Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-28
COMMITTEE QUASHES BILL
Prominent Men Accused of Defeat
ing Justice in Land Fraud Cases.
PRESIDENT TAKES A HAND
Orders Gov. Curry and Associates to
Go Back Home and Repay Appro-
priation to Promote Legislation.

The New Mexico boomers, like the Arab.
have silently folded their tents and as
silently stolen away-their departure.
from President Roosevelt. it is stated.
The lid is off the New Mexico effort.
Some unsavory fumes are arising.
A paper. read before the committee yes
terday contained some exceedingly un-
pleasant statements about prominent Off
cals in New Mexico, alleging their con-
ernment's prosecution of alleged land and
timber frauds in the territory.
A phase of the situation yesterday
was the exhibit to senator's of d letter
written by Mr.. Taft to a member of the
Senate, in which he expressed his friend
Illness to statehood. but doubted the
wisdom Of pushing the effort at this time.
Charges Before Committee.
Bitterness Of feeling. developing at the
Senate end of the Capitol ever since the
bill was passed by the House of Repre-
sentatlves. eliminated yesterday I'm the
decision on the part of the republican
members of the Senate committee on ter
ritories to drop further consideration of
the statehood bill. In justification and ex-
PLANTATION Of the attitude which they as
sumo. written charges involving officers,
past and present, of the territory Of New
Mexico and of the members of the cam
mittee of statehood boomers recently in
q h,n OFT cd ia ha
mittee. Some of the charges are in the
form of written statements
Mr.. Beveridge himself stated to the
committee that he would offer indict-
ments, or copies of indictments. of a
number Of prominent statehood boomers
in evidence before the committee.
Bitterness of feeling, even within the
committee membership. is indicated by
the fact that only one democrat was pres
ent at yesterdays meeting. Senator
Owen, furthermore. has served formal
notice that he does not believe the COM
mittee has been acting in good faith in
considering the bill on its merits. Hence
he refuses to attend its meetings and was
not present.
Aside from charges of alleged corrup-
ton involving individuals in the terri
tory who have favored statehood. the
one other definite objection to granting
SldleuoOO dl lUlS time is put FORWARD DN
Senators Beveridge and Nelson. This is
to the effect that the land granted the
territory in 1898. consisting of 300. 900
acres. has not been kept and handled in
accordance with the law making the
grant. That law provided that the tim
Der should not be cut and that the land
should not be sold by the tereritory.
Aside from this some republican Sena-
tors opposing statehood refused to IA
vorably consider the bill on general
grounds of corruption in the territory
and Of the alleged blocking of efforts on
the part of federal authorities to investi-
gate general conditions and prosecute
land frauds in the territory.
Sent Home by President.
An interesting side light on the fight
is the departure from Washington of
Gov. George Curry and the five members
Of the New Mexico statehood booming
committee. 1t is said that the governor
and his boomers left the city at the re-
quest and suggestion of President ROose-
welt.
The President learned that the state
hood delegation was in Washington at
the expense Of the territory. and under
$500 appropriation made by the ter
ritorial legislature. He sent for Gov.
Curry. inquired into the facts, and not
only told him to take himself and friends
back to the territory. but to turn back
every cent OF the money SO appropriated.
Republican senators who have opposed
statehood have had the open and ardent
support of Senator Aldrich, the republi-
can leader.
1t will be recalled that when the state
hood bill went to the committee on terri
tories, Senators Carter of Montana For
aker of Ohio. Curtis of Kansas and others
who had made a poll of the Senate aud
secured the pledges of fifty-five votes for
ii. threatened to instruct the committee
to immediately report the bill out. Then
Senator Nelson. in the absence of the
chairman. threatened to resign from the
committee.
The whole matter was patched up by an
agreement on the part of Senators Dilling-
ham. Nelson. Kean and the others who
were not in favor of the statehood bill. to
let the matter go to vote In committee.
If il was demonstrated that statehood ad-
vocates had a majority of the committee
the bill then would be reported favorably.
Taft Letter Produced.
Senator Aldrich is credited with having
advised these senator's that they need not
be bound by this understanding if made
under duress. and he believed it was.
Senator Aldrich took a further hand in
the contest by showing to the members of
the Senate a letter which he received
from President-elect Taft. In this letter
Mr.. Taft said he was for statehood but
gave reasons why the subject could go
over 10 another Congress and perhaps d
better constitution could be prepared
1t was generally recognized that Pres-
dent Roosevelt was strongly for statehood.
without any conditions such as the Taft
letter suggested. The use of the letter by
some senators was construed as implying
a difference of opinion on the subject of
statehood between The President and the
President-elect.
Unpleasant statements concerning a
number of citizens of New Mexico in con-
nection with the prosecution of alleged
land frauds in the territory were submit
ted to the Senate committee yesterday.
The paper was signed by Miss Lawler, a
stenographer. who assisted Ormsby Nc
Harg. special attorney of the Department
of Justice, the official who secured some
twelve or fourteen indictments against
citizens of New Mexico for alleged ir-
regularities in disposing of timber lands
and timber granted the territory by the
government, most of which were subse-
quently quashed or dismissed.
Ends Of Justice Hindered.
The graveness of the insinuation In the
paper is difficult to reduce to a statement
in words. The inference is that the gov
ernment efforts at prosecution were con-