St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-08-02
President Taff,s Rrarerr.

I
procity bill, has given another illus
tration of his courage in a special
message to congress relating to the
opening for settlement and develop
ment 1880 acres of the Chugach
National Forest Reserve in Alaska.
This act of the government has been
attracting a great deal of attention
owing to the publication of certain
charges which the democrats seized
upon for another Investigation
and is called the Controller Bay
Affair."" The president in his mes
sage assumed full responsibility for
the opening of this section of land
and told all about the transaction.
The charges made were that the
land had been granted to the Con-
troller Railway and Navigation Com
pany, which, it was alleged, is con-
nected with the Morgan-Guggenhe
interests for the purpose of monopo-
lizing the transportation of coal
from mines further inland. Here is
the presidents reply to those
charges:
1 wish to be as specific as possible
upon this point and to say that I
alone am responsible for the en-
largement Of the proposed elimina-
ton from 800 acres to 1880 acres,
and that l proposed the change and
stated my reasons therefor. The
thing which the Territory of Alaska
needs is development, and where
rights and franchises can be proper
| ly granted to encourage Investment
and construct a railroad without
comforting exclusive privileges, I be-
lieve it to be in accordance with
good policy to grant them.
OF course it was possible that the
owners of the Copper River Railway
Company (Messrs. Morgan and Gug-
genheimJ might attempt to buy this
railroad when and if it were built.
1t was possible that Mr.. Ryan was
acting for' the interests of the Cop
per River Railroad, although I did
not believe it; but whether this was
true or not it was clear that the
order of elimination by reason of
the restrictions of the act of con-
gress would not permit the owners
of either railroad to shut out any
other capitalists.
When 1 made this order I 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 it and to the question
ing of my motives in signing it. I
remarked this when I made the or
der, and 1 was not mistaken. But a
public officer, when he conceives it
his duty to take Affirmative action in
the public interest, has no more |
right to allow fear of unjust criti-
cism and attack to hinder him from |
taking that action than he would to
allow personal and dishonest mo-
tives to affect him. 1t is easy in
cases like this to take the course
which timidity prompts, and to do
nothing, but such course does not |
inure to the 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
be exploited for the profit of greedy, I
absorbing, monopolistic corporations I
or syndicates. Whatever the at |
tempts which have been made, no |
in Alaska any undue privilege or |
franchise not completely under the
control of congress, and in all the t
scandal with which the public has |
been RECALLED very few instances of /
corrupt or improper attempts to ac-
quire vested interests in Alaska have
been shown by evidence that would /
stand the test of judicial examina-
ton. Notwithstanding this, how
ever, I am in fall agreement with the |
view that every care, both in admin
istration and in legislation, must be /
observed to prevent the corrupt or
unfair acquisition of undue priv
ilege, franchise, or right from the
government in that district. But |
every one must know that the re-
sources of Alaska can never become
available either to the people of
Alaska or to the public of the United /
States unless reasonable opportunity
is granted to those who would invest
their money to secure return pro-
portionate to the risk run in the in
vestment and reasonable under all
the circumstances.
On the other hand, the acrimony
of spirit and the intense malice that
have been engendered in respect of
the administration of the govern
ment in Alaska and in the consider
alton of measures proposed for her
relief and the wauton recklessness
and eagerness with which attempts
have made to besmirch the charac-
tiers of high officials having to do
with the Alaskan government, and
even of persons not in public life,
present a condition that calls for
condemnation and requires that the
public be warned of the demoraliza-
ton that has been produced by the
hysterical suspicious of good people
and the INSCRIPTIONS and corrupt |.
Misrepresentation of the wicked.
The helpless state to which the
credulity of some and the maleVolent
scandal mongering of others have
brought the people of Alaska in their
struggle for its development, ought
to give the public pause, for until
a juster and fairer view be taken
investment in Alaska, which is nee