Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-10
Senator Rawlins Accused Sherman.

philadelphia Public Ledger.
| This is not the first time the name
| Of Vice President Sherman has been
connected with a scandal involving In
! dian lands. In 1902. when Mr.. Sherm an.
as chairman of the committee on In
dian affairs in the house Of representa-
tives, had great influence with the In :
dian office at Washington. and domi-
mated legislation affecting Indian lands.
his pronounced activities in connection
with an attempt 10 control the mineral
resources OF the Ute Indians. whose
reservation is in Utah. was the matter
Of much comment al the capitol.
The attempts of the Florence Mining
, Company. 2 New Jersey corporation.
I organized on nothing except its pros
pective ability TO exercise the strong
est kind of a pull al the nations CAPT
tai. to get the mining company in the
Jintah reservation OF the Utes. covered:
a period of several years. Il was not
until the fall of 1901. however. that Mr..
Sherman appeared openly as its advo-
cate in congress and in the depart
ment of the interior. About that time
United States Senator Joseph L. Raw
Inns of Utah openly charged Mr.. Sher-
man with having a personal and fnan-
cial interest in the New Jersey syndi-
cate, and Mr.. Sherman did not enter
any denial.
It was brought out at the time that
for a number of years two svndicates.
both OF New jersey origin. had been
fighting for possession Of much priced
asphalt and mining lands on the res
ervation. Both compa MES had political
I backing at Washington. From discIos-
ures made at the time ii would appear
/ that in this fight the influence of Sena
tor Curtis Of Ka nsas. then a member of
the house OF representatives. was pit
ted against that of his colleague, Mr..
/ Sherman, who IN his turn was aided by
| the machine Of the Indian office.
| The rivalry began when in 1898 con-
gress had appointed a commission 10
/ investigate the question of having the
Uintah Indians cede their lands to the
federal government with view Of
{ having them opened for settlement. r.
/ r. Harper. law partner Of Senator
] Dick of Ohio. was appointed on this
commission. He soon became very ac-
I tive He entered into a plan 10 get the
Indians TO refuse the sale of their lands
but instead sell GU. the mining privi-
leges. He was aided by Natha MEL Nc
/ Kay of Brooklyn. whose interest in
/ many legislative schemes at Washing
{ :oa %%::es : mater Of ,,,mch comment
! Harper and Mckay worked for the
realization of their scheme AT Wash
! ington. The opposition company. how
ever was able to checkmate the efforts
/ of Harper and others including Mr.
/ Sherman. thru the-in1uence welded by
Mr.. Curtis. A Washington lawyer
! George F. Timms, represented the
claims of the opponents. Finding the
rivalry ruinous to the intrests OF both
the Florence Mining Company appear
ed in the field in the fall of 1901 as q
consolidation of the two. Timms De
came generalissimo Of the forces that
were in the field trying to push its
plans thru.
After the consolidation of the rival
concerns, when Mr.. Timms went to
Utah. Indian Agent Myton, under in
structions from the Indian office, went
500 miles to Denver to meet him. Ny
ton and his aids on the reservation al
began to work for the mining syndicate
| representing to the Indian wards thai
tho plans Of the Florence Mining Com
pany had the approval Of the federal
authorities. in the meantime, the
Utah delegation in congress found
themselves checlEmated when the,