Middletown transcript., 1907-03-02
WAsHHdToN LETTER

InNCE again it looks as though tn
" President had won from the Senate
There is fair prospect now that the Santt
Domingo Treaty will go through befort
the end of the session. This will mean I
great victory for tile administration, bu
it will be bitterly lamented by the Santt
Domingo lobby that has made its head
quarters in Washington and used every
means to defeat the treaty, even down to
buying paid advertising space in the
papers to run cartoons against the meas.
ure. There is something to be said on
both sides of the treaty question. II
will be a good measure for the United
States if it keeps the little republic quiet
and prevents European interference,
which is one of the things their
county particularly does not want. On
the other hand, the opponents of the
treaty in the person OF the local lobbyists
say that it means giving the island over
to negro domination with fixed COVER
ment that cannot be oyerthrown except
by whipping the United States navy,
which is Of course out of the question.
The white planters of the island have
sent one of their number to Washington,
wealthy man who is heading the fight
against the treaty. He declares in pa
thetic tones that if the treaty is passed
that it will allow the negro officials to
double the internal taxes all over the is-
land, which they promptly will do and
that the sugar and other plantations will
be taxed out of existence. There is more
even than that behind his prediction,
for he declares that If the natives find
they cannot hold an election or a revolu-
tion (the terms being synonomous) when
ever they wish, they will resort ta poison
and the knife, and the passage of the
treaty will sign the death warrant of
every politician in power. Those are the
two sides. You can take either prediction
you prefer. But the prospects are just
now that the treaty will go through.
~
There is always more active lobbying
toward the end of session than at any
other time. One of the other lobbies
that is now particularly active is that
against the Burkett bill to lease the graz
ing lands of the west. This is another
Administration measure, and has been
framed to prevent grabbing and fencing
the public lands in the cattle county
to the exclusion of the small cattle
owner. 1t was introduced by Bur-
kett but practically drawn by the Presi-
dent and chief forester Clifford Pinchot,
both Of whom are personally in touch
with the situation. The scheme is to
place the control of all the grazing lands
under the Department of Agriculture, and
have the Secretary apportion the leases,
giving preference to the smaller cattle
owners and restricting the number of
cattle that may be grazed on given
piece of government land. This would
do away with illegal fencing, prevent
the domination of the public range by "a
few big cattle interests, and would do
much to end the bloody and ceassIess war
between the sheep men and cattle men.
ALI the forces of the cattle owners from
the immense raches are joined in opposi-
ton to the bill, and it looks now as though |
it would be defeated for the present ses-
sion. But the end of the fight is not yet,
and the measure will be introduced again
as soon as Congress assemblies and prob |
ably will be fought to successful cop
clusion.
There has been some quesr under
ground manoeuvering this week in che |
matter of the title of the Northern Pacific |
to about 40,oOO,0 600 acres Of land in DIE |
Northwest. This had been watched by |
many familiar with the railroad situation, |
aud there were the elements of a big sbn- |
sation therein concealed. It was thoue eht |
that the end of-the week would see khe |
denouement, but it did not The cts
we're set out recently in resolutiopintro-
duced by Senator Hey burn, calling for
committee to investigate the statussof the
Northern Pacific and see if there was any
reason why the charter should not be re-
pealed. The resolution stated that the /
North Pacific was granted u4der an act
of Congress in 1854. The giant carried
with it land grant to 40,qD0, 600 acres
of land along the line of the toad, as was
customary at that time il chartering
trans.continental roads. Aftertbe grant
ing of charter there were number of re-
organizations and transfers, ending 6nal-
iy in 1895 by the reorganization and
transfer OF the railroad under the man.
agement Of syndicate managed by J. P.
Morgan & Co. Finally the status of the
Northern Pacific was juggled into such
q shape that it was no longer federal
corporation but corporation Of the State
of Wisconsin. However, it inadvertently
carried the 40, 600, 600 acres of public land
along with it, and has them still what it
has not sold to settlers. There Is long
story back Of the Introduction Of
this resolution in which Mr.. E. Harri-
man figures, but the psint was that after
it was introduced into the committee on
Pacific Railroads, the Committee set FRI
day for hearing and representatives Of
the minority stockholders oflthe road who
clsimed that they had been cheated of
their rights in the reorganization were to
appear with Senator Hepburn and tell
their story preparatory to having Sena-
torial investigating committee appointed.
But when the day came, Senator Hey
burn did not show up at the committee.
The witnesses we're all here, but the res
oIution is now dead for the session, and
there is serious question whether itever
will be called up again. Query Why was
Senator Hey burn absent?
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