The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-02
SEEM DETERMINED
TO GUST HITCHCOCK
Western Senators Resume Ef.
forts to Force Him From
the Cabinet.
Globe Special Washington Service.
-


WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. 1.-The
bitter feeling between certain Western
senators on the one side and Secretary
of the Interior Hitchcock on the other
has increased recently and there are
now likely to be fresh efforts to force
him out of the cabinet It is not too
much to say that two senators OF every
three from states west of the Missis-
sippi river have an unfriendly feeling
toward Mr.. Hitchcock. A little less than
two years ago, a little coterie OF hair
a dozen members of the senate repre-
senting Western constituencies formed
a compact that they would do all IN
their power to secure the resignation
Of the secretary. They carried their
complaints against him to President
Roosevelt but the president-as Mr..
Mckinley had done before him-stood
by the secretary.
Matters have recently reached an
acute stage in the relations OF the
secretary of the interior with Sena-
tors Foster and Ankeny. of Washing
ton, Senators Mitchell and Fulton, Of
Oregon, and several other senator's
from the West. Mr.. Hitchcock has
complained to the president that these
senators almost invariably recommend
men of questionable character for ap-
pointment as Indian agents and regis
tiers and receivers of land offices.
President Roosevelt has in several
cases appointed to those positions can
dates who did not meet with the ap-
prevail of Secretary Hitchcock-the ap-
pointments being made on the ground
that it was necessary for the president
to please the senators in order to Sc
sure the passage of administration
measures through the senate and to
secure his own nomination for the
presidency in 1904.
Mr.. Hitchcock has recently been vindi-
Gated in his bad opinion of these can
didates for office by their absolute
dereliction of duty. A case in point
was the indictment by the federal
grand jury in Oregon last week of Asa
B. Thomson, receiver Of the lands office
at La Grande Mr.. Hitchcock pro-
tested last spring that Thomson was
an unfit man for office and ought not
to be appointed. The president did not
heed the protest, but appointed Thorn
son to please the Oregon senators.
Secretary Hitchcock says he has no
doubt that other federal land officials
in Western states will soon be indicted
for criminal offenses
The secretary has aroused the Ire
of the Western senators by his uncom-
promising way of calling spade
spade. He has not hesitated to tell
senator's that they were recommending
to him for appointment men whom
they must know are unfit. He has al
so offended many members Of the SEN
ate and of the house by his somewhat
cold and naughty manner and his Sus-
picious attitude toward their requests.
A common complaint against Mr..
Hitchcock is: HE discusses every
proposition regarding public lands as
If there was job in it." The reply of
the secretary's friends is: There usually
is one"
In the case of the Oregon senators,
Secretary Hitchcock has stirred up
much ill-feeling by his reported inten-
ton Of asking the president to disre-
gard the recommendation of MeSSerS
Mitchell and Fulton, when the question
of appointing a successor to a receiver
is presented. 1t is hardly believed that
the president will accede to this re-
quest of the secretary, in view Of his
policy in keeping senators good-n ma
tured until after the next Republican
national convention; but it is known
that he appreciates the feeling Of Mr..
Hitchcock in the matter and that he
will not listen to demands for his res
ignation at present.
secretary hitchcock is at swords
points with Senators Ankeny and Fos-
ter, Of Washington, on question Of
federal patronage. The Washington
senators are asking for the appoint
ment of one Hal Cole to the register
ship of the Spokane land office They
have been asking for it nearly a year
Secretary Hitchcock says Cole had
bad record as an Indian agent a few
years ago, declares that the Washing
ton senators know that he had a bad
record, and that he will not consent to
Coles appointment Mr. Hitchcock has
made such a point of this matter that
the president has promised to sustain
him in it. Walter E. Clark