The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-02
QUITE CONSISTENT

QUITE CONSISTENT.
1t was quite in keeping for the SEN
ate to attach to that enormous engine
of profigacy and jobbery known as the
sundry civil bill an amendment revers-
ing the action of the president in set
ting aside forest reserves in different
parts of the West. Inasmuch as a.
large part of the appropriations made
by this bill are a steal and an imposi-
ton upon the taxpayer those who log
rolled it through must be expected to
have a tender side for the other peo-
pie who want to preserve their opDor-
tunities. The action of the president
in setting aside these forest reserves
was neither unprecedented nor uneX-
pected. The power given to the execu-
tive to exempt from settlement and hold
forever in the national domain tracts
of forest land in the practically I'M
settled portions of the country was
wisely bestowed. 1t is nothing Of re-
cent origin, and action under it was
taken by Mr. Harrison, as we'll as Mr..
GSIdUllSfIn6nC THESE
reserves is wholly in the public inter-
est. They are excluded from private
appropriation in order that the work
of decreasing the country may not
proceed to q ruinous extent: that the
sources of our rivers may be saved;
and now fertile and prosperous com
munities may not have to suffer the
fate Of the semi-arid and desert regions
of the West. That is all there is to it
No private interest can possibly be
served by making these reservations.
while their beneicence Of purpose ex-
tends to whole communities and looks
to the future welfare of millions of
people.
The members Of the federal senate
from the states in which these reserva-
lions are set aside are naturally CD
posed to them. These senators repre-
sent the acquisitive class, the land
grabbers, the corporations that prey
upon public property, the men to
whom every withdrawal Of a govern
ment asset from private appropriation
represents one more opportunity for
Iooting gone astray. 1t is not neces-
sary to consider seriously the obiec-
lions which they raise, any more than
II is to answer Morgan's opposition to
the arbitration treaty. 1t is sufficient
TO know that there is a selfish purpose
and interest at work, and that this,
acting under the specious, but frau6u-
lent preteXt of care for settlers who are
alleged to have gone on these lands,
colored its evil purpose by an assump-
ton Of honesty.
1t was, as we have said, quite fitting
that this amendment for the benefit IF
land-grabbers should be attached to an
appropriation bill carrying a total of
SOL 600 to he drawn from an empty
treasury, nearly all Of it unwarranted
by any public need. Of this bill ST.
OoO, 900 is for river and harbor contracts.
1t was only at the last session Of con-
G1ess shat appropriations We're 4fy2s
which, Including the total amount ct
"ant12ct5 authorized for future work
aggregated over s9G. G00, 00G. Here we
have within twelve months $17,0OO, 600
more, which in itself is so per cent
greater than bills which a few years
ago were vetoed by Republican presi-
dents for their eXtravagant size. The
protests Of senators against these grabs
We're of no avail, The enormous accu-
Innl9tiCn
senatorial combination, the members
Of which were bought as truly as if
they had been paiG in cash. In this
bill there is some pie for pretty
much all the senators who voted for
1t. Claims introduced and pushed by
the several senators are punched in
1t. Allotments from the treasury
for little creeks and ponds that
could net go into an ordinary
river and harbor bill are made, and the
big tCtal Of over $5O,OOOOOO represents
in large part the sums which members
of the two houses order to be paid
from the treasury to increase their
popularity among their own constitu-
ents and make smoother their future
political path.
Net emily because the amendment az
tempting to defeat executive action by
legislative act was attached to this
bill, but because Of its inherent profit
gacy, we hope sincerely that Mr. Cleve-
land will withhold from it his approv-
al. He cauld not better round out his
splendid record Of opposition to rascal
fly through both his terms of office
than by holding the sundry civil bill
without his signature, S. that with the
expiration Of this congress 1T should
S'N the ignominicus death that 1t de-