The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-07-06
NEWS FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Mention Made Of Many Important News
Items AbOu: the Capital City.
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence
Washington, D. c., July 1.-The
sensation of the week was sprung
Monday when Secretary of the Inte-
rior, Walter |. Fisher, cancelled the
Cunningham coal claims in Alaska.
There are thirty-three claims aggre-
eating $3.50 acres in the heart of the
Bering coal field. These entries
were engineered by Clarence Cum
ningham and his associates in the in
terest of the Guggenheim syndicate,
of which Senator Guggenheim, of
Colorado, is member, and which
syndicate controls the railroads and
the seaportsss in Alaska. The field en-
braces not ouly the heart but the
richest parts. and is considered by
experts to be the richest coal fields
in the world. Stephen Birch, mana
ging director of the Guggenheim in
terest in Alaska, last year told the
Senate Territories Committee that
there were s500,O00,O00 worth of
coal in these thirty-three claims, and
that there would be sl00, 100000 of
profit for the people who developed
them. Former Secretary Ballinger
upheld the Cunningham people and
caused President Taft to have CLAWS,
who was looking into these claims,
dismissed from the Interior Depart
ment, as was Pinchot, head Of the
Forestry service, and Price, his as
sistant; but now the wheels have
turned and Secretary Fisher, who
succeeded Ballinger forced to re-
sign), made searching inquiry into
these claims, found them fraudulent
and cancelled them, thus vindicating
Pinchot, Price, and CLAWS and saving
these rich coal fields for the people.
It is not supposed for an instant that
the rich Guggenheim syndicate will
relinquish these claims without
great fight, but we believe that they
will be routed horse. foot, and dra-
goons. The position of President
Taft in this matter is not an enviable
one, but it is only fair to the Presi-
dent to believe that he was honest in
his convictions, but was misled by
the Cunningham, Guggenheim peo-
pie. Once more the rights of the
people triumph. Let us hope this
steal, for steal it was, will forever
debar the Guggenheims from Alaska
claims.
Messrs. Gompers, Mitchell, and
Morrison. the labor leaders who
were sentenced to Jail for contempt |
of Judge Could's court, and which
was carried to the Supreme court |
for final opinion and which court
sent it back to the lower court be-
cause it was and error to Jail for con-
tempt, have been adjudged guilty |
by the commission of lawyers ap-
pointed by Judge Wright in May,
last, to decide the case and that they |
must appear in court July II and
show cause why they should not
apologize. We will see whether
they consider their action demands
an apology and if it does they will
be forced to the conviction that the
so-called freedom of speech guaran-
teed by the Constitution is myth.
The Root amendment to the Reel
procity bill was defeated in the Sem
ate late Monday afternoon on viva
voce vote 1t is now believed that |
the reciprocity bill will pass at a
much earlier date than was generally |
supposed and without amendment.
Senator Penrose, who has charge of |
the bill proposes to have the Senate
vote on it July "a, but it is not likely
that this will be done as the insur-
gent Senators are not willing to set
so early a date.
Champ Clark, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, says that
if the Republican senators continue
to fight among themselves the Dem
ocrats of the House will at intervals,
but persistently, send to the Senate
more bills revising schedules of the
tariff, according to the programme
formulated by them months ago.
This is what the Speaker stated at the
White House Tuesday last. He had
just come from President Taft's Of
flee, who had sent for him and where
he had been in conference with the
President. The President does not
want the tariff revised until after
the Tariff Commission has gathered
the facts, which the House does not
seem disposed to wait for.
Joseph F. Smith, Mormon leader