "Shall the public, or shall a band of
speculators profit by the Yellowstone Park 2"
Mr. Hatch knows that if he shall carry
out his defiant threat to push his cattle
ranches close to the Park, the cattle will
swarm into it. This is his purpose in choos
ing this proximity. BY his monopOlistic
schemes within the Park he intends to eX-
clude all trespassers, except his own. No
possible fence could separate MIR. Hatch's
cattle from the public domain that he covets,
without defeating one great purpose OF the
Park, as an asylum for the hunted game of
the Territories that border it. The fence
would exclude the game also.
1t is rather amusing to have Mr.. Rufus
Hatch pose as patriotic and public spirited
citizen. But so he does. according to the
Worlds dispatch. Yet it is demonstrable
that his patriotic desire to protect the Ma
proposed to make money out of it by mo-
nopOlizing every curious feature in it, and
running his "cattle enterprises close up" to
it. Because he is proposing something preju-
dicial to the Territory which l have the
honor to govern, and hostile to the interests
of the great Northwest, and Odious to unset
fish public sentiment throughout the United
States, need hardly apologize for taking
little space in following him through his in
consistent statement of motives. He has un-
wisely uncovered his hand too sOon and
shown that my letter to Senator Vest was not
premature Under Mr.. Hatchs accidental
avowal, and his impudent defiance of Con-
gressional action or any Interpretation OF
contracts but his own, he has made it clear
that if any man in the United States is not
to be trusted with the slightest power within
the Yellowstone Park, that man is Rafus
Hatch, of New York.
In the dispatch to the World, he is re-
ported as saying: II am no pollution and
know little about the ins and outs OF legis-
lation in Washington, nor do care much
about it." His disregard of legislation by
Congress is more fully emphasized by sub
seauent remark: II am in the enterprise
and am going to see it through. The bill
which Senator Vest introduced to-day will
not prevent us from continuing our work,
and completing our hotels. We have had
nearly one hundred men at work for two or
three months past, assuming, of course, that
we were to have the leases granted to us in
the shape originally expected" MI. Hatch's
assumption is expected to overrule the exclu-
sive power of Congress over the Territories
Mr.. Vests bill most properly attempts to
prevent monopoly in the hotels; but Mr.
Rufus Hatch naively says: I'VE think we
can hold our own and do a little more than
that against all who. under the provisions Of
Mr.. Vests bill may seek to build and run
hotels in competition with u.s." What is
the use of o Congress or Constitution in
the face of Mr. Hatch's characteristic deter
mination to hold "a little more than" his
own in the Territories? Again: I'VE shall
run our ranch enterprises close to the Park,
whether General Sheridan or those desiring
to get control of the Park like it or not" In
as much as General Sheridan is the nations
servant, and it is Congress that, if statutes
are tests of purpose, desires to control the
Park. Mr.. Hatch would certainly seem to
REQUIRE to be hooped by sharp legislative
reminder. Like Cromwell he is above