St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-11-01
SMITHS IHConPETENTs.
INQUIRY INTO MiNNES0TA'S NEW
TIMBER INSPECTORS.
SOME OF THEM WILL NOT DO.

for the Purpose of Wedding
Out the Men Who Do Not
Know q Pine Tree From a
Stake Boat-Heads Destined to
Fall.
Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-The editorial
in the GLOBE in relation to the misbe-
havior of the timber estimator in and
around the Red Lake reservation Gre
ated a furry at the general land office.
The general dIsaffection throughout the
State of Minnesota at the appointment
of a strong carpetbag brigade of special
agents and timber eStimatorS is very
generally understood here, and, as there
are no MInnesotans employed in the
governmental land office, the prevalent
impression seemed to be that the state
ments of the CrookSton newspaper were
exaggerated.
1t may be said, in justification of the
interior department i'll making those
appointments, that they claim to have
been actuated solely by the good of the
public service. The operations of the
various pine land grabbers in Minnesota
and Wisconsin are geerally under
stood, n Secretary Smith seems to
have made his appointments outside
the state in the full belief that reliable
material would be found to be scarce III
Minnesota. In other words, Mr.. Smith
did not feel himself competent to Judge
as to the reliability of the Minnesota
applicants, and feared that he was
breaking up an old ring only to aid. in
The organization of a new one by ap-
pointing "eXperienced' men about
whose antecedents he was not thor
Dugnly advised. He therefore deter
mined to make a clean sweep, and ap-
point as few as possible from Mime
sofa, and make the experiment of trying
to get honest reports from men whom
he knew.
This was the notion behind the So
called carpetbag appointments. For
some time, however, the secretary has
been gradually coming to the conclusion
That he made an error in transplanting
Dutsiders-particularly from the far
South-to the white pine region of the
far North. For a month past it has
been expected that there would be a
change in the pine land crowd as now
organized in Minnesota.
COMMISSIONS LamoreauX is a Wis
conSin man, and as such thoroughly
acquainted with all the ramlfications of
the pine land business. He also stands
Bteadfastly beside Messrs. Douglas, Har-
mon, Connolly and Velie. These men
he claims to know personally, and will
not listen to anything that may be said
10 their detriment.
He attempted TO brush aside as en-
tlrely lnconSequential the editorial in
the GLOBE of the 24tb, and was even so
badly informed as to the Northwest AS
to ask if he was reading from a Re-
publican newspaper" When informed
that 1t was the leading Democratic news
paper OF the Northwest, he consented
to voice the brief interview telegraphed
On the Goth, and stated that he would
call the attention of Secretary Smith to
the charges. Just what action, if any,
the secretary would take in the prem
lses, be did not presume to say. There
is no doubt, however, that the article in
question Will provoke some sort of &C
ton in the land office.
Maj. Baldwin was asked to give his
opinion on the affair, and replied sub
s~tantially as follows:
1.-The results of those unfortunate ap-
polntInents are fully juStifying my pre-
dlctlons. L strove early and late i'll the
beginning or the administration to Sc
cure good and efficient Minnesota men
for these appointments, but with all my
laborS only three men recommended by
NE have been appointed.
II have no fault to find with Secre-
tary Smith Ill the matter, as he acted
with the lights he possessed. He was
Informed that l was the very head cen
ter OF II OF the worst pine land rings
In the Northwest; that | had eaten up
millions of acres in Wisconsin, and that
then l had removed to Duluth seeking
other worlds of stumpage to onque
and that finally l had been elected to
congress IN the interest and by the cor
rupt support of a gang of pine land
thieves. 1t was months before he was
disilluSioniZed, and meantime / did not
known that the secretary considered
me other than an honest and patriotic
servant OF the people of my district.
About the last of May the secretary
sent for me with a request that [ see
him immediately. l obeyed the sum-
mons, and was astonished to learn FROM
his W lips that he had been deceived
in his former estimate of me. He said
that probably | felt somewhat aggrieved
at the treatment l had received at his
hands, and made the following e~XpIana-
tion- An intimate friend of his from
Georgia had been approached by a
minnesota man with a proposition to go
into a pine-land deal on the Red Lake
reservation, in Minnesota, in which the
cooperation of the secretary of the in
terror was necessary. The friend di-
vulged the whole scheme. and cautioned
MIN to be on his guard against the
n.rTJnS mln xunrn IN fbn 1aaI },
did the secretary give names?"
'If he did so, | do not care to diyulge
them. The secretary her sent for Com
missioner Lochren, of the pension bu-
reau, and c~ontidentially asked what
manner OF man l was. Judge Lochren's
report seems to have been satisfactory
to the secretary, because he then sent
Tor me, and in a very frank and manly
manner told HE that he was sorry for
the manner IN which he had treated me.
n that it was done under the misap-
prehenslon outlined above. Reference
was made to my original recommends
tons as to the organization of the corps
OF examiners sind special agents, and he
expressed regret that he had not
ADOPTED several of my suggestions. He
pledged me his hearty cooperation tC
uneartE any frauds in the past and to
prevent any in the future.
He also assured me that a thorough
investigation should be instituted into
tie capacity and honesty of the CORPS
OF eslmators, and whatever ,evils wert
found the remedy should be applied
Since that time L have had the assist
ance of the secretary in every way, an(
have only words of cordial praise ant
commentator for him. L have recently
had a long interview with the sec
rptarV. in Which he assured mf
that he had a trusted agent OIL
the ground in Minnesota making
thorough investigation. This man will
soon report, and on that report reform.
will be at once inaugurated. | have
reason to believe that in the future III,
recommendation as to appointment
and to the operation of the estimatin!
corps will be largely influential witt
the secretary. l have been assured tina
no further appointments will be mad,
outside the state of Minnesota"