The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-12-08
Criminal Laws.

Criminal Laws.
In my last message l asked the attention
| OF the Congress 10 me urgent need OF action
10 make our criminal law more enectlve; an9
| | most earnestly request that you pay heed
! to the report of the Attorney General on this
subject. Centuries ago 1t was especially
needful to throw every safeguard around the
| accused The danger then was lest he should
be wronged by the state. The danger is now
exactly the reverse. Our laws and customs
tell immensely in favor of the criminal
and against the interests OF the public ne mas
wronged. Some Anticipated and outworn
rules which once safeguarded the threatened
rights Of private citizens, now merely work
harm to the general body polite; The Grim
| inal process of any court of the United states
should run throughout the entire territorial
extent of our country. The delays of the
criminal law, no less than of the civil, now
amount to very great evil.
Breaches of Public Trust.
There seems to be no statute of the United
United States attorney or other officer OF
| the Government who corruptly agrees TO
wrongfully do or wrongfully refrain from
doing any act when the consideration for
possessing money value. This ought to be
remedied by appropriate legislation. Legis-
lation should also be enacted to cover, e.
| plicitly unequvocally and beyond question,
breach of trust in the shape Of prematurely
| divulging official secrets by an officer en-
| ploye of the United States, and to provide
suitable penalty therefor Such officer or en-
| ploye owes the duty to the United States to
| guard carefully and not to divulge or in any
manner use, prematurely, information which
| is accessible to the officer or employee by rea-
of public trust are already covered by the
law, and this one should be. 1t is impos-
sible, no matter how much care is used, to
prevent the occasional appointment to the
public service of a man who when tempted
proves unfaithful; but every means should
be provided to detect and every effort made
to punish the wrongdoer. So far as in my
Shall be relentlessly hunted down; in no in.
stance in the past has he been spared; in no
instance in the future shall he be spared
His crime is crime against every honest
man in the nation, for it is a crime against
the whole body polite. Yet in dwelling on
such misdeeds, it is unjust not to add that
they are altogether exceptional, and that on
render upright and faithful service to the
people. There are exceptions, notably in one
or two branches Of the service; but at no
time in the nations history has the public
on higher plane than now, alike as regards
honesty and as regards efficiency.
Publc-Land Laws.
Once again I call your attention to the
condition of the public-land laws. Recent
developments have given new urgency to the
need for such changes as will fit these laws
to actual present conditions. The honest dis
posal and right use of the remaining public
lands is of fundamental Importance. The
Ubiquitous methods by which the monopoliz-
ing of the public lands is being brought
about under the present laws are becoming
more generally known, but the existing laws
do not furnish effective remedies. The rec
concentrations of the Public Lands commits
sion upon this subject are wise and should
be given effect.
The creation of small irrigated farms under
the Reclamation act Is powerful offset to
the tendency of certain other laws to foster
or permit monopoly of the land. Under that
act the construction of great irrigation works
has been proceeding rapidly and successfully,
and the prospect that the policy Of national
irrigation will accomplish all that was ex-
pected of it is bright The act should be ex-
tended to include the state of Texas.
The Reclamation act derives much OF Its
value from the fact that it tends to secure
the greatest possible number OF homes on the
land, and to create communities of freehold
ers, in part by settlement on public land,
in part by forcing the subdivision of large
private holdings before they can get water
from government irrigation works. The law
requires that no right to the use of water for
land in private ownership shall be sold for
a tract exceeding 160 acres to any one land
owner This provision has excited active
and powerful hostility, but the success of
the law itself depends on the wise and a..
enforcement of it. We cannot afford to sub
stitute tenants for freeholders on the public
domain.
The greater part of the remaining public
ent and will probably always be Of greater
value for grazing than for any other pur-
pose. This fact has led to the grazing home
stead of GAO acres in Nebraska and to the
proposed extension of it to other States. 1t
is argued that a family cannot be supported
on 160 acres of arid grazing land This is
be supported on $40 acres of much of the land
to which it Is proposed to apply the grazing
homestead. To establish universally any such
arbitrary limit would be unwise at the pres
t;,,,D ali 1hnIl
one hand in charging the holdings of some
of the great land owners, and on the other
in needless suffering and failure on the part
Of very considerable proportion Of the bona
fide settlers who give faith to the implied
assurance Of the government that such an
area is sufficient. The best use of the public
grazing lands requires the careful examina-
ton and classification of these lands in or
der to give each settler land enough to sup
port his family and no more. While this
work is being done, and until the lands are
settled, the government should take control
of the open range, under.reasonable regula-
tons suited to local needs, following the gen.
eral policy already in successful operation on
the forest reserves. 1t is probable that the
range is scarcely more than half what 1t once
was or what it. might easily be again under
careful regulation.
ne forest policy of the administration ap-
pears to enjoy the unbroken support Of the
people. The great users of timber are them
selves forwarding the movement for forest
preservation. All organized opposition to the
orest reserves in the West has disappeared.
Since the consolidation of all government
crest work in the National forest service
here has been rapid and notable gain in
he usefulness Of the forest reserves to the
PEOPLE and in public appreciation of their
'alue. The national parks within or ada
ent to forest reserves should be transferred
o the charge Of the forest service also.
Mississippi Levees.
The National government already does
omething in connection with the construc-
ion and maintenance of the great system of
evees along the lower course of the Missis-
ippi; in my judgment it should do much
1ore.
Merchant Marine.
To the spread of our trade in peace and
he defense of our flag in war great and
rosperous merchant marine is indispensable.
We should have ships of our own and sea-
len of our own to convey our goods to neu-
al markets, and in case of need to REIN
'rce our battle line. 1t cannot but be a
PURGE of regret and uneasiness to us that
lie lines Of communication with our sister
spublics Of South America should be chief
under foreign control. 1t is not a good 4
ling that American merchants and manu-
cturers should have to send their goods
I'D letters to South America via Europe II Il
ley wish security and dispatch. Even on
lie Pacific, where our ships have held their III
vn better than on the Atlantic, our mer- &
liant flag Is now threatened through the lib &&&