The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-20
MR., LEWIS TO ALASKA MINERS.
Thinks Military Rather Than Civil
Rule VIII Obtain i'm the North.

Rule VIII Obtain i'm the North.
Influences at work on congress concern
ing proposed legislation affecting CAPE
Nome, as interpreted by James Hamilton
Lewis, counsel OF the body. are detailed IN
letter from that gentleman read last
night before the Alaska Miners Assccia-
ton, the recipient OF the letter, in part as
follows.
beg to advise you that we have hsd two hear
inss before the public land cornmAtee Of the
house, two arguments before the commissioner, and
s sssy senses' before , me II, secrS n.
made Tie result Is the commissioner made favor
aide instructions TO the public land committee up-
on FIVE Of the seFsn contentious. He recumpends
claims upon the beach. claims upon the road and
the tundra, He agrees that they should not hs
less than sixty feet and particularly comedies with
leaving the extent Of the claims TO he measured
and agreed upon BY the rniusrs At their meeting
He also iaycts the aboiishment q powers Of at
toFncy Upon this point there has becn great war.
Every man who SAYS that be has put up money
aud all Influences which arc seeking % speculate
upon the beach are bitterly fighting this abolish
ment
They are nov seeking to get arcrInd his phase
by providing for an assignment 4 the claims, Al.
lowing Tire location Of the claim on the beach by
diateiy aban3cns the property. The commissioner
agrees tast The military should be wiiadrsvn As
He does not agree that the claims should extend
from the lowest tide water. marx 70 The furthsst
also fsvors the rsts q dredging which / consider
dangerous It means; as ! eontended, ne cutting
q the beach locator
Esteriy who claims 70 be SUPPORTED By e1-comris-
sioner Jackson and Attorney Hatch. insists upon
be legislation certain Influential sources were urg-
ing that claims should be limited 70 forty feet and
their SIZE prescribed by law Jack Williams and
Dave May, the latter eminent lobbyist, backed
up by powerful influences in Chicago. Philadelphia
and New York are insis,ing in the senate that
no legislation be had. They prefer a scramble for
their rights and privileges. Trusting 10 the army
70 protect the powerful. and hoping that it may
heip those who are q the might TO obtain the
benefits against those who may be weak and nm
influential What ! rrcaily fear Is that in the
time that it viii deprive as Of all the sdysn-
| tsges We have gained in Se house
pbass Tse ssr 9ne q ,ns -. se ,n
ences Of certain s-cret officers, know not whom,
has concluded that il has the right TO take charge
OF the beach such within the preservation
Of Notifications and coast defcnses. The officer
who was present when the soldiers routed the min
ment before the land committee and insist
cd through the advice Of the secretary Of the
department that they were NOT 10 egisate upon
Wholly to the control Of thu department. There
are strong Influences seeking this end II is urged
that the war department control il with the mill
tay, and certain senators heseeed ny those in.
tercsted and are asked to keep their hands on on the
ground that any law at first would be unssfisfac-
tory, and on the further ground that the military
being stationed there IS in the hest position TO
ern the situation and that that many men
have gofs MP there being stAked by certain men in
the East, that these men ought not TO be inter
fered with and these Investments distprbed by any
laws which were not in existence when the money
was advanced AZ an indication Of the strength
dcycnter speaking for the var derartme,it wrote
70 Mr. Logan that he had right 70 locate the
partment the attorney general has written another
letter Withdrawing his views rs expressed IN this
letter q January ) as 70 iocstins and. indeed
that the expression heretofore given a mis-
take and ill-considerd
he att x4,l.s sff aI
for legislation The secretary Of the interior has
addressed letter 20 the commissioner OF the land
office. modifying this last view, Withdrawing the
statement that no claims could be taken, aud now
asserts that there Is opinion the subiect one
viii form some sort 81 bill within the next
coupic OF weeks but II y my opinion that the
the house Il viii not be recognized hy its authors
The two principal features which the association
that the claims shall nun from the low-wa'ar mark
mp Across the road and also the tundra. Next the
aholishrent q the powers Of attorney 4 Is dif-
cut fof me TO prophesv now how far the senate
will be Influenced by the position which the
war department has taken IN insisting that il
should control the beach and the land DEPART
msnt. Should this latter view be accepted We win
have The administration of the military instead Of
have tried IN impress upon the department what
dangers there were 4 this new departure. hut
those am able 10 bring 20 bear. promise to keep
the military superior 20 the ci,l authority along
the coast Of Alaska during the next two years
There seems 20 be haste to appoint a judge
The delay "a because ~ the Inability N serve All
the interests that desire Judge friendly TO their
particular side
II Is my opinion that the attempt 10 have the
whole subject placed under the control II the war
department Is al the instance Of those who desire
TO foist the leasing system upon Alaska, which
viii pnquestionahly produce tho monopoly dis
closed in the management AZ the Canadian placer
fields and would the utter Destruction a IN,
rights Of the individual miner
The writer inclosed a copy Of the So
called Nelson bill, introduced IN the IN
per branch OF congress bv Senator Nell
son. Of Minnesota. The bin proposes leg
islAtion for the district along lines which
Mr.. Lewis advises the association 30 np-
pose. II was referred to the legislative
ard Judiciary committee.
Judge Benson made Am interesting speech
before the association whose objects and
! purposes he heartily Endorsed during the
course OF his remarks