The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-07-08

made, OF If will take some younger and
more progressive man. II may not be
able 10 convict all lie old thieves but 1t
has not fallen 90 far from grace as TO
make official negligence a passport TO
the highest Offices, or put itseli where
malieasance in a sacred obligation will
have 10 be endorsed in its platform.
Il is highly amusing TO read that Sec.
retary OF the Interior Hitchcock has his
suspicious aroused that not all the off.
icisls under him have been as yigilant as
they should have been in preventing
timber land frauds. There is our dear
friend Binger Hermann Of Oregon, at the
head Of the public lands department.
He has been vigilant. Oh Yes, but
hasn't he thought? II there is anything
more that corporations have not grasped,
from the beach mines at Nome to the
choicest unserveyed timber lands in
Oregon, II is not his fault. He has bad
the care Of the Forest reserves and there
10 not Rockpile on any Of them, or a
forty acre lot Of stripped timber, that has
not been turned in aud the choidest
standing fir, going millions 10 the acre,
taken in exchange for il by some non
resident corporation. little clause was
slipped into the Agricultural appropria-
tions bill few years ago in congress that
allows this wholesale steal to 20 on, rob-
bing the United States, the states that
are first entitled to these selections Of
the public lands and the bonahde intend
ing settler. These things are done and
poor old Oregon stripped Of her heritage
Of natural wealth while We send 10 con-
gress cheap corporation agents who howl
about gold and silver and improving our
rivers and harbors and lot the public
domain be stolen by the wholesale. Sec
retAry Hitchcock is not onto the curves Of
the western Doodle statesmen, and the
public land frauds will be- found the
greatest scandal OF the Mckinley admin.
istration when they are fully exposed.
Road legislation the past few years In
Oregon has been the result of brilliant
scintillations OF that Kanas stateman,
Senator George Cromwell Brownell. lie
rushed through precinct road super.
visor bill when the precincts mere are
four 10 ten times as big as in Kansas,
and there is only short time In the
spring that the roads can be worked.
SO In no district can the best man the
people can elect get over one half the
district. That system hadn't fairly got
onto It's feet when another Jayhawker
legislative inspiration created the office
OF County Road Engineer at 1900 to
$500 year In each county and he
takes the business practically out OF the
hands OF the road supervisor elected by
the people. one frst-class man, II he
Is a genius, may get over the roads In
a county and do something with them
but II will be hard 10 find such men.
But MIR, Brownell is coming back 10 the
Senate and he will create more ON paper,
and out OF his endless supply Of Kansas
windspiels make the dear voter believe
he has made good roads. II the road
districts were smaller and the people
elect competent supervisor, with good
county road oyerseer, Il is possible tho
two systems might work we'll together.
Mr.. Brownells fertile genius will
supply any little defect like another
new law. The last legislature ground
out about six hundred pages Of new
general laws, not one OF which has stood
the tests Of the courts, and there is no
doubt II Mr.. Brownell comes back an
entirely new road system will be the
result In fact We make mistake 10
keep such = genius In idleness. lie
should he kept making laws all the
time or be pat 10 work ON the roads.
Mr.. Lagrange, in the Lincoln school
nelghborhOOd, has done two things that
are As much public interes. 10 our read.
ere as the doings OF Kings and Emper-
oFs. He has raised this year tho largest
red raspberrios We have ever seen grown
in Oregon. The way he did il was 10
iast bank them ap with ooN.manure
and nature did the rest. Some OF them
are an inch across aud as sweet as