The Sunday globe., 1901-06-02
THE CONSPIRACY
In the Land Office to Compel the
Retirement of its Head.
AN HONEST AND ABLE OFFICIAL
How Secretary Hitchcock Of The Interior De-
partment was Forced Against His Will 10
Earn The Gratitude Of The Settlers in Oregon
and the SndiCaeS Disgust and COndemna-
tlOn-General Land Office LnOOIns Ambition.

guished statesmen as its head from the
days of Lincoln to the present occu-
pant, Congressman Benger Herman,
Of Oregon The great Lincoln, at one
period Of his eventful life aspired to
the position as the height of his ambi.
tion, but at the time lacked both the
influence and standing to secure the
coveted prize.
1t is unnecessary to state that the
General Land Office is in the Depart.
ment of the Interior, as it has come to
be understood even among those who
are not familiar with Government af-
fairs, that everything under the Gov
ernment is in the Department Of the
Interior, if it hasn't been provided for
specially elsewhere The Commits
sioner, or head Of the General Land
Office is, therefore, a subordinate, so to
speak, Of the Secretary of the Interior;
but as a rule the Commissioner runs
the office, and the Secretary perfume.
toHly approves his rulings.
In the case in point, however, an eff.
fort was not only made to set aside
the Commissioners ruling. but also to
take his official head that the way
might be open to seat in the Office a
more compliant tool of the syndicate
which sought to oust the settlers of
Oregon and California from their
lands and homes. The conspiracy had
its inception in the Office of Mr. Her.
man, and its ramifcations extended to
the Secretary's private office. Every
effort and pressure was brought to
/ bear upon President Mckinley to re-
move Herman, and it is miraculous he
/ didn't yield as the President has the
rare faculty Of substituting the right
man with the wrong one. But in this
| instance, to his credit be it said. he
/ resisted the pressure, and Herman re-
mained.
/ Assistant-General Vanderver was
very active in the fight waged, which
| came about in this way
The settlers in Oregon and adjacent
! territory who had either settled on or
improved their holdings, and who had
obtained their right and titles by the
act Of settlement, were to be ousted by
a land syndicate, which based its claim
which the settlers took possession Of
the lands. The syndicate was power
| full, and it had sufficient reasons to
| think that the sQuatter sovereigns
would soon be its subjects, or ousted
bodily from their holdings. After the
usual pleadings, statements and inves-
legations, the question came up to the
General Land Office for adjudication
rThn ,v,,fg Al
known as one Of singular integrity. In
this era of compliant tools Of Trusts.
syndicates and monouolies such rep.
utation indicates a dangerous man,
from this point of view, and hence at
ter feeling him out" the syndicate set
to work to oust him from office; and in
pursuance Of its plans secured the act
i've aid of the conspirators in the Land
Office itself. The people interested in
a fair decision of the land question
were not idle, and relying on the alb
solute honesty Of Mr.. Herman for a
just decision, they rallied to his sup
port, and rival delegations daily Wis
tied the President-the one COM
posed of syndicate tools, the other
representatives Of the people.
Now, Mr. Mckinley knew Mr. Her
/ man. ne udu etINtu Win ullu III AOu-
gress, and as the President is himself
an honest man, although unfortunate
ly weak and yielding to the representa-
tives of wealth and corporate greed, he
entertained for the Commissioner that
high esteem which one honest man has
for another, and he resented all pres
sure for his removal
The hour of the decision was ap-
rFs.
known to favor the syndicate, and so
were Vanderver's. Then a last effort
and rally was made on the President,
but he stood firm and when the friends
of Mr.. Herman called to stiffen the
Presidential backbone, If necessary,
Mr. Mckinley said;
81 know the Commissioner
served with him in Congress, and |
saw when he assumed the duties Of
his office no better man could have
been selected. / say the same ROW.
and he shall remain"
Mr.. Herman announced his Opinion
i'm favor Of the settlers as against the
subsidized legal views of the syndi-
cate tools The uprisings all along
the Pacific slope on the Commission
er's decision admonished Secretary
Hitchcock to get on the Herman band
wagon, which he Immediately proceed.
ed to do when he found how popular
it was. The press and people unani-
mously approved the Commissioners
views, and the Secretary, much
against his will, had TO approve the
same in the face Of the verdict OF pub
lie opinion The Secretary gracefully
did the act however, and per conse-
quence came in for his share OF the
applause, and much OF the credit, as
the mOdesty Of the Commissioner
shrunk from the ovations which were
being rendered the Land Office, and
adroitly turned, as we'll as he could,
the applause and approval towards
the Secretary and the Administration.
The Land Office. which. up to this
time, has been hostile or Indifferent to
It's head, now began TO wake up to the
fact that a man and an honest states
man was at the helm and with the
customary acrobatism of mere office.
holders, the hunky officials who had
been aiding and abetting the conspir.
acy to get the scalp Of their chief now
prostrated themselves with disgusting
sycophancy and sang the praises Of the
Commissioner, whom they sought to
destroy But Mr.. Herman, who was
not dismayed at their hostility. was
just as Indifferent TO their nattery.
and he has pursued the even tenor
Of exact justice and compliance with
his oath Of office to the present mo.
ment
II was a great triumph for Commits
sioner Herman and The Globe is proud
to be able, where so much is to be crlti-
cised to eulogize, or rather record, the
truth itself which is the best eulogy.
Of one Of the purest, and ablest, and
] .4t,. h.a