Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-07-21
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
BY CLYDE H. TAvENNER.
Washington, D. C., july n. ls11.

Washington, D. c.. July II, 1911.
Did President Taft throw open Controller
Bay under conditions especially designed
topermit the Morgan Guggenheim interests
and no other-to gobble up this richest
OF the Alaska land prizes before anyone
else could have chance to file ?
This is the big important question to
which the House committee on expendi-
lures in the Interior Department is seeking
an answer.
If such was not the deliberate plan of
the Administration. why were these lands
thrown open by such unusual procedure
by secret executive order instead of by
proclamation?
Another query If there was no con-
spiracy between the Administration and
the big exploiting interests, how does ii come
that Spectator Ryan. supposed agent of
the MorganG uggenheims, alone knew of
the issuance of President Tafts secret @
order and was able to file a soldiers scrip
on 100 rods of Controller Bay water front
within three days after President Taft
signed the order eliminating the land from
the national forest and before any other
man could have known of the orderY
Another extraordinary feature of the
case is this The unvariable rule has been
to give so days notice before any claimant
could file on this land. but. according to
Mr. bennett of the General Land Office,
when the Presidents order first came to
him the 60-day provision was in it, and
when next he saw the order there was no
time allowed whatever for notice to the
public-not even one day.
That there was actually an understand
ing between the Administration and the
men who were to profit through the Presi-
dents amazing secret order is not state
Of affairs so remarkable to those who have
been closely following things In Washing
ton. There have been presidents exactly
paralleling such performance. When the
Congress by the President the public was
in absolute ignorance of its contents. But
the fact developed later that although the
President had not seen fit to take the public
into his confidence. he had allowed the
railroad interests not only to suggest the
lines along which the bill should be framed,
and to load it with jokers against the public
interest, but actually to pass upon and o.
X, the bill before the people were even
permitted to know that its preparation was
contemplated.
Before the investigation into this newest
Alaska land jugglery is finished it pro-
misses to develop condition of affairs be-
side which the attempted theft of Alaska
coal lands is inconsequential.
The probe is in charge of Representative
James M. Graham, of Illinois, one of the
really big men in the Democratic House,
whose career from the very first day he
entered Congress has stamped him as a
man above partisanship and one especially
qualified by service on the Ballinger in
vestigating committee to make the inquiry
he is now so conscientiously engaged in.
TAFT Will HAVE OPPOSITION.
President Taft will be opposed by pro-
gressive Republicans for denomination
on the ground that he is still the mouth
piece Of Aldrich and the great law-defyn9
industrial corporations of the country.
If proof was necessary to show that the
old alliance between Taft and Aldrch
exists, the President himself furnished it
on two notable occasions within the last
couple Of weeks when he went out of his
way to indorse the Aldrich near-central-
bank scheme which is designed to give
Wall street absolute control of the money
and credit of the United States, and thus
make it the absolute master of business
and industry.
Progressive Republicans contend that if
the President should be re-nominated and
reelected "he would continue to be the
cOmplacent helpmate of schemers like
Aldrich who are striving constantly to
make the great masses of the public little
more than the seTfs Of the few men who
compose the great financial combination,
of which j. PierpOnt Morgan and the
Standard Oil capitalists are the most con-
spicuous figures" And Mr. Taft now pub
licly confirms the fears OF the progressives.
Therefore the only thing left the public
is to conclude that Mr. Taft's reelection
would necessarily place back in control of
Congress the same class of men who were
swept out by the Indignation of the public
in the last election.
That Mr.. Taft is but the mOuthpiece of
Aldrich in all his speeches in which he
advocates the Aldrich monetary scheme as
being the most important legislation be-
fore the public is evident on the face of
things. For Mr. Taft himself has been
frank enough to say that he knows nothing
about the Aldrich plan that ne has not
studied the financial question, and that he
has taken his convictions from those who
told him the Aldrich plan should be adopted.
Tafts strong Endorsement OF the Aldrich
scheme will make 1t more necessary than
ever for the progressives within his party
to prevent his nomination. 1t also means
that the Aldrich scheme will be made one
of the big campaign issues of 1912. The
Democrats desire no better issue. The
scheme Aldrich has cooked up gives TO
Morgan the power of life or death over
business and industry For the life Of both
is credit. and the control of credit Taft
would absolutely place in Morgan's hands.
DEMOCRATS MAKING HONEST EFFORTS
The Democrats are sincere in their efforts
TO run the House Of Representatives on an
economical business basis. The report of
Jerry South. Chief Clerk Of the House. just
made public, shows that during the month
of June a saving Of $8.58l90 was effected
as a result Of the abolishing of useless
Offices This item. which does not include
the big reduction on the police force which
the Senate has not yet concurred in but
will approve shortly, means saving
of Si02, 1890 in a year
This is not a stupendOus sum. ii is true,
but the spirit is in striking contrast TO the
S35 wastepaper baskets in the Offices Of
Postmaster General Hitchcock ard the ex
pensive recreatiOns taken by the Aldrich
monetary commission at public expense at
Narragansett pier
TAFT BUREAU REPUDlATED.
Once more the White House press bureau
has been forced TO back track. II was like
this: Franklin A. ShOtwell, of Omaha,
secretary Of the Progressive Republican
League Of Nebraska, came TO Washington,
had talk with the President. and was
quoted by the White House press bureau
as saying that Nebraska was strong for |
Taft for denomination and reelection"
Now II happens the league that Mr.. Shot
well was made to appear as speaking for |
is strong" against Taft instead Of being |
for him. When the officials Of the Nebraska |
organization heard Of Shotwells statement |
they promptly passed resolutions repudiat-
ing il, and wired them to Washington. The |
fact is the real progressive Republicans
stand unit against Taft's denomination.
and every indication is that IL he secures
the nomination again they will permit him
10 go down In defeat. Then they will make
an attempt TO re-organze the Republican
DartV