The Washington herald., 1913-02-02
By JOHN WALKER HoLCOMBE.

By JOHN WALKER HoLCoMBE.
With the creation of the Department
Of tho Interior in 1873 our government
made mumentous departure from its
traditional laisscz-faire attitude toward
the we'll being of the people, and entered
upon a constructive policy along lines
promotive OF material and intellectual
progress. From the first years of the
republic. it is true appropriations were
made for certain works Of general util-
ity. as lighthouses and public piers, but
only from compelling necessity and with
questioning of the constitutional power
OF Congress. The Cumberland Road, to
cross the AIleghcnies and open the west
crn realm to settlement and commerce,
was undertaken in 1906. but the next Con-
Eress scarcely ventured to assert the
lavfulncss Of this work. traversing as II
did the domain of several States. when
IN a timid resolution IL claimed the
power to appropriate funds for roads
and wafer courses that were strictly un-
der Federal jurisdiction. Finally in
1872 James Monroe. who two years later
extended our protection i'm a manner
over the three Americas, vetoed the an
nual appropriation for the Cumberland
road as ultra wires. and thus was de-
terr1ne6 for a time the well-knoWn
controversy over. internal improvements.
But there soon appeared a statesman
Of large creative mind. who. through
a public life OF forty years, was the
consistent advocate of all measures for
national honor and prosperity. Native OF
Pennsylvania he adopted Mississippi for
his home, and served his country as an
earnest conciliator, so long as concllla-
ito. was possible. OF Northern ana
Southern ideals In his young man
hood in tho Senate, sturdy 10"
Of notification. advocate of treaties
for sllppressing the slave trade, prOposer
OF a homestead law such as later peopled
the great West, and champion OF Texas
in later life a promoter of the Alaska
purchase and Pacific Railway, Robert J.
Walker. WORTH successor OF Hamilton
and GaUatin, was in the midyears OF
the century great Secretary OF the
Treasury. In that capacity he was the
author of the famous revenue tarlh OF
IS4G, the most beneficial we have ever
had Influenced by the enlarglng views
and the shifting of constitutional opn-
ion consequent upon the events WH!ch
added half Of Mexico to our national 90
TnsIn he resolved that the Federal gov
ernnent must develop means OF actively
serving the people in their spread over
the enlarged area As the Instrument
Of such constructive work he recommend
ed the establishment OF a home dei,art-
mcnt'' under a head to be called the sec
retary of the Interior.
Tho existence of separate arms Of gov
ernment is implied in the provision or
the Constitution that the President may
request the opinion in writing of the
r,rIncipsl officer in each of the executive
departments" In the Treasury Depart
mcrt the Secretary said much time ana
labor were given TO subjects having no
relation to commerce and finance. Inc
business of the Land Office was greatly
increased by the accession OF oregon
and California, and he had pronounced
judgement in 5000 cases involving land
titles The tribes scattered over the same
nov territory added much work to the
Indian Office in the War Department
These duties do not necessarily pertain
TO war but to peace and our domesuc
relations with those tribes. Our PEN
sion system was connected with the pup
lie lands in the giving of land bounties
to soldiers. and should Too under the same
control. The duties of the latent oIil'e
,,,,tst necessarily increase with the prog
ross Of light and knowledge. and the re-
searches Of so man. enlightened nllius
into the physical sciences ann the arcana
of nature" but this bureau had no prop
or connection with the State Department
Tho assembling of these offices unoer
in all departments.
New Policy.
Tho Comrnitte on Agriculture Of the
iiouse Of Representatives took up the
Sccretary's recommendations, and SUD-
nitted a bill. They lamented that since
the foundation Of the government $780,
ono 900 had been expended for military as-
cression and defense, while but Sl.cocUO
had been devoted to the development
or agriculture and science and facilities
Of intercourse the support of educauon
and diffusion of knowledge. They thus
announced the new idea:
War and preparations for war have
been regarded as the chief duty ana
md of this government; while the
arts of peace and production where
by nations are suhsisted, clVlllzauon
advanced and happiness secured, nave
hcen esteemed foreign TO its objects.
This should not always continue, nut
We should as wise people reorsan,
iZc the government 5" lar as 10 iulhli
those duties also which are suggested
bv the nature, aspirations and wants
of our race, as physical, moral, and
intellectual beings; il should do
something toward protecting the peo-
nla AGAINST these internal enemies,
ignorance. destitution and vice,
well as against those foreign foes who
may aSSaI us.
Tr7iIv a progressive committee! But this
''proEressiyism was viewed with alarn
bv many, as was strongly expressed in
the Senate by John c. Calhoun, who
said:
This government was made to take
charge of the exterior relations of the
States The name Interior De-
partment itself indicates a great
change in the public mind. What has
been the cause? We are told that the
business Of government has become
such that existing departments are
overloaded. Has IL not resulted
from the overaction of our govern
ment? This is a monstrous bill.
1t will turn over the whole interior
affairs or the country 20 this depart
nent, and it is one OF the greatest
steps that has been made in my time
to absorb all the remaining powers
of the States.
The measure was advocated by Daniel
Webster and jefferson Davis. The FORM
or said:
Gentlemen say it is creating now
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