East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-11-15
VALUABLE PUBLIC SERVICES
OF y. A. HITCHCOCK

II has been a bit Of surpTise TO The
Old -habiiants" 81 the capital city 10
se- the way in which the secretary Of
the interior. Ethan Allen Hitchcock.
has made good In his land fraud proc
ecuu0Hs iH the west
II nas never supposed a year ago
that the government could secure
conviction u any congressman or sen
a,or ln oregon. II WAS said openly
that iu attempting 10 fasten anything
On Representative Wiiiktms0n. the
secretary had been unwirely advised.
and MAS getting himself into precipi-
tate hole
IN fact, Mr. Hitchcock enemies
seemed 10 b. honestly pleased with the
action u bis department. believing
that he was 0yerreaching himself and
that he would become discredited- on
the contrary. he has done all that he
claimed he would. and more, pursuing
the thieves and grafters with the same
RELENTLESS spirit Of his distinguished
ancestor who gained fame al Ticon-
defOga
II has been quite amusing 10 watch
the land fraud developments in the
interior department. especially with
their reference TO Secretary Hitchcock
as q cabinet minister. Mr. Hitchcock
was one Of President Mckinley cab
met following the resignation Of c.
H. Pliss of New York.
Mr. Hitchcock soon developed a
penchnnt for reform in his department
zeal reform which made II hot for
the rascals-and long before Mr.
Roosevelt became president there was
| talk that Mr.. Hitchcock would proba-
/ bly reslgn-as soon as he had finished
with certain Investigations being made
at that time.
Just who was responsible for the
starting Of these rumOrs may not be
told. The sources vary, but the ru-
mOrs nevertheless have Deen 50 con-
staHt. or rather 80 regular at inter-
walls Of four or five months. that It has
| become a huge joke in Washington to
\ hear that a change is being considered
I in the interior department portfolio.
At one time, when the Interior de-
( partment II, for instance, Investigating
| Indian scandals. It may be one class
Of prominent citizens who, with the
wish father to the thought, hear that
Mr. Hitchcock is likely to be succeed
ed by some one else.
At another time the representative:
Of the cattlemen, whose miles Of barb
ed wire fence are being cut or removed
by orders from the secretary OF the in
terior. may be responsible Indirectly
FOR rumor Of Mr. Hitchcocks re
moyal and AT all times the land an,
timber thieves Of the far west arr
ready to fill in gap when there ha
been no newspaper comment on thl
subject for "A reasonable period.
The amount OF 1t IL that the admin
istration cannot get along without Mr.
: Hitchcock. His rugged honesty am
determination to weed out the blood
suckers and grafters who are despoil
ing the nation of It's agricultural land
and Its great timber resources hay
!, highly commended themselves to ever
patriotic man and woman who hav
followed his course. and while hi
work Is undoubtedly highly satisfac
tory TO the administration and to tn
president who has himself expresse
strong views on this question Of Ian
. and timber grabbing, even II 1t ghoul
be desired to get rid OF SecretaT
Hitchcock, II would be an eXtrenli
difficult and undiplomatic move I
make.-R. II. Byrd in Maxwells Tails
man.