Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-03-12

nection with the land frauds, 80 have
were pending when the report was
written few months ago.
It is not to be denied that many more
convictions would have been secured
had certain judges and legislators and
other officials held their oaths of office
as sacredly inviolate as Mr.. Hitchcock
held his oath. Just read this from the
secretary's annual report:
"It is to be regretted that the efforts
to release the land from the grip of its
despOilers have been met by every
embarrassment that human ingenuity
could devise. Powerful influences have
been concerned and have not hesitated
to aggressiYely assert every agency
that could be commanded to weaken
the hand of the law. Even local land
office officials have been subservient to
such influences, and the punishment
imposed by the courts has in many
cases been so conspicuously inadequate
as to encourage rather than deter yio-
lations of the law"
Mr.. Hitchcock goes out of office cor
daily hated by many men. Let us love
him for the enemies he has made In
Missouri, his own state, the machine
politicians of his party have despised
him from the first. One Of these ma
chinists actually expected to be ap-
pointed secretary of the interior when
President Mckinley ignored party
services and named Hitchcock, &
business man, for business job. They
hate Hitchcock because he is not pol
1tician In the first place and because
he is patriot In the second place
There Is more than one man in the
United States senate who hates Hitch
cock and froths at the mouth when he
thinks about the secretary. In tho
lower house Of congress are several
men who would get up out OF bed at
midnight on the coolest day OF the
year to embrace an opportunity to "do"
Hitchcock. Why? Oh, the story Is too
long to tell here; but, briefly. 1t is be-
cause these members have among their
constituents highly influential men
who are under Indictment or who are
likely to be under indictment through
the secretary's efforts to run down the
land thieves.
First Ambassador TO St. Petersburg.
Most of the American people are hon
est. Most of us would not steal stove
or q pocketbook or a parcel Of land if
we had the chance. No matter what
party we may belong to, we who our
selves would not steal cannot help but
admire this man who has spent several
years in hard daily work running down
those who do steal and have stolen
when he might have confined his Off
cial activities to signing a few docu-
ments and spent the rest Of his time
shining in society or playing politics.
Honest citizens who are aware Of
what Ethan Allen Hitchcock has done
for the present and future of this gov
eminent and country are inclined to
congratulate Uncle Sam upon the fact
that away back yonder in the last
month of 1893 President Mckinley
wired the American ambassador to
Russia an offer of the interior depart
ment portfolio. The ambassador was
Mr.. Hitchcock, who had been appoint
ed American minister to the cars
court little more than a year before.
The ministry was raised to an en-
bassy during Mr. Hitchcock's occupan-
cy, so that he became our first ambas-
sador to st. Petersburg
Mr.. Hitchcock was glad to accept
the offer. He did not fancy the social
affairs incident to an ambassadorship.
He had been a plain business man all
his life, and he wanted plain bust
ness job, where he could sit at desk
and do things. The senate confirmed
his nomination on the same day it was
made, and Mr.. Hitchcock was sworn in
to succeed Secretary Cornelius N. Bliss,