St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-21
THE YELLOWSTONE SCANDAL.
A Man Familiar With the Facts
DiscOurses on 1t.


DiScOurSeS on 1t.
To the Editor of the Globe.
1t is serious thing when one of the
largest and most important committees
of the house of representatives, after
long and full investigation, reports that
a cabinet minister is guilty of actual
fraud in the administration of his off1ce..
Such is, however. the report of the
house committee Oh public lands on the
conduct of Secretary Noble concerning
the Yellowstone Park. II
The evidence accompanying the re-
port shows that Noble made six leases
TO the Yellowstone Park association in
March, 1889. each containing the right
to transport passengers: that the asso7.
citation has expended over 100000 in
the erection OF hotels and on the park;
that the transportation business had
been done by Gen. Wakefield ever since
1882, under contracts with the various
lessees. although he had no license him.
self, and that the association continued
him in this employment as it
was spending all Its funds
In building hotels. and this
fact appeared in the annual official re-
ports. of the government uperintendents
TO Secretary Noble. and he had made no
objection TO it; that no complaints were
made in 1889 and 1891; that in August.
1890, about the same time S. S. Huntly
applied for lease of this right, some
seven complaints, consisting of mere
letters and newspaper slips, being a
fraction over l in 1000 passengers
carried that season, were made to the
secretary; that L. B. Casey, acting
president of the association, and Wake
field went to Washington in November,
1890. and had an interview with
Secretary Noble, who told them that
he would pass over the complaints,
but that he wanted the transportation
done by a person holding license OF
lease from the government; that in Feb
ruary. 1891, Gibson, the president of the
association, having returned from Eu-
rope, formal conference was held be-
tween Noble, Gibson, Casey and Wake
field, in which Noble again waived all
question as to the complaints, and
again asserted his desire to have the
business done by person responsible
as lessee to him: that it was stated to
him at this interview that Wakefield
had been the agent of the association,
and that it was responsible for
his acts; that Noble assured
the officers of the association
that he was we'll pleased with it, and
would under no circumstances iDjure it.
and they at the same time assured him
that they would comply with his wishes
as expressed; that Gibson, Casey and
Wakefield then left Washington and
came to st. Paul, where an agreement
was made so as to comply with Mobiles
wish, whereby the association leased the
transportation property for the year
1891, and notified Noble that it would
do the business itself; that while these
gentlemen were OH their way to st.
Paul. and two days after Noble assured
them he would under no circumstances
injure the association, he submitted
to the assistant attorney general the
question whether he could forfeit the
right he had granted the association,
being its most valuable privilege; that
no one can DO any transportation BUSH
ness i'll the park without a lease from the
secretary; that this right was then held
by the association alone; that the forfeit
ure of the right of the association and
the making of lease to Huntly would
not only give him the monopoly, but
that the transportation property was
vaIuably only in this peculiar business;
that it was worth to the owners in the
business over 100000, but compare
lively valueless without the right, and
the association notified him of its in
tention to do the business itself,to grant
lease to Huntly, and four days there
after, without notice, trial or hear
ing of any kind given to the
association he declared its right for
feited, and at the same time SO wOrded
the forfeiture as to require the assO-
citation to do all the business for the
then ensuing. year, and also gave
Huntly in his lease fourteen months
that is, until June. 1892 to commence
his business; that Huntly no sooner got
his lease and this forfeiture than he
commenced negotiations to buy the
transportation property, and finally
succeeded in getting it at about 100000
less than its value to its owners in their
business; that is, the forfeiture In eff
feet compelled them to sell at loss to
them and gain to Huntly of about that
amount of money.
There is no conflict III any material
matter in the evidence. The committee
finds all the above facts to be true, and
that 1.-THE forfeiture was declared with
out notice. without trial, or any state
ment of any complaints for nOn-useS or
misuSer; that Noble. on the contrary,
personally assured the association that
he was well satisfied with it, and would
llOt III ulO It's anu liltil lIlS Gull iuiltCC uS-
ciares THAT it would be fraud in fact
and i'll law to say to the association
that complaints against its manner
of doing the business are waived
and afterwards to forfeit its rights, and.
in effect, cOnfiScate large portion of
its property on account of those COM
plants. This would be more especially
true when the forfeiture was declared
without it giving any notice of the
names of the complainants, the nature
of the complaints or any opportunity to
answer them or any trial in regard to
them" In short, the committee of
fourteen members-only two dissenting
find the secretary guilty of fraud in
fact and in law.' The want of space
alone prevents us at this time from
noticing other and equally Interesting
aud Objectionable features of the eX-
traOrdinary conduct of the secretary.