The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-01-31
FEW ENTRIES FRAUDULENT
Singing Speech Of Senator Carter Of
Montana. 5assd oil Ssee.. Order
Of the Secretary Of the
interior.

| SINtbb IL NV SiiAlAiCu W isS SSHN' l''S'
ing the bill appropriating two million
| dollars to confine the Colorado river
to its banks. and another. placing the
| management of the Panama Railway
| under the Isthmian Canal Commission
! the Senate listened to an extended
speech by Senator Carter. In criticism
| Of the Secretary OF the Interior. and
| another, by Senator Hepburn, 10 the
same end The recent order made by
the secretary, preventing the issuance
of patents to public lands until after
examination by special agent, was
the subject OF criticism and many SEN
ators from the western states, by cas-
ual Interruptions, showed their approx
al OF the sentiments expressed,
Severe criticism Of Secretary Hitch =
cock was made In the senate today by
Senator Carter. of Montana. The cri
tiClSIn WIS udStu p'l NHE ''A'A " f.-
secretary in December which prohb-
It's the issuance OF a patent to land
under any Of the land laws until after
examination on the ground by a spec
ial agent. Senator Carter some time
ago presented a resolution which de-
MES the right of any executive ofn-
Ger TO prcven; the granting of pa
tent when the law under which II Is
claimed has been carried out.
Mr.. Carter began by asserting that
the order referred to expressed the A.
nal estimate Of the secretary as TO the
truth and veracity. the homer and in
tegrity and the good faith OF all set
tiers on the public domain in the Uni
ted States. 1T likewise arraigns." he
added, all other persons seeking title
to public land under existing law.
The order is without precedent in
the history Of the government 1t Isl
without parallel in the history OF any
government save as applied TO pro-
vices, classes or individuals suspect
ed Of reasonable designs. 1t Is the
elimination Of a policy unwarranted
in fact and founded only on baseless
supposition. The pure records demon
strate that the orders are not only |
needless but harsh, cruel and appres-
sive.
For the last six years sensational
reports Of evil doings in the public
lands states have been emanating from
the Interior Department from day 10
day, so sweeping in their scope as 70
create the impression in other scctioGs
that the entire western population Is
and has been engaged In veritable
saturnala Of criminal conspiracy,
fraud and perjury over the whole
broad surface of the public domain
Since 1901 insiduous interviews ard
boisterous proclamations have passed
from the Interior Department to the
public press rejecting on all those
seeking title to public lands. The
words, "Grafters," Land grabbcrrs,'
"Conspirators, "Looters Of the pub
lie domain" and like terms have be-
come a part Of the vernacuar Of the
Secretarys office in referring to pub
lie land entrymen Of all kinds.
"The fact that every fraudulent trans
action complained Of was instituted
and consummated under the adminis-
tration Of the present secretary was
not given publicity Few have stop
ped to consider the slender basis II
the charges made Unfortunately
against fifteen millions Of people in
habiting fourteen states and three ter
ritories.
Notwithstanding the expenditure Of
an excessive amount Of money by the
Secretary, the truth remains to BE-
told, that the percentage Of fraudulent
public land entries for the last eight
years disclosed by investigation bears
about the same annual proportion 10
the whole number Of entries as OBJ
tained during each Of the preceding
forty years. 1t remains to be shown
by the records that the Secretary has
been efficient during his term in chaI-
longing erroneous, improper or fraud
ulent land entries than were his four
in office; while numbered
abuses under the so-called timber AMI
stone law, which the Secretary might
have stopped any day, are shown by
the records to have been shamefully
exaggerated.
ut will appear from a critical analy-
SIS of the figures and facts that not to