Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-12-07
Eur1u 1903

The federal grand jury lately in ses
sion in New York city dealt with thi.
subject and made a presentment which
states the situation briefly and forcibl,
and contains important suggestions fol
the consideration of the congress- Thls
presentment is included rs an append,
to the report of the attorney general
Public Land and Postal Frauds.
In my last annual message, in con
nection with the subject of the du.
regulation of combinations of capita
which are or may become injurious t
the public. recommended a special APP
preparation for the better enforcement
of the antitrust law as 1t now stands
to be expended under the direction OF
the attorney general. Accordingly (by
the legislative, executive and Judicial
appropriation act of Feb. %. 1908. Sc
Stat, S54, 904), the congress appro
priated for the purpose of enforcing the
various federal trust and interstate
commerce laws the sum of 100000, to
be expended under the direction of thu
attorney general in the employment OF
special counsel and agents in the de
partmcnt Of justice TO conduct proceed
ings and prosecutions under said laws
In the courts of the United States.
now recommend. az a matter of the ut
most importance and urgency, the ex-
tension of the purposes of this appro-
priaton. so that it may be available,
under the direction of the attorney
general and until used for the due en-
forcement of the laws of the United
States in general and especially of the
civil and criminal laws relating to pub
lie lands and the laws relating to postal
crimes and offenses and the subject of
naturalization. Recent Investigations
have shown deplorable state of af-
fairs in these three matters of vital
concern. BY various frauds and by
forgeries and periuries thousands Of
acres of the public domain, embracing
lands of different character and ex-
tending through various sections Of the
country, have been dishonesty acquir-
ed 1t Is hardly necessary to urge the
Importance of recovering these dishon-
est acquisitions. stolen from the people,
and OF promptly and duly Furnishing
the offenders.
Through frauds. forgeries and per-
1uries and by shameless briberies the
laws relating to the proper conduct of
the public service in general and to the
due administration OF the postoffice
department have been VIGOROUSLY vio-
lated, and many indictments have been
found, and the consequent prosecutions
are in course OF hearing or on the eve
thereof. For the reasons thus indicat-
ed and sol that the government may
be prepared to enforce promptly and
with the greatest effect the due pen
alties for such violations of law, and
to this end may be furnished with sufii-
Gent instrumentalities and competent
legal assistance for the investigations
and trials which will be necessary at
many different points of the country, |
urge upon the congress the necessity
Of making the said appropriation avail
able for immediate use for all such
purposes, to be expended under the d.
rection OF the attorney general.
Need For Treaties Making bribery
Extrnditable.
Steps have been taken by the state
department looking to the making OF
bribery an extraditable offense with
foreign powers The need of more eff
fectiye treaties covering this crime is
manifest. The exposures and prosecu-
tons Of official corruption in st. Louis.
Mo-, and other cities and states have
resulted in n number Of givers and tax
ers Of brides becoming fugitives in for
eign lands. Bribery has not been In
Guided in extradition treaties hereto
fore, as the necessity for it has not
arisen. While there may have been
as much official corruption in former
years, there has been more developed
and brought to light in the immediate
past than in the preceding century OF
our country's history. 1t should be the
policy Of the United States to leave no
place ON earth where corrupt man
fleeing from this country can rest in
peace.
Alaskan Boundary.
After unavailing attempts to reach an
understanding on the Alaskan bound
airy question through joint high COM
followed by prolonged negotia-
tons, conducted in an amicable spirit,
q convention between the United States
and Great Britain was signed Jan. "A,
1903, providing for an examination OF
the subject by a mixed tribunal of six
three on a side, with view
to its final disposition. Notifications
were exchanged on March 3 last,
the two governments ap-
pointed their respective members.
Those on behalf of the United States
were Elihu Root, secretary of war;
Henry Cabot Lodge, senator of the
United States, and George Turner, an
of the United States, while
Great Britain named the Right Hon.
Lord Alverstone, lord chief justice of
England; Sir Louis Amable Jette, X.
G. NJ. G., retired judge of the supreme
court of Quebec, and A. b. Aylesworth,
X. c., Of Toronto. This tribunal met
In London on Sept. 8 under the presi-
lency OF Lord Alverstone. On the Goth
Of October majority of the tribunal
reached and signed an agreement on
all the questions submitted by the
terms of the convention. BY this
award the right Of the United States
TO the control of continuous strip or