The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1913-05-08

Published Every Thursday
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE
An Old Presedsnt Smashed
Washington. May 6.-secretary Of
the Interior Lane has smashed a sixty
year old precedent at the request of
Congressman Smith. Mr.. Smith was
appointed Register of Land Office at
Boise by the President in 1907 on the
recommendation Of about hundred Of
Idaho's leading citizens, including the
idaho delegation in Congress. Their
letters were filed in the archives Of
the Interior Department along with
thousands Of similar endorsements Of
other federal officials. Mr.. Smith de-
sired to have these papers returned
to him that he might preserve them
for his children as an heirloom and
made formal application to Secretar
Fisher about year ago for them. The
Secretary replied that in 1853 an or
der had been issued that no letters Of
endorsement on which favorable &C.
ton had been taken could be- returned
and that he was unable to comply wit
the request. Mr. Smith made a per-
sonal call on Secretary Lane referring
to the musty old order which the
Secretary Immediately proceeded to
cancel, stating that there was no
possible reason why these papers
should be retained in the files. His
action will probably result in a gen.
eral clean up of the old papers which
It Is believed now must weigh several
tons and which are stored in the base
ment of the Interior Department.
The following are resolutions adopt
ed at the annual convention Of the
Columbia and Snake River Waterways
Association at Pendleton, Oregon, on
April 18th, and wired to Senator Bra
dy by the Association, with an earnest
request for his support:
I'VE deprecate the widespread pro.
paganda manifestly carried on by the
great railway interests seeking the
notification of the law providing for
free tolls for American shipping
through the Panama Canal. We be-
lieve the principle of American control
Of American enterprises built upon
American territory to be an inviolate
right which cannot in the very nature
of National sovereignty be jeopardized
by the simple treaty rights entered in
to with any other nation and there
fore the claim that the granting of free
tolls to American shipping is a viola
tion of the Hay, Pauncefoot Treaty is
self evident sophistry equal rights to
all foreign nations as such in the use
of the Panama Canal is all that in
justice and reason could be demanded
of the American nation.
1--WE believe the propaganda for toll
for American shipping at the Panama
Canal involves the principle of tolls
at all national canals and government
built waterways and is purely in the
interest of the corporate transporta.
ton enterprises Of the nation and sub
versive of the freedom of waterways
competition. Therefore, be it hereby
resolved that this association strong
ly urge the present American Congress
and the National Administration to
sustain the law adopted by the pre-
ceding congress respecting tolls at the
Panama Canal"
Senator Brady has visited the Pre-
ssdent as also the chairman of the
inter-oceanic Canals Committee in the
interests of this legislation. He is a
strong believer in the FreeToll bill as
passed by the last congress, and it is
believed that on account of his practi-
cal knowledge and experience along
this line he will WELD an influence
when the matter comes before
Congress.
Upon the invitation of the National
Woman's Suffrage Association, Repre-
sentative French appeared last week
before the Woman's Suffrage Commit
tee of the Senate, and urged the pas
sage of the amendment to the Con-
stitution granting suffrage to the wo-
men OF the various states.
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