The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-07
RICH men And LAW
Men of Wealth Do Not Always Es-
. cape Penalties Omaha Pessi- T.
r., -: mist Answered. :.
Interesting Cases Cited Showing the
Power Of Social and Political
- 49, =: "Pu11s.'' :.:"sz's>5 ..
New York Sun Special Service.

New YORK Sun Special Service. . .
Chicago, Jan. 7.-Wi1ilam E. Curtis. in
Washington special to the Record Her
aid, says: Commenting upon the efforts
Of Secretary Hitchcock to remove the
fences from the public lands in Nebraska
and elsewhere and to punish the cattle
men who unlawfully put them there, a
prominent lawyer Of Omaha asks me to
publish a report showing how many men
have been convicted and punished for vio-
lations Of the timber and public land laws
during the present administration. IT,
,.. How Rich Men Escape.
The inquirer asserts with confidence
that mo man of prominence in politics,
society or business affairs; no man with
money or friends has been or ever will be
punished for robbing the government of
land or timber in the western states y
He declares that the special agents who
are appointed to detect violations of the
law and secure evidence to prove them are
politicians dependent upon political inf1l1-
ence for their POSITIONS; that the district
attorneys who conduct the prosecutions,
the United, States marshals who summon
the ,jur1es and perform other service. and
the judges themselves are creatures of
the political parties and factions and are
controlled by the United States sena
tors, the members of the house and the
chairman Of the republican committees.
And that even whena conviction is I'M
aVo1dable the defendant can always OBJ
tain continuance after continuance until
the public has forgotten about his ca se
and the district attorney can let it drop
without exciting unfavorable criticism.
> Rich Boys Not Indicted.
The gentleman from Omaha predicts
that the grand jury now in session at
that city will not indict anybody for viola :
ton OF the land laws, although evervho1, !,
connected with f1a
secretary Of the interior down, knows ex-
actly how many acres Bartlett Richards
and other offenders have fenced in and
exactly how long and; how. far he ha $
violated the law. He declares that Rich
aras ana the other men who should be
defendants in the criminal courts are in
Washington "hobnobbing'' with the sec
rotary OF the interior and sena tors ana
members OF congress from Nebra ska IN
stead OF sitting in the prisoners hoy ana
THAT the district attorney dare not indict
or prosecute them for fear of losing his
job: 'i's
g. The Omaha lawyer says that the ONLY;
Way*1t can be stopped is by arresting and
prosecuting Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst. widow
OF the California senator, and a preat !
pnllanthropist; J.. B. Haggin Of California
and, other owners Of the Homestake Min
ing company, who give the orders for. and
pron on py, the robbery of the government.
earnest In his intentions to punish neonla
VINO have violated the land and timber
laws. let him indict and arrest Rartlatt
richards for fencing 65 900 acres of rnnb1;c
land in Nebraska and Phoebe A. Hearst
for stealing fuel from the government FL,
the Home Stake Mining company" saws
the gentleman from Omaha.
Facts Known at Washington.
There IS no doubt great deal of truth
IN what has been said above. and tba 81
ncers OF the government at Washinptnn
are quite as well aware of it as anvo ne.
They know better than any one how DIFF, DIFF
ticult It is to secure the conviction of nar-
s sons , OF influence. who have viola ted tha
laws enacted by congress to protect tbs
pubic domain. II the gentleman from
Omaha will undertake the duty Of nrosa =.
cutting Mrs. Hearst and J. B. Hagpin for.
stealing timber, and Bartlett Richards fo,.
fencing public lands, the attorney genera
will doubtless be glad to- secure his se, -
vices. In the first place sentimentfra tbar
than the department. officials at Washina.
ton is to blame. In the western sco
try rs everybody knows; it is not Con
sldered a. crime to utilize the. idle re-.
sources OF the government, whether tla,s
be land or timber or mines. and ! mar.
who is accused OF such an aofrense is al, Al.