The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-01-18
COOK ARRAIeNS
THE PRESIDENT
COLORADO CONGRESSMAN oE.
vgRELv SCORES the 40.
MiNIsrRATIoN.
IN LAND FRAUD CASES
oAYo PROMINENT clTIZENo
WERE VICTIMS OF PoLIT
icAL PERSECUTION.

washington.-In a personal lette'
which ho has addressed to the Presi
dent and vice president. Speaker Can.
non and all members OF Congress. the
justices Of the Supreme Court. mem
bers OF the cabinet and the Washing.
ton newspaper correspondents. George
w. Cook. Republican congressman-at-
large, from Colorado. severely ar
raigns the administration for its
course in prosecuting alleged infrac.
tons OF the public land laws in Colo
RADIO.
Congressman Cooks letter follows:
'My Dear Sir-I most earnestly pro-
test against the continued hiSh
handed. pernicious political perse
ton made by certain OF the depart
ment bureaus Of the government in
this city. branding many Of our most
honorable, upright and law-abiding bus
iness men Of Colorado as criminalh
Their only information and au-
thority for such malicious statements
are reports made to them by non-resi-
dent special agents and prosecutors
sent to Colorado, whose accusations
against innocent men are for the sole
purpose OF securing personal promo
ton in Washington and the Opportun-
ity for the governmental bureaus here
to disseminate among the press
throughout the country misrepresenta-
tions as TO timber land and coal
thieves that do not exist in Colorado.
Judge Robert E. Lewis. Of the
United States District Court, Denver.
on December oath, Goth, and goth.
quashed all Of the Indictments against
some thirty Of our most worthy and
reputable citizens, several Of whom
have been engaged actively in business
In Colorado for thirty years. on the
ground that the government had abso-
lutely failed to furnish any evidence
whatever against these men-a most
stinging and severe rebuke by Judge
Lewis ian appointee OF the present
administration)
Active preparations were made by
certain high officials in Washington
tor the prosecution OF these cases.
They condemn honorable men of un.
questioned integrity before they were
found guilty Of any violation Of the law
or even given an opportunity Of de.
tense.
Judge Lewis decision gives univer.
Colorado regardless of their politics.
Affiliations and Is endorsed by oM
press: in fact, every newspaper in the
state most heartily commends Judge
Lewis action. The truth has been win.
dicated.
In this connection I beg to call at.
tention to editorial below from The
Denver Republican OF December 26,
1907; also editorial of December 20,
1907. written by ex-senator T. M. Pat.
terson of the Rocky Mountain News,
Denver"
Congressman Cook then continues
referring to the action taken at the
last Cabinet meeting of the year, De
cember 31st, as to the Colorado cases.
the President criticised the judiciary
and authorized the attorney general as
follows:
"The government will use every
means in its power to bring about in
the higher courts disapproval OF the de-
cision rendered In Colorado by Judge
Lewis
Our citizens are ready and willing
to meet the issue raised by the impul
sive administration, but as to the pur-
pose on the part Of the latter can
not comprehend, unless 1t is to con-
tinue In the limelight.' and therefore
the country will be saved-from the
The unprecedented and dictatorial
encroachment of the executive against
the executive and judicial departments
OF the government is almost a daily
threat to the peace and prosperity of
the republic and should be knocked on
the head by the constitutional decis
ION OF the Supreme Court of the
United States.
An article in the WASHINGTON SG
OF December 31st quotes the commits.
sioner Of the land Office as saying:
They will call eighty violations of
the land laws in Colorado to the atten-
tion OF the grand jury and some of
tness may involve a number Of per.
sons whom Judge Lewis has dis.
charged
Ihls 10 q subterfuge bordering on
the farcical and is disseminated to
the press OF the country for the pur-
pose or misleading the public as to
so-called land frauds that do not and
nave not existed In Colorado,
our citizens In Colorado have with
patlence submitted to these persecu.
tlons Tor alleged offenses, and eyery
talr minded citizen should Join In com.
mendation OF the fact that we have in
our beloved country true judges who
nave the courage Of their conyictions
ana oeiieve in justice to every citizen
and real square deal emphasized
In conclusion l beg to saw A.
sumo the personal responsibility for
statements herein made"
colorado visitors and members of
the Colorado delegation decline to dis.
cuss Representative Cooks state
ment.