Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-01-20
BREEZY NEWS FROM OUR
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
Good Work Being Accomplished by Congress-
man French and Senator Hepburn
on Idaho Matters

by the United States circuit court for
the Ninth circuit, such cases are con-
sidered To be on the equity side of the
court Under the present operation of
. the law the jury and the court never
see the witnesses upon whose testi-
mony the controverted questions of
fact are to be determined and the tes-
timony OF thoroughly INSCRIPTIONS
Witnesses, who have the skill to be
plausible. is as potent as that of the
witness who knows and tells the truth.
I "All men look alike on paper and a
jury selected from the vicinity where
the controversy arises can more ac-
curately' pass upon the controverted
facts than "A court sitting at a distant
point and hearing a case upon testi-
mony taken before the examiner where
everything is admitted subject to OBJ
lection. The courts have held that the
statutes, as at present enacted, do not
sufficiently provide for trial by jury
in such cases"
The senator also introduced a joint
resolution directing the stay of all
proceedings now pending upon any APP
plication TO enter or patent even num-
bered sections of the public lands of
the United States in lieu of odd num-
bered sections surrendered by any rail-
road company or it's assigns. within
the limits OF any forest reserve.
Congress in it's generosity" said the
senator. has created immense national
parks and forest reserves within the
limits of railroad land grants, and has
given the railroad the right to select
lands of like character in lieu of its
lands included within such reserves,
thus giving the railroad company, or
it's assigns, a rowing commission to go
into other states and territories and by
locating such scrip upon even num-
bered sections create solid blocks of
holdings within it's grant or, on the
rendered lands within such reserves
for select white pine timber lands of
great value.
Il believe that, where the govern
ment desires to make a national part
as in the case of the Mt. Rainier Park,
or reservation, it should not compen-
safe the railroad company for it's lands
included within sucr reservation at the
expense of the public lands lying with
in other states and territories, and
thereby diminish the available public
lands within such state or territory to
the extent Of the railroad company's
selections of lieu lands.
I'VE desire" said Senator Hepburn
in conclusion, that our. quota of pub
lie lands contained within the boun-
daries of the state shall not be dmn-
ished by any such jugglery We need
them for the homemakers upon whom
the future greatness and prosperity of
our state depends, and we do not de-
sire that the railroad land grant al
ready existing within our state shall
be added to or multiplied as above
set out"
The senator said it was not the in
tent of congress to grant even num-
bered sections of the public lands of
the United States to the railroad COM
panies, but that they should be re-
served for individual settlement and |
purchase under the laws providing for |
the sale of such lands. For this reason !
he introduced the bill directing the |
stay of all proceedings that may now
be pending, and purposes staying by it |
until the bill becomes a law.
N PES