New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-19
HONOR CLEVELAND
ID. X. Francis Tells of Has
Services TO Conservation.

Leading Democrats from an parts o. the
country attended last night ne anniversary
dinner Of the National Democrats Club IN
tribute % the memory q Grover CTsvsIand
Among them were ten men who had served
as Cabinet members. or as assistants %
Cabinet members. under Mr. Cleveland
David r. Francis. formerly Governor o.
Missouri. who was Secretary OF the Interior
In Nr. Clevelaqd's second term. recalled the
stand that the President had taken on the
question Of conservation. and told vivtaIy
the story Of thu last moments Of thar al
ministTation.
"On February 2. Ise7. JUST ten DAYS be-
fore his adm aistratiOn closed" he said.
President Cleveland issued a proclamation
ordering. IN the face o. praverfuI appeals
and defiant threats. that a.esaOs0 acres o.
the public domain should be wifheraNr
from settlement. prohihiting the cutting q
timber. the sinking Of mines and the use
Of water power there. and setting aside
those great tracts. an empire IN area, for
national forest reservations.
AS Secretary % the Interior recon-
mended that action. The commission which
selected the lands included one nan who
still survives. Oxford PinchOt Congress
tried 20 uuilify the appropriation b. at
taching a rider 70 the sundry civil apprO-
pFiati0ns bill. which reached the President
for his Signature at 3 o'clock on March A
1897. three hours before his term expired
Il well remember the scene. We OF the
Cabinet had been en- readiness % come IN
answer 70 a telephone call the moment the
President could get the bills which Con-
gress had rushed through for his signature.
He fastened through the heap % papers.
-
decision which II deserved. At 1870 an
orderly came % announce that President
elect Mckinley was waiting IN the Blue
Room % be escorted 90 the Capitol.
TO keep such a person eating. and az
such a time, was certainly unprecedented.
But the President was determined 70 do his
duty. The sundry eivn bin was taken uD.
Without Il no money could be expended
from the Treasury for the running Of the
government. Each Of US answered 70 the
Presidents question whether the bill made
provision sufficient for his particular de-
partment In my turn Z replied that the
provision for the Interior was enough IN
amount. but that a condition attached
would uuIIify the forest reserve prOclama-
ton
Then I won't sign IT, said the Prssi-
dent.
He did not. That act necessitatsd the
calling OF a special session OF Congress.
Thus CIeveIand's last act as President was
an act for conservation"
Other speakers and tOasts were: Mr..
Cleveland as a Statesman President VII
son, OF Princeton University; Mr.. Cieve-
land as a Friend Francis Lynds Stetson;
Mr.. Cleveland IN Politics." william Nc
AdOO. former Assistant Secretary o. the
Navy and Mr.. Cleveland as a Democrat"
Charles S. Fairchild. former Secretary o.
the Treasury.
At the dais sat. besides the speakers.
Judge Warren ". Foster. Josiah Quincy.
OF Boston, Assistant Secretary % the
Treasury under Mr. Cleveland; Charles s.
Hamlin, former Assistant Secretary Of
State; z. c. Benedict. samuel p. Colt. Jus
tice Martin J. Keogh and Justice II A.
GildeFsleeve.