The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-12-05

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Of the Conaress 70 the urgent need Of action
! 70 make our criminal law more enective and
| l most earnestly request that you pay heed
70 the report Of the Attorney General on this
subject. Centuries ago II was especially
needfu to throw every gafeguard around the
accused. The danger then was lest be should
be wronged by the state. The danger Is nov
exactly the reverse. Our laws and customs
[ tell Immensely in favor OF the criminal
( ana against the Interests Of the public he has
wronged Some antiquated and outworn
rules which once safeguarded the threatened
| rights Of private citizens. now merely work
harm to the general body polite. The crim-
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
States which provides for the punishment OF
a United States attorney or other onicer OF
the Government who corruptly agrees to
doing any act when the consideration for
such corrupt agreement Is other than one
| possessing money value. This ought to be
remedied by appropriate legislation Legia-
! latlon should also be enacted to cover,
| plicitly, unequivocaly and beyond question,
/ breach Of trust in the shape OF prematurey
diyulsing ofiieial secrets by an ofiicer or EN-
| ploye Of the United States. and to provide
suitable penalty therefor. Such oficer or en-
/ ploye owes the duty to the United States to
/ guard carefully and not to dvulge or In any
manner use, prematurely information which
is accessible to the oficer OF employe by rea-
son OF his ofica position Most breaches
q public trust are already covered by tSs
/ law, and this one should be. 1t Is impos-
| sible, 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
power lies each and every such wrongdoer
| 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 a crime against every honest:
man In the nation, for II is crime against
| the whole body polite. Yet in dwelling on
such misdeeds. II Is unjust not to add that
they are altogether exceptional. and that on
I the whole the employees Of the government.
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
| service OF the nation taken as a whole stood
| on a higher plane than now, alike as regards
honesty and as regards efficiency.
Pubic-Land Laws.
Once again I call your attention to the
| condition OF the puhlc-land laws Recent
/ developments have given new urgency to the
need for such changes as will 1t these laws
TO actual present conditions. The honest dis
| posal and right use OF the remaining public
/ lands is OF fundamental importance The
| iniquitous methods by which the monopoz-
/ 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,
| the lands reclaimed are eagerly taken up.
| and the prospect that the policy OF national
| irrigation will accomplish all that was
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 r. the use Of water for
| land in private ownership shall be sold for
a tract exceeding 100 acres to any one land
and powerful hostility, but the success Of
| the law itself depends on the wise and hrml
/ enforcement OF IT, We cannot afford to sub
| stitute tenants for freehoders on the public
domain.
The greater part Of the remaining public
/ lands cannot be irrigated. They are at pres
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 $40 acres in Nebraska and to the
/ proposed extension OF It to other States It
| is argued that family cannot be supported
| on 160 acres OF arid grazing land This ls
| obviously true; but neither can a family
be supported on GAO 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
ent time. II would probably result on the
one hand in enlarging the holdings OF some
Of the great land owners and on the other
in needless suffering and failure the part
Of very considerable proportion Of the bona
hde 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 examna-
tlon and classification of these lands in or
der 10 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
present grazing value Of the open public
range is scarcely more than half what 1t once
was or what II 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
forest reserves in the West has disappeared.
Since the consolidation Of all government
forest work In the National forest service
there has been a rapid and notable gain in
the usefulness OF the forest reserves to tho
people and In public appreciation of their
Naiue. Inc nauOndt parks Wltnin OF duJd-
cent to forest reserves should be transferred
to the charge Of the forest service also.
Mississippi Levees.
The National government already does
something in connection with the conBtruc-
tion and maintenance OF the great system OF
levees along the lower course OF the Missis-
sippi; in my judgment it should do much
more.
Merchant Marine.
To the spread Of our trade in peace and
the defense OF flag in a great and
prosperous merchant marine Is Indispensable
We should have ships Of our own and sea-
men Of our own to convey our goods to neu-
tral markets. and in case OF need to rein
force our battle line. 1t cannot but be a
source OF regret and uneasiness to us that
the lines Of communication with our sister
republics or South America should be chief
ly under foreign control. II is not a good
thing that American merchants and manu-
facturers should have to send their goods
and letters to South America via Europe II
they wish security and dispatch. Even on
the Pacific where our ships have held their
own better than on the Atlantic, our mer-
chant Gag is now threatened through the lib
eral aid bestowed BY other governments on
their own steam lines ask your earnest
consideration of the report with which the
Merchant Marine commission has followed
its long and careful inquiry.
jamestown TercentennIal.
again heartily commend to your favorable
consideration the tereentennial celebration Of