The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-27


nection with his answer to a Senate in.
uuiry, returned to the Interior Depart.
ment, and il was after this that the cor.
respondent is said TO have seen he letter
with the postscript attached. Mr.. Carr
saw no such postscript when he sent tn,
letter to me. | did not see it when ! reat
il. No one saw it in the Executive office
but it remained to appear as n postscript
when il ls said that the correspondent
saw the letter in April or May on the files
of the Interior Department. All other,
were denied the sight.
The person upon whose statement tn,
existence of what has been propprl,
characterized as an amazing postscript
il based is writer for new spapprs an,
magazines. who was given pcrmss loi
by Secretary Fisher, after cons,Iltat lor
with me. to examine all the files in respect
to the Controller Bay matter and this
under the supervision of Mr.. Brown
then private secretary to the Secretary
cf the Interior after the eXGmina' ion
at which it is alleged this postscript was
received from the hand OF Mr. Brow n
the correspondent prepared an elaborate
article on the subject of this order and
Controller Bay, which was submitted to
MIR. Fisher and which was discussed with
Mr.. Fisher ct length but never in the
conversation between them or IN the
article submitted did the correspondent
mentio ion the existence Of the postscript
Mr.. Brown states that there was no such
postscript in the papers when he show ed
them to the correspondent and that he
never saw such a postscript. Similar
evidence is given by Mr.. Carr and other
custodians Of the records in the Interior
Department.
Stronger evidence of the fasitv end
maliciouslv slardero,Is character oc the
alleged postscript could not he had. Its
only significance is the light II throws on
the bitterness and venom of some of those
who take active part IN every discussion
Of Alaskan issues The intensity of
their desire to besmirch al who invest
in that district and all who are officially
connected ith its administration operates
upon the minds of weak human instru-
ments and prompts the fabrication of
such false testimony as this postscript
] dislike to dwell upon this feature of tho
case but it is so full Of a lesson that ought
to be taken to the hcart Of every patriotic
citizen that cannot pass it over in ST.
lence."
With trace of bitterness the President
adds
When I made this order | was aware that
the condition of public opinion in reference
to Investments in alaska famed by charges
OF fraud some well founded and others OF
an hysterical and unjust or false character
would lead to an attack upon II and To tn"
questioning OF my motives in signing =.
] remarked this when ! made the order
and I was not mistaken. Bu' "a public
officer when he Conccives il his duty to take
Affirmative action in the public intcrcrt has
no more right to allow fear of unjust Crit-
Cism and attack to hinder him from takin
that act ion than he would to allow personal
and dishonest motives To affect him. II is
easy in cases like this to take the course
which timidity prompts and to do nothing.
but such course does not lnurc to tho
public veal
AM in full sympathy with the concern
Of reasonable and patriotic men that the
valuable resources of Alaska should not
be turned over to he exploited for the profit
OF greedy. absorbing and monopolistic
corporal ions or syndiCates. Whatever the
attempts which have been made. no one
as matter Of fact has secured in Alaska
any undue privilege or franchise not COM
pletely under the control Of Congress |
am in full agreement with the View that
every care both in administration and in
legislation. must he observed to prevent,
the corrupt or unfair acquisition of undue
privilege. franchise or right from the Gov e
ernment in that district. Eut every one
must know that the resources of Nlaska
can never become available either to the
people OF Alaska OF to the public Of the
United States unless reasonable oppor-
tunity is granted 10 those Who would invest
their money to secure q return proportion
ate TO the risk run in the investment and
reasonable under all the circumstances
on the other hand. the acrimunv of spirit
and the intense mallc" that havo been on
gendered in respect or the administration
OF the government in Ma ,ia and in the con
sideration Of measures proposed for her re-
lief and the wanton reckls s-~nosS and eager
ness with which attempts have boon made
to besmirCh IN" character, "r hi-h Official
having to do With tho Naskau 20, crnmcnt
and even OF persons not IN public life, pre-
sent a condition that calls for condamua-
ton and requires that the public b" Warned
of the Generalization that has been pro
duced by the hystcrical suspicious of Gooo
people and the INSCRIPTIONS and corrupt
InisrepresentatiouS of the wicked. Tn.
helpless state to which ia" 'r"duli'y al
some and the malcN olcnt scandal mongcr.
ing of others have brought the people Oi
Alaska in their struCgl" ior its development
ought to give the public pause. for until 4
iuster and faircr view h" taken. inv "stmcn
in Alaska. vhich is necessary to lis develop
ment will be impossible. and honest admin
istrators and legislators will he embarrassed
in the advocacy and putting into operation
of those policies in regard to the Territory
which are necessary to il, progress anC
prosperity.
As to the charge made against him that
the order throwing the Controller Bay
lands open to entry was made secretly
MIR. Taft submits evidence to show that
a full statement Of the cas-" had been
print ed in the Seattle i-irt'liigencC,
ten days before the order was made
giving news of the details of MIR Ryan =
application and stating the probability
OF its being granted. He shows that
Associated Press statements had been
sent out on the day that the order was
signed and that 1t had received wide
publicity in Western papers. As TO the
charge that he had arbitrarily eliminated
a customary provision which provides
in such cases that thirty days shall elapsc
hetween the date of the order and the
time Of making application for title To
the land, the President explains that a
previous order drawn 10y the Secretaries OF
Agriculture and Interior had specifically
eliminated this provision, upon the recon-
mendation of Forester Graves, and that
as a matter of routine it was left out Of
the President final order. though he
states that had this fact been called to
his attention he would have put in even
this immateral safeguard. That il is
immaterial. he says, 's proved by the
fact that though nine months have