St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-02
Secretary Hoke Smith Takes
Hold OF His Department
With Energy.
The Northwest Will Be Aided
by Prompt Action in
Contests.
Congressman Boen Looked in
Vain for the Vikings at
New York.
Did Secretary Tracy Fail to
Notify Norway and SWe-
den of the Review
Speclalfnt the Gloha

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-"Young men
for action, Old men for counsel" is
seems to have followed in making
up his official family. The three young
men of the cabinet are Secretaries
Smith, OF the interior; Lamont, of war,
and Bissell, of the postoffice depart
ment. All of these posts carry impor-
tant sponsibilitieS, and afford all the
opportunity to be desired for
work. To the Northwest, especially
the newer and greater Northwest,
the most important branch of
the government is the interior depart
ment. By halting, indecisive policy
in dealing with questions affecting the
public domain the development of the
whole country from Lake Michigan to
the coast can be retarded and delayed,
and the people of all those states dam
aged to an almost untold amount.
The people of the Northwest want an
honest. capable administration of this
great department, and this is what they
are going to get. Although no. yet
forty years of age, Secretary Hoke
Smith has won a reputation as a
brainy, courageous aud industrious
man that made his selection seem wise
and judicions before he took hold of
the department. Since then he has
won praise from all sides. In less than
two months he has familiariZed himself
with nearly every branch OF his great
department, and already the decks are
cleared for action. The opinion of his
course. as summed up by Hon. Michael
DOran few weeks ago, was that he
was "worKing like HORSE" and SO he
has. and every move he makes is di-
rected toward some definite object.
Virtue in Action.
One of his dec sons in the Southwest
threw thousands upon thousands of
acres of land claimed by one of the Pa
cific railroads open to settlement, and
will have the effect of renewing the de-
velopment of Southern California and
Arizona. The point of this decision
was not so mnch that he decided
against the railroad company, but
that he acted. The development and
growth of the country were retarded by
the fact that the lands were in dispute.
Had the railroad won. the lands would
have at once been placed on sale and
settlers would have gone in and com
menced improving them. A case that
| lUuCH IcScUlUlCo Iulo 10 OiiC OClCDl duCu
Hastings 6S Dakota grant in Big
Stone, Chippewa and Swift counties,
Minnesota. A decision is what is
needed because when decided the lands
must soon find their way OH the tax
! lists and thus aid in building roads and
bridges and paying the expenses of
| government.
! By the zeal and energy with which
! Secretary Smith has taken hold of the
! work of his department he has demon
Strated in a marked manner the
wisdom OF the president in Sc
lecting young man full o.
life. endowed with courage and ability,
for the head of the interior department
The work is there to be done. Thou
sands and hundreds of thousands of
acres of land are tied up by contests in
this department which decisions would
unloose and open to DEVELOPMENT, and
it is the aim of the young Georgian tc
clear up all of these matters as rapidly
as possible, because he realizes the great
lnjustices worked by delays. whether
Needless or not,