The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-28
HITCHCOCK ON LAND FRAUDS.
SECRETARY or INTERIOR TELLS
EARVARD OF PROSECUTIONS.
Address Accepting Honorary Degree De
vot ed TO Public Affairs In His DEPART
ment University Confers GA Degrees,
the Lowest Number In Many Years.


wards 27Oth commencement to-day 83
degrees were conferred, eleven Of which
we're honorary. This Il ninety-seven fewer
than a year ago and Is the first time In many
years that the number OF degrees has allen
below a thousand. The honorary degrees
went to the following:
Master Of Arts-Howard Adams Carson
Of Boston, Engineer for the Metropolitan
leverage system; Henry Herbert Edes OF
Boston, antiquarian; Arthur Edwin Ken
nelly. professor Of electrical engineering
in the Lawrence scientific school.
Doctor OF Divinity-Arthur Cushman
McGifert Of the Union Theological Semi
nary; James Bartlett Gregg and David
Utter.
Doctor Of Laws-Prof. Edward Henry
S.robel, professor Of international law
and legal adviser to the King Of Siam;
George Foote Moore, professor in the Har-
ward divinity school; George Herbert
Palmer, professor OF ethics; Thomas Day
Seymour, professor OF Greek in Yale; Ethan
ALLEN Hitchcock, Secretary OF Interior
and Frederick Althoff, director Of Prussia
University.
The regular degrees we're awarded to
members as follows
A. B., $685.. B., e5;A NJ. M, 8; A. NJ, lie;
S. Ms: Phi. D., 40; B. A. g., 4; D. M. D., "a;
NJ. A., 80; LII. B., 1877; s. T. B., O..
The annual election Of the Harvard
Alumni Association resulted in the choice Of
the following:
C. ]. Bonaparte, II, of Baltimore, Presi-
dent; Austen G. Fox, 80, of New York. and
William Lawrence, n, Of Cambridge,
Dedham, secretary; Albert Thorndike, 81,
OF Weston, treasurer.
In accepting his degree, Secretary Hitch
cock said;
Mr.. President and Alumni OF Harvard.
have no other purpose in the few words I
am to say to you than to thank the president
and fellows for the great honor they have
this day conferred upon me. To have been
welcomed into this company Of scholars In
such gracious words as the president has been
good enough to address to me will be one OF
the things in my life which I shall always
treasure.
As one who has endeavored in a straight
forward way to deal with the problems OF
administration in one OF the large depart
ments of the Government for more than
seven years. ! may perhaps be permitted
to make a few statements concerning that
experience,
1t is properly asserted for our country
that it Is the land Of the free and the
home OF the brave. but while IL is historically
true that it is the home Of the physically
brave, it is a question In my mind whether
il is not too much the land Of the free and
too little the land of the morally brave.
In other words. whether or not. in various
directions. license has taken the place OF
liberty and corruption has run riot at the
expense OF patriotism.
Liberty under lawful restrictions is one
thing, greed and illegal license Is quite
another, and the latter may be properly
attributed, in the first instance. to machine
1870 - a. - 10
modern politician. who recognizes no au-
thority but that OF the henohman to whom
he Is indebted for his oflcial position.
No Government can be maintained and
administered without organization, nor. as Is
universally admitted. without political organi-
cation or party control, but such control
may be, on the one hand. wise, prudent,
iudicious and sa gacious, and on the other,
"artful and cunning" or. as Shakespeare
makes one OF his characters say, u have been
polite with my friend. smooth with my
enemy"
II is the smooth and machine ridden legis-
lator whose conscience has been cauterized
by the appeals and demands OF his supporters,
upon whom responsibility for wrongdoing
must rest.
1t Is the vote OF such legislators which.
In large measure, governs the passage,
amendment or repeal OF legislation that
encourages or prohibits Ubiquitous enact
ments such as at this very moment remain
upon the statute books in spite OF my earnest
appeal. year after year, to have them modi-
fed, amended or repealed. because OF the
unmistakable opportunity and inducement
they offer the pension shark and the horde
of uncomfortable grafters whose business 1t
has been, and stiIl is. TO rob the Government
OF the public domain, and TO deliberately
violate the law passed twenty years ago TO
protect the home builder who has been ex-
Guided BY the erection OF illegal fences from
settlement upon hundreds OF thousands OF
acres which, except for such action. would
have long ago filed certain Western States
with an intelligent. thrifty, law abiding, de-
eirable population.
While this Ia not the time nor place to in
dulge in any long statement OF the experiences
of the Department Of the Interior which
have suggested the foregoing remarks II
may not be out OF place for me to very orieny
review the action Of the Department in lie
effort TO enforce respect for and obedience TO
laws as they appear In the Revised STATUTES
of the United States.
About four years ago a special agent OF the
Land ONCE forwarded a report enclosing
the confession Of one guilty man who. as Is
usual In such cases complaining OF the un'
equal dirlsI on of the spoils. exposed the action
OF three oonfederates who had Tor years sys-
tematically and Illegally acquired possession
of hundreds Of thousands OF acres OF the
nuhlic domain through nstrumentalities and
pe'iNN
agencies which were absolutely corrupt.
This confession occasioned the immediate
and enforced retirement OF the COMMISSIONS
OF the General Land ONCE and a prompt
Investigation which developed Fraudulent
land transactions in many OF the North
western and Pacific Coast states ana more
particularly In Oregon and the Southwestern
States and Territories. .
These investigations involved the arrest
Indictment and conviction OF more thar
six hundred individuals In more than twenty
States and Territories. including among I'M
number some who had hitherto stood mgr
In the communities in which they resided
numbering among them representative ON
cials OF high rank. United States attorneys
registers and receivers, commissioners. ahe
a horde of allies who were found guilty Of
forgery. perjury and numerous other crimes
against which the law. even with It's many
loopholes, makes specific provision.
II was also found that a SPECIFIC law. en-
acted more than twenty years ago pronioh-
ing the fencing Of the public domain moe
heavy penalties, had been wilfuliy ana ae
liberately violated to the extent OF hunoreu
OF thousands OF acres. and under this law
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