National Republican., 1883-05-01
A SORE SENATOR.
MR.. Hill, OF Colorado, Writes = Letter TO
the Secretary of the Interior-What MIR.
Teller Saws About IL.


tho Secretary of the Interior-what MFR.
Teller Says About It.
The unpleasant personal relations which IL
is understood have for some time existed be-
tween the secretary of the interior and Senator
Hill of Colorado, have at last manifested them-
selves in such way that wide publicity is
likely to be given to the causes of the dis
agreement. Senator Hill, who, it is said, has
been greatly irritated by Misrepresentation
of his language and purposes by Secretary
Teller, as well as by removals Of his (Hills)
friends from positions under the Interior de-
partment, has written long letter TO tho
secretary, in which he complains bitterly of
the latter's behavior toward him, and attacks
vigorously Mr.. Tellers management-or, in
Mr.. Hills opinion, mismanagement-of the
department over which he presides.
Beginning with his personal grievances
Senator Hill in his letter charged Secretary
Teller with attempting to place him in false
and unpleasant position by causing to be pub
lished unfair and inaccurate reports of his
statements and requests. He asserts further
more that the Secretary has been guilty Of
violation of ordinary courtesy in repeating
to newspaper correspondents for publication
what had been said To him in private inter-
views.
After reviewing caustically the part taken
by Secretary Teller in the last campaign in
Colorado, Senator Hill takes up the socre-
tary's administration of the affairs of tho In
terror department and subjects 1t to detailed
| criticism and severe censure. Referring to
| the lease of tho Yellowstone National park,
he says Mr.. Teller devised and dictated its
terms, and then allowed his assistant socre-
tary to take all the blame and public disap-
proval which followed it's execution. After
| had fa1 ha n "a
tho secretary cvaded both tho lettor and
the spirit of the law, and practically gave
| the Rufus Hatch syndicate monopoly of the
| entire park. In dealing with the questions
which have arisen in connection with the
public domain, and particularly those grow
ing out of the lapsed land grants, he charges
| Secretary Teller with acting in the interests
of the great monopolies, and against all tho
interests of the government and tho people.
He also asserts and attempts to show that
Secretary Teller has been connected with a
number of land frauds in Colorado.
In conclusion he reviews the manner in
which the patronage of tho Interior depart
ment has been dispensed since the appoint
ment of Mr.. Teller as secretary, and cites a
number of instances in which persons noto-
riously unfit and incapable have been given
| place while experienced and able employees
have without any assigned reason been sum-
marily dismissed. Among the latter he refers
to Mr.. Albert johnson, late surveyor general
of Colorado, gentleman Of high character
and fine attainments, who, he says, was dis
missed by Secretary Teller because he would
not award surveying contracts TO the latter's
| friend.
Secretary Teller, upon being asked by an
| Associated Press reporter last night whether he
had received tho letter from Senator Hill OF
| which the above is an outline, replied that the
letter had just been brought to him, but that
1 h..h had 49, had ,ntf vat In II
more than glance cursorily over it. He did
not desire at present to mako any state
ment for publication with regard to
the matters therein referred to.
He understood that Mr.. Hill had
arranged to give his own letter publicity by
furnishing copies of 1t TO a number of cor
respondents, but whether il would bs worth
while for him (Teller) to give equal public
ity to reply, was subject which he had
not yet considered. He would, he said, read
Mr.. Hills letter carefully, and give it such at
tention as it seemed to him to deserve.
Senator Hill said to an associated press re-
porter last night in response to inquiries that
he had written. Secretary Teller the letter
above referred to because In the first place he
thought the latter had treated him with great
discourtesy. otlong ago he had had, he said,
q private interview with the secretary upon
q matter of business, and had been hurt and
| provoked few days later to find an alleged
account of this interview in q ST. Louis paper,
an account, however, in which his (Hill's) con-
'versation was so distorted and misreported
that he was placed in q false and despicable
light. For this distortion and misrepresenta-
tion, as we'll as for the publication in any
form of what took place in private and con-
fidential interview, he believed Secretary
Teller to be responsible; and he did not pro-
pose to indefinitely submit to this sort of
treatment. The secretarys connection with
recent newspaper attacks upon him could,
he said, be easily traced.
Another reason for writing the letter to
Mr.. Teller was that he (Hill) knew many
things about the management of the Interior
department, Of which the public was ignorant,
but with regard to which it should be in
formed, Some of these things he had set
forth in his letter.
As for the patronage of tho Interior de-
partment, he did not himself wish to control
1t or exercise any undue influence in the selec-
tion of employees, but he thought he might
reasonably expect to be at least
consulted with regard to appointments and
removals in Colorado. Mr.. Teller, however,
had thus far exercised the functions Of secre-
tary of the interior two senators, anda repre-
sentative from Colorado, and he (Mr Hill
thought this was an unwarrantable assump-
tion of authority.