The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-31
senator CARTER
ON THE RAMP AGE
Former Land Commissioner
Boasts Secretary Hitch
cock to a Turn.
CALLS HIM A "PHARISEE"
PRESIDENT SAID TO HAVE BEEN
DECEIVED.

r,-.sbing4on. Jan. 2O.-severe criticism of
coc-etsry Hitchcock was made in the SEN
= todav by Senator Carter Of Montana.
,rso criticism was based on the order OF
49, secretary Of last December which
limits the issuance OF a patent &c land
dor any of the land laws until after
vsrinatiOn on the ground by a special
~-f Senator Carter some time ago
ssessnfed a resolution which denies the
g1bf-of any executive officer 20. prevent
- grantinE Of a patent when the law
100 which Il IS claimed has been car
lied cut
,-Jcr referred 10 expressed the final es-
,tr,ate Of the secretary as to the truth
"a veracitv. the honor and integrity and
tbe good faith of all settlers on tn pub
H. somain in the United States. It like
,.iso arraigns." he added. ''all other per-
sons seeking title to public land under
existing laws
Ne Precedent for Action.
..,,ho order is without precedent in the
.i-tcrv NJ the government. 1t is without
taroIleI I'M the history of any government
$40 as applies TO provinces, classes or
individuals suspected OF treasonable de-
sjgne IL is the elimination of a policy
,,nwarranted in fact and founded only on
baecless suspicion. The public records
demonstrate that the order Is not only
needless but harsh. cruel and oppressive.
For the last six years sensational re-
ports Of evil doings in the public land
states have been emanating from the
Interior department from day TO day, so
sweeping I'm their scope as to create the
impression I'm other sections that the en-
fire western population is and has been
engaged i'm a veritable saturnalia of Grim
fnal conspiracy, fraud and perjury, over
the whole broad surface Of the public
domain.
SesndsIous Charges.
Since 1901 insiduous interviews and
boistCrous proClamatiOnS have passed
from the interior department to the pub
hc press. rejecting on all those seeking
title to public lands. The words graft
ers land grabbers,' 'conspirators,' loot
have become a part Of the vernacular Of
the secretary's office in referring 10 pub
IL land ontrymen OF all kinds The rOu-
tine work of the land service has been
pllaged in quest of items for publication,
rejecting on individuals and communities.
The slightest irrcgularity SaVOring of
scandal or possible sensation has been
diligently exploited before. during and
dctcd and no acquittals were ever re-
corded in these scandalous reports. The
exploitation OF evil reports has been n
conspicuous feature of the present sec
retary's administration.
Fraud Shouted From Housetops.
Fraud has been constantly and vocifer-
Ously shouted from the house tops. Every
!tcm or incident colorado by suspicion into
sensational appearance has been given
wings. Ordinary occurrences have been
magnified into the semblance of great
events. On the assumption that our set
tiers are land thieves in the main the
most odicus. oppressive and exasperating
treatment has been melted out to them in
numerous cases for the last five or six
years. Residents Of the public land
he
Of Innocence. but rather face the pre-
sumption OF guilt They are charged with
conspiracy to dcspOu their own states,
10 limit their future possibilities by OPP
pressing themselves and with cheating
their government in the interest of grasp
ing spectators. No exceptions are made
By the order OF Dec. IS.
Searching for Hitchcock.
Should some morbid moral delinquent
paw nightly visits to the dens of vice and
make morning calls at the police courts
in all our splendid cities and then an
nounce 60 the world from day 70 day
with loud acclaim that crime and moral
loprOsy overwhelmed you all. he would.
at his pitiable best. play Ia your field
the part the secretary of the interior has
played as regards the people of
the public land states. Unchecked by con-
tradiction. emboldened by non-resistancc
from the west and unmerited applause
from other quarters. the secretary final
the veracity and integrity Of hundreds
o. thousands Of entrymen on the public
domain by and through the brief order
complained of.
Excluding the timbered area Of the
northwest. the people Of every locality
in the country concerned well knew that
as 10 their locality the official oft-re-
pcated charges of the secretary were un-
founded 20 any justifiable extent, but
they supposed. being in possession OF the
public records. that that official knew
OF nas.rant violations Of the law in other
sections. If frauds were being perpe-
frated In the acquisition OF public lanC
the settlers Of every locality In the west
desired them stopped and the perpetra-
tors punished. As 10 their several neigh
bOrhOOds residents generally knew the
charges were wrong. whereas all the peo-
pie outside OF the public lano states be
levpd the charges were well founded. and
e. believing. applauded the secretary "a
engaged I'm righteous crusade against
crime.
Under Present Administration.
The fact that every fraudulent trans
action couoplained az was initiated an(