The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-12-18


ready been nlade q na5ofity q
fhese cases 70 the interstate Com
merge Com mission he deemed i in
appropriate to institute proceedings
looking to the requirement Of tenn
sporary injunctiona. the principal
1 purpose OF which would be to keep
the old rates in force pending the de-
cision OF the interstate Commerce
Commission.
I Two classes Of cases which have
engaged a large part Of the atten-
ton Of the Department, the Attor-
ney General reports have been prose-
cutions for peonage and civil and
criminal proceedings arising out of
-alleged frauds and Irregularities in
the acquisition, Of title by private
parties to the public lands. In
both cases. he says, Il am happy to
report that the energetic prosecuz
ton OF Offenders has undoubtedly
rendered the crimes less frequent,
and also less profitable. 1t is motor
iously dimcult to SECURE convictions
in peonage cases, owing to the ante
cedents and surroundings of the VIC
tins and witnesses and the frequent
existence of strong local sympathy
for the defendants He reports.
however. that through the determine
tion of the department the frequency
OF these onenses has diminished ma
terially, although they are still by
no means unknown. THE land
fraud cases. HE says. have forcibIy
Illustrated the unfortunate conse-
quehces of administrative laxity and
liberation of abuses In the enforce
ment Of any laws curing a .consid-
cradle length of time
The number and gravity of Of
lenses against the national banking
laws by officers or employees of ma
tional banks constitute matters Of
reasonable solicitude and regret, he
states. The moral culpability in
volved In such onfenses seems often
to be imperfectly appreciated and,
although they usually excite great
indignation. and provoke loud com
plaints from the sufferers when they
are first discovered, so much time is
frequently lost in the preparation
for trial and actual trial of these long
and complicated cases that the crime
itself has faded from public memory
when the criminal is at last convict-
ed, and there is need of vigilance
lest he finally escape with wholly In
sufficient punishment
In his opinion as a matter of Jus
tfce no good reason exists why a war
rant of arrest issued by any court of
the United States should not he di-
rectly executed In any part of the
United States. he asserts that it
has been found that certain districts
constitute for practical purposes
sanctuaries for certain classes of Of
tenders against federal statutes He
believes that there should be a law
giving committing magistrates of the
United States authority to Issue
search warrants when stolen govern
ment property or any property which
it is crime against the United
States to misappropriate is believed
to be concealed In regard to the
supervision of naturalization by his
department he says that the appro-
priatIon granted is too small for the
work to be done thoroughly. AS to
jury challenges on behalf Of the
United States he says there is no
good reason why the defendant
should he allowed larger number
OF peremptory challenges that the
prosecution in a .rcfminal trial and
that it is often difficult under the
present rules to bring to Justice Of
tenders as to whose guilt there is no
reasonable doubt. He renews his
recommendation that the salaries of
federal judges be increased owing to
the increase in the cost of living
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