Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-04
AT Suggestion Of His Counsel Ne
Gave a Short Sketch OF
His Career.
LAND OFFICE COMM sslONER.
Says President Mckinley hindis sc.
ascted Him for the Position
Perhaps UnIindly-

washington, Aprll 5--blhSe'
mann, Oh trial for destroying puoiic
records. testified IN his own behait TO-
day. At the suggestion of his counsei,
Mr., Hermann gave n brief sketch OF
his career He was born In Maryland
In 1913. went to Oregon when ne WAS
16 years old taught school and was au-
mitted to the bar in 1866 That ~ear
he was elected To- the state leslslaeu e.
In 1871 President Grant appointed liltii
receiver of public moneys In the Rose
Congress In 1854, and served ~ years,
until the election OF MIR. Mckinney as
president.
president Mckinley kindly selected
me--Or perhaps unleindly- remarked
Mr.. Hermann, ''as commissioner OF 'he
general land office. 49,.
After leaving the land office In 1903.
Mr.. Hermann said, he had twice been
elected 10 Congress, his last term ex-
piring March of this year;
Mr. Hermann emphasized the fact
that during his public career he took
great pains to travel over his state, and
In these travels he made many friends.
These friends wrote him many letters,
anG he had never refused TO answer
letter. AS a consequence. he said that
when he went into the land office as
commissioner in 1887 he was receiving
on an average of 10 to 80 letters a day,
mostly from his oregon friends
E. r. Hough who was Stenographer
in the land Office under MIR. Hermann,
corroborated Chris Muller as TO being
present in a Portland restaurant with
Mr.. Muller and Mr.. Rittenhaus when
MI, Hermann asked those young men
If they had kept their shorthand books.
he said Mr. Herm ann words were:
j wish you boys had Your note
books. then we could show to the world
what was in those letters"
Hough said he did not remember that
Mr. Hermann made amy remarks about
the destroyed letter books at that time
AS TO this Incident Mr., Rfttenhaus
has testified thar only himself and Null
Ter were present at this interview
with Mr.. Hermann, and that Mr.. Her
mann asked infinitely regarding what
had been done With the destTOyld let
ter books.
E; III. Ccrtes. who was a messenger
in the land office during Mn, Eermanns
administration, testified to hnding two
or three old letter books in 4 store room
Of the office, the letter books being
those of Senator Carter who was once
commissioner OF the land office.
Mr. Hermann then resumed the stand
and explained that the first day he took
up his duties as commissioner he was
brought Il letter book marked private"
by MT HouSh, who had been assigned
i
10 him that it was the usual custom
for the commissioner to use a private
leSIer book for his personal correspon-
dence
Mr. Hermann said that he corre-
sponded considerably with he menu
bers OF his family In Oregon, and that
ne wrote his son many letters, He said
he had departmental business TO trans
act Tor his constituents and Oregon
friends In practically every depart
Trent and every bureau OF every de-
p2rtment OF the government. He said
nus mall WAS always opened and on his
Desk when he arrived at the Office, and
that very frequently he would md let
lefs relating TO matters In the general
land office. These letters We're always
sent 20 the proper divisions for reply
and all such replies were written Tor
him to sign
Mr. HERMANN admitted In answer to
question by his attorney that he had
had aspirations TO become United
states senator, and that he correspond
su Wtth many persons in Oregon To
keep u constant touch with the poIjtic
al situation. He said his personal cor.
iesp"ndenee also was increased by the
faet that he had written a pamphlet
Iescrlbln5 7he western boundary OF the
louisiana, purchase. and he had sent
mary or these pamphlets, tog ether with
p few kindly Hines, to his friends IN
Oregon and the west Requests Tor
state FLAPS, for Information regarding
homestead entries and letters from per-
Sons who had contracts for surveys.
MI Hermann said, We're written to him
liets.,nasty- to which lac replied per-
sonallS. II was this character of cor
Iespondence that was copied in his prl-
Yate letter books.
The official correspondent OF the
land Office, Mr., Hermann explained,
originated IN the thirteenth division OF
tnet cfliee. where the letters were
written. These letters were brought
10 ham Daily for his signature. They
numbered from l5D 10 $50 u day. He
said he signed these letters without
feadtny them simply looking at the
lhitials IN the corner TO see that they
came from the proper individuals in
the various divisions,
during his administration Of The land
oTlce Ma Hermann said, he did not
remember having looked into one of
ils personal letter books. The only use
they we're ever put 10 was to obtain
w. aadress OF SOME correspondent. He
SAID about year before his term ex-
lifed he noticed that these private
DOCKS We're increasing on the xneIf very
llapidly- and that too many unInpor-
books.
MIR Hermann described his daily
uulleS AS commissioner, saying that It
was lhe busiest bureau ln the govern
nenl service During Congress he MAS
constantly visited by senasUrs and rep.
neseRtatives- There are. he said, about
% attorneys in Washington who
neNote Their entire practise 10 land
matters. and these attorneys called on
nun frequently 1t was brought out
nal Whenever information was given
70 senators representatives and altor.
i,leys orally, no record OF the came was
rep whether the information was civ.
4h ~ the commissioner himself or by
'hs heaa OF any hureau In the Office.
Mr HERMANN explained the frequen-
~ o. we visits of Senator Mitchell by
SAYING that Oregon seemed to have
more land matters TO attend To than
LIMOS any other state and that sen-
alor Mlichell's colleagues, SENATOR Me-
Bride, was physIcally incapacltated 10
set around much.
INC defense placed In evidence about
ioo letters written 9y Nj. IIerlnann's
friends and relatives while he WAS corr
missioner Many OF these letters we're
copied ln the books which have been
destroyed Others were hot eon,c1 az
all and AL of them were placed m evil
dence, according to Atty. Worthlne-
ton, az showing Inc character OF M.
Hernanns correspondence.