Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-01-17
COOK bRRAICNS
The PRESIDENT
COLORADO coNoRGssMAN sE.
vERELY SCORES THE Ao-
MINieTRATioN.
IN LAND FRAUD CASES
SAYS PROMINENT ciTizENs
WERE VICTIMS OF PoLiT
icAL PERSECUTION.

washington.-ln q personal lettei
which he 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
". Cook. Republican con&ressman'at-
large. from Colorado. severely ar
raigns the administration for its
course in prosecuting alleged infrac-
ions OF the public land laws In Colo
RADIO.
Congressman Cooks letter follows:
MY Dear Sir-I most earnestly pro-
test AGAINST the continued high.
handed. .pcrnicious political pcrsccu.
tion made by certain OF the depart
ment bureaus OF tho government IN
this city. branding many Of our most
honorable. upright and law.abiding bus
mess men OF Colorado m criminals
Their only Information and au.
thority for such maiicions utatoncnts
arc reports mads TO them by non:resi.
dent special agents and prosecutors
sent 10 Colorado, whose accusations
against innocent mon arc for tho sole
purpose Of securing personal promo
ton In Washington and the opportun'
ity for tho governmental hureans hero
to disseminate among the press
throughout the country misrcprcscntn.
tions as 10 timber hand and coal
thieves that do not exist In Colorado.
Judge Robert 4. Lewis. Of the
United States District Court. Denver.
on December :ith. :Gth. and 3oth.
qunxhcd NIL Of tho Indictments against
some thirty Of our most worthy and
reputable citizens. several OF whom
ls, al lv,s.
In Colorado for thirty years. on the
ground that tho government had abso'
lutcly failed to furnish any evidence
whatever against these mcn-a most
stinIing and severe rcbukc by Judge
Lewis tan appointcc Of tho present
administrat,on.)
Active preparations were made by
certain high officials In Washington
for tho 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 nm opportunity OF de-
! tcnHc.
Judge Lewis decision gives univcr.
sal satisfaction to all our people In
Colorado regardless Of their political
afiiintions and In endorsed by our
press; In fact. every newspaper In the
stntc most heartily commcnds Judge
Lewis action. The truth has been win.
dicatcd.
I'm this connection be. TO call Mt.
tcntion TO editorial below from The
Denver Republican of December &c.
1907: also editorial Of December 20.
1907. written by ex-senator T. n. Pat.
tcrson of the Rocky Mountain News.
Denver"
Congressman Cook then continues:
''Refcrring to the action taken ut the
last Cabinet meeting OF the year. De
ccmbcr 3lst. as to tho Colorado cases.
the President criticised the judiciary
and authorized the attorney general rs
follows:
1.-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 arc ready and willing
to meet the issue raised by the impul.
sive administration, but rs to the pur.
pose on the part Of the latter I can.
not comprehend. unless II is to con.
tinue in the 'limelight.' and therefore
the country will be saved-from the
burenucrnt's point Of view.
1.-THE unprecedented and dictatorial
encroachment Of the executive against
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 Star
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
these may involve n number of per.
sons whom Judge Lewis has dis
charged
This Is a subterfuge bordering on
the farcical and is disseminated to
the press Of the country for the pur.
pose of misleading the public as to
so-called land frauds that do not and
have not existed in Colorado.
"Our citizens in Colorado have with
patience submitted to these persecu.
tions for alleged offenses, and every
fair minded citizen should join in com.
mendaton of the fact that we have in
our beloved country true Judges who
have the courage Of their convictions
and believe in Justice to every citizen
and real square deal emphasized.
''Tn conclusion / beg to say I as
sumo the personal responsibility for
statements herein made"
Colorado visitors and members OF
the Colorado delegation decline to dis.
cuss Representative Cooks state
ment. .... ar.... Hr#