The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-09-10
STUMPAGE.
How Blaine Defended the Timber
Thieves Of Montana.
His Sneering and Coarse Attack on Ex-
Secretary Schurz, and What the In
dianapOHs journal Thought of 1t.


March of that year.
In 1877 Secretary Shurz, who was then at
the head of the Interior Department de-
tailed special agent to investigate the de-
predations alleged to have been committed
on the public lands in Montana Territory
That agent reported to the Department that
large quantities of lumber were being stolen
from the public lands by spectators, and by
direction of the Secretary who was seconded
in his efforts by the Department of Justice,
these thieves were compelled to
pay stumpage for the timber stolen.
In response TO a resolution of the Senate
the Secretary reported the steps he had taken
to suppress the lumber depredations in Mon
tana.
That report was made on the 18th of March.
1873. Mr.. Blaine and his friends objected to
its publication in the Record, and they were
only defeated by Senator Matthews reading
1t as part of his remarks on the subject.
Mr.. Blaine severely denounced Secretary
SChuIZ for prosecuting these thieves. and
was most eloquent in his defense of the dep
redators, though he fought for them under
the guse OF wanting to defend the rights of
poor settlers to free fuel. But the Interior
Department was not making war on these
poor settlers, but was fighting
the wood ringn as the special agent called
these spectators in government timber. The
following paragraph of the report shows who
1t was that the Department was prosecuting:
IAN examination OF the
SPECIAL AGENTS REPORT
will show that the seizures and prosecutions
instituted were not directed against settlers
and poor men going upon public lands to
gather firewood for their stoves, but against
speculators-the wood ring as the Gov.
eminent agent calls them-who depredate
upon the public lands on a large scale, in
the way OF On extensively organized enter
prise, for their own private profit, aud
against the mill owners, who manufacture
large quantities of timber taken from public
lands into lumber for sale, and that
the amount charged by the Gov
eminent IN settling with the
depredators constitutes but q small
portion of the profits of the latter over and
above the costs of cutting and hauling"
Here are some Of the poor settlers" that
the report mentions as having stolen the
Government timber, and who were so elo-
ouently defended in their right to free
fuel'' by the Maine statesman:
Leroy NJ. Beverage, of Helena, had $500
cords cut, which he expected to sell the
next winter for IS per cord.
+. lie Due delivered every other day
twelve cords in Helena, for which he re-
ceived So cord.
Hotter Brothers, OF Helena, cut over 25,-
100000 feet of timber. They were millers,
and had made over 100000 in the timber
business. This firm manufactured 10000
feet of lumber day, which was worth at
the mill S25 to S35 thousand.
Phillip Constant, a grocer of Union
vile, had 900 cords OF yellow pine which
he had held for two years, intending to get
a corner on pine wood, thereby forcing the
quartz mills at and near Unionville to pay
higher prices for the same.
Sanford e. Evans, mlllers, near Readings,
were cutting timber in all directions from
the mill. Their mill bad acapacity of $1,000
feet day.
Other cases are given, but it is useless to
refer to them, as they all tell the same story.
The defense OF the timber thieves by Sena-
tor Blaine was so persistent that many of
his party organs condemned it severely.
Among them was the Indianapolis Journal.
On March 16, 1878, it used the following
language editorially: Secretary SchurZ
makes good defense in regard to the prose-
cution of the timber thieves, if, indeed, any
defense is necessary for the enforcement of
the laws. The cry has been raised that he
was logging and prosecuting poor men, the
hardy pioneers of the far West, tor taking
timber from the Government lands which
they were obliged to have and could get no.
where else. Even this is a poor excuse for
stealing, but Secretary Schurz says that I'M
der his instructions not a settler or miner
has been touched, the only persons prose-
cuted being spectators who have stolen
wood in large quantities and for mere
gain" Referring to Senator
Blaine's defenses of these thieves the same
article says: "In this connection we can
not forbear to say that the whole tone and
temper of Senator Blaine's attack
on Secretary Schurz were IN extremely
bad taste. Nothing could be more con-
temptible than his illusions to Mr.. SchurZ's
foreign birth or more puerile than his at
tempt to arraign the Secretary for executing
the laws and performing his duty. When
he attempted to speak as an expert about
the cost of stumpage he showed that he did
not understand what he was talking about,
and when he said that sit was q thing con-
coded by the Government that the hardy
pioneer who went forward to settle the coun-
try should have water air and wood free
he uttered nonsense. There is no principle
of government or of political economy that
authorizes hardy pioneers or anybody else to
steal wood off Government land"
But his advocacy OF the cause OF these
''poor settlers" was only exceeded by the
severity of his
CRITICISM OF SECRETARY sCHURZ's
course in protecting the rights of the Gov
eminent. So indignant was he at
the trepidity of Government officer prose-
cutting these clients of his that he
sneeringly referred TO the nationality of Sec
rotary Schurz, using the following language:
'The Secretary of the Interior does not
happen to be a native of this country. This
| is not his fault, and do not mention it with
any spirit of reproach. He is a native of the
Kingdom of Prussia. The Kingdom of Prus-
| STA is ID, 900 square miles less in extent than
the Territory of Montana, and it has popu-
lation of %, 1000, 600 people, and
now the Secretary of the Interior, perhaps
with the traditions of his young manhood
and boyhood, applies to that country the
land laws of Prussia, not the land laws OF the
settled Territories of the United States"
For this he was called to account by the
Journal on March %, 1875 that paper refer
ring to it in the following language:
Senator Baine's sneers at Secretary
| Schurzs nationality met with no response
whatever in any respectable quarter. If Mr..
| Blaine should happen to come before another
| Republican convention as candidate, he
would not be likely to reject the vote of any
| delegate because he was born in a little Ger
| man State Possibly, also, he would
| not be likely to receive such votes"
and again in March % it said: Senator
| Blaine's criticism on Secretary Schurz, that
| he was born in Prussia, is not quite conclu-
siye in regard to the latter's alleged narrow
| mindedness. Bismarck was born there too,
| and he is pretty stalwart statesman"
Even the distinguished Senator from
| Massachusetts,, Mr.. Hoar, who so eloquently
| defends the author of the "Mulligan letters, "
| could not vindicate Mr.. Blaine in his attack
upon Secretary Schurz, but said of that gen.