NEW LAND POLICY.
THE STATION MAIL
Secretary Garfield Aids Entrymsn In
stead of Hindering.
C. D. AlEXANDCR. P-hlte.W
I t is claimed by officers of the Ohio
National guard that inquiries have been
made regarding the number of m ilitia
men that could be dispatched to the
Pacific coast on four hours’ notice.
Washington, Feb. 4.— It is the pur
pose of Secretary Garfield to so conduct
the Interior department end so interpret
the public land laws as to actually aid
every bona fide entryman who is en
deavoring to establish a home on the
public domain.
Secretary Garfield
holds that the land laws were enacted
for a purpose, and so long as the law is
not abused, he intends that the entry-
man sltall enjoy its provisions, and so
long as he acts in good faith, shall have
the encouragement and aid of repre
sentatives of the department. In other
words, Secretary Garfield Is proceeding
on the theory that every man ia honest
until proven gu ilty; he is human
enough to recognise that honest men
may make errors which do not lay
them, or should not lay them liable to
the law. A reading of Mr. Garfield’ s
annual report, made publlo yesterday,
w ill convince any man that there has
been a phenomenal— an almost incom
prehensible— change in the manner of
conducting the Interior department.
Under Secretary Hitchcock, the en
tire force of the Interior department
and general land office, on special In
structions from the secretary, proceed
ed on the theory that the public land
laws were enacted to prevent men ac
quiring public lands; every technical
failure to comply with the law was re
garded as ground for criminal prosecu
tion; every obstacle was placed in the
path of the honest, as w ell as the dis
honest entryman, and Mr. Hitchcock
retired from office with the astounding
record of having actually deprived hun
dreds of honest settlers of their lands,
while he permitted shrewd thieves to
gobble up large tracts under his very
nose. The report of Secretary Garfield
w ill carry encouragement to every en
tryman who is striving to acquire pub
lic land for an honest purpose. I t is
a most cheering document.
Bryan says Roosevelt is an honest re
former.
IMPERIAL VALLEY CON TESTS
S T A Y T O N . ...............
OREGON
NEWS OF THE WEEK
I d a Condensed Form (or Onr
Busy Readers.
A Resume o f the Less Importent but
Not Lees Interesting Events
of the Past Week.
Black Hand
Chicago.
murders
continue
in
Japan is diverting many emigrant«
to South America.
A new cabinet opposed to Franco has
taken office in Portugal.
A plotter against Prince Nicholas of
Montenegro has been captured.
The steamer St. Cuthbert was burned
off the coast of Nova Scotia and 15 of
her crew drowned.
The higher officers of the battleship
tleet have been given a banquet by offi
cers of the Chilean fleet.
Heinze has been sued for $97,500 on
aooonnt of alleged irregularities in the
management of the Butte bank.
Japanese m ilitarists are said to be
loeing power, as the middle class is re
belling at the increased taxation.
Dynamite has been found In the coal
of one of the warships. I t is believed
to have been left there by the miners.
The entire middle West is suffering
Fifty Improved Claims of Non-Resi
from a bilizzard.
The Heinze savings
w ill be reopened.
bank at Butte
Senator Forsker says Roosevelt is the
champion muckraker.
The new battleship Mississippi has
been placed in commission.
The government has brought suit to
dissolve the Harriman merger.
The English expect a visit from
Roosevelt as soon as his term is ended.
Two of the smaller street car systems
of New York nave gone into the hands
of a receiver.
A New Y ork newspaper man claims
W illia m A . Rockefeller, father of John
D., died in 1906.
Most French newspapers commend
the recent special message of the presi
dent to congress.
A Kansas City jury grand has jurt
returned 200 indictments for violation
of the Bnnday closing law.
It is believed the talk of war with
Japan w ill bring increased appropria
tions for the defense of the Paacific
coast.
H awaii
coolies.
fears
a flood
of Japanese
Bryan praises the president’ s special
message to congress.
The battleship fleet has
through Magellan straits.
started
dents Are dumped.
Im perial, Cal., Feb. 4.— Out of 1,500
land claims in the Im perial valley,
about 50 improved claims belonging to
nonresidents have been jumped on the
ground of failure to comply w ith the
law. A recent decision of the commis
sioner of the general land offices revers
es the practice that office has held here
tofore that any person conld take a
number of assignments from claimants
so long as the total does not exceed 320
acres.
I t is now held that a person
can take bat one assignment.
Many claims, including scores of
well developed farms, are affected by
the reversal, and a number of contests
are filed. The mutual water compan
ies have combined to send representa
tives to Washington and lay the matter
before Secretary Garfield. An appeal
w ill be taken from the decision of Com
missioner Dennet on the ground that
the Bupreme court holds that an estab
lished ruling of a department of the
government cannot be annulled by a re
versal of the ruling.
No apprehension is felt by claimants
as to the outcome, but it is considered
necessary to present the mattei to Sec
retary Garfield.
WOOD CHIEF MATERIAL.
Small Percentage of Buildinga Built
of Cement or Brick.
Washington, Feb. 4.— In a report
The house committee on census wants today regarding building operations
a cen-us of all standing timber in tbe and the timber supply the geological
United States.
survey says that the increasing price of
President Ripley, of the Santa Fe, lumber and a rapidly increasing use of
denies the charges of Roosevelt that his perfect«! fire proof svstms cf construc
tion should do much in holding down
road has granted rebates on oil.
the amount which forests are called
Senator Bourne says Rooeevelt’ e spe
upon to yield each year, but so far these
cial message is bound to carry him to
more substantial materials have not de
the White House for another term.
creased the lumber cut of the nation.
A tornado just north of Wesson, Notwithstanding the increased use of
Miss., laid waste a strip three-quarters cement and other fireproof materials,
of a mile wide and several miles long. the last reports of the building opera
Six persons were killed and a number tions in 49 of the leading cities of the
injured.
United States for the year collected by
Officials of the Japanese government the geological survey, show that 59
say that they, like other nations, are per cent were of wooden construction.
interested in the fleet’s trip from the This does not include the large quan
Atlantic to the Pacific, as they want to tity of lumber user! for the construction
of dwellings, stores and other buildings
know how the ships stand the strain.
in the thousands of small cities and
Rnef has pleaded not guilty to 14 towns, scattered over the country and
charges of offering a bribe. The cases not included in the 49 cities on which
w ill be set for trial February 14. a reckoning was made.
Schmitz, who is also indicted on these
same counts, has already pleaded not
"Yellow Peril League.”
guilty.
Denver, Colo., Feb. 4.— Several hun
China looks on the movement of the dred representatives of union labor, in
Atlantic fleet as more than a pleasure mass meeting this afternoon, former!
cruise.
the " Y e llo w Peril Exclusion lea gu e,”
Terror reigns supreme in Lisbon due designed to prevent further influx of
to the arrest of conspirators against Asiatic coolie labor into the United
States. One of the speakers said that
the government.
thousands of Japanese were coming into
Ruef says he did not negotiate with the United States through the port of
the graft defendant« and that Langdon El Paso as students. A prominent Jap
broke hia immunity contract.
anese of San Francisco, he said, was at
the head of the enterprise and conduct
Japanese who are supposed to be
ed the business from a clothing agency
spies have been at every port where
in the City of Mexico. ♦
the battleship fleet or torpedo squadron
has stopped.
SCORES EVIL-DOERS
President Answers Critics and
Proposes New Laws.
SAYS TRUSTS NEED CONTROL
Criminal Rich Banded Together for
Reection—Employers* Liability
Laws—Lee* Injunctions.
Washington, Feb. 1. — President
Roosevelt yesterday sent to congress a
special
message which is devoted
mainly to a vigorous defense of his
policy as regards railroads and trusts
from the assault« of hla critics and an
even more vigorous denunciation of
those critica and those whom they
champion.
Beginning with the recommendation
of new employers' lia b ility bills, both
binding the government and interstate
corporations, and of laws reetrictmg the
issue of injunctions, the message pro
ceeds to renew the president's former
recommendations for legislation dealing
with railroads and monopolies. Then
it enters upon a reply to the criticism
of the president’s policy, not mincing
words in its characterization of hia an
tagonists as lawhreakedrs. It shows
their inconsistency in criticising Judges
Landis and Wellborn after having con
demned the pres dent’s much milder
criticism of other judge«. It advocates
measures to prevent stock gambling,
attributes the panic to speculation and
high finance, and declares that, even
if the president's policy did contribute
to the panic, it is better than to allcw
dishonest business to thrive. He de
clares his purpose of continuing the
same policy without flinching.
W hile the message was being read in
the senate, many senators sim ply scan
ned their printed copie« at first, and
befere it was half finished they gene
rally took up other matters.
When
the striking passages were reached,
many of the senators looked around the
chamber and exchanged smiles. T ill
man seemed especially pleased with the
document; I a Follette paid very care
ful attention; Beveridge, McCumber,
Knox, Gallinger, Nelson, Elkins, lie-
menway and Burrows, on the Republi
can side, and Culberson, Teller, Davis,
Bankhead and Overman, among the
Democrats, were especially attentive to
the document.
On the conclusion of the reading of
the message. Senator Davis, of Arkan
sas, promptly
moved that
10,000
copies of the message be printed as a
public document.
" I t is the best Democratic doctrine
that I have ever hear! emanating from
a Republican source," said Davis.
The motion was agreed to, and with
out further comment the message was
referred to the committee on interstate
commerce.
The reading of the message in the
house was listened to with intense in
terest. by the members, of whom there
was an unusually large number in at
tendance.
As the reading of the mesaage pro
gress«! in tbe houae, numerous mem
bers were heard audibly to exclaim
"m ost unusual," "th is íb red-hot," etc.
The president’ s vigorous denunciation
of wrongdoers was g re e t«l with loud
applause, as was his defense cf Federal
judges who punish offenders for viola
tions of the law.
The frequency of the applause In
creased as the reading proceed«!. The
hum of conversation over the message
subsided and the members followed
every word. But the climax came when
the reading was concluded.
Without regard to party, the mem
bers loudly applauded, ch eer«!, thump
ed their desks and gave other evidences
of their approval of the document.
After a moment’s silence, the applause
broke out again, several members, in
cluding many Democrats, arising from
their seats and clapping their hands.
The message then, on motion of
Payne, of New York, was referred to
the committee on the state of the Union.
After Trade in the Orient.
Beattie, Feb. 1.— The Chicago, M il
waukee A Bt. Paul w ill shortly begin
an active campaign for its share of
trade in the Orient.
President A . J.
Earling, who is in Beattie, said: " N e
gotiations have been made for a line of
steamships between Puget sound and
the Orien.
J. H . Hiland, third vice
president of the Bt. Paul, and F. A .
M iller, general passenger agent, have
been sent to investigate traffic condi
tions In China and Japan, and w ill re
port npon the possibilities of trade de
velopm ent."
Workmen Begging for Food.
Buffalo, Feb. 1.— The office of the
superintendent of poor at W est Seneca
Mail From Fleet.
was besieged today by 50 men begging
New York, Feb. 4.— The steamer for food. The partial suspension of the
Chinese printers have been excluded
under the alien contract labor laws, Thespis which arrived today from Rio steel and iron industry there has
and New York Chinese papers are tem Janeiro brought 20 sacks of m ail from caused much suffering among the for
eign laborers.
the American bettleshipe.
porarily tied up.
KINO 18 MURDERED,
Carlos,
of Portugal, and *Hls Hair
Klllsd by Plotter«.
Lisbon, Keh. 3.-— King Carlo«, of
Portugal, and the Crown Prince Lula
Philippe, were assaaalnated Saturday,
and th aoity ia in a state of uproar.
Tha king’ s second son, tke Intent Man
uel, was slightly wound«!, but Uueen
Amelia, who'strove to save the crown
prince’s life by throwing herself upon
him, was unhurt.
A hand of men waiting at the comer
of the Praco de Comiuerclo anti the Kua
de Arsenal suddenly sprang toward the
open carriage in which the royal fam ily
was driving to the |<alare, and, leveling
carbines which they had conoealed
upon them, flted.
The polios guard
fired upon the asaassiua and k i l l « ! two
of them.
The royal fam ily was returning from
V illa Vloloea, where it had been so
journing, and was on the way from the
railroad station to the palace. A strong
guard was in attendance, because of the
recent uprising in the city and the dis
covery of a plot to assassinate Premier
fran co and overthrow the monarchy.
But the twnd of murderers Pad aolceted
the most advantageous spot for the corn-
mission of the crime, tor it was con
c e a l«! from the eyes of the party until
the vehicle had come into the Praco de
Commercio, a large square.
The bodies of the king and crown
prince rest in the royal («la c e , and be
side them the queen sat throughout the
night, sometimes with her hand press
ing the forehead of King Carles am!
sometimes stroking the lace of the dead
crown prince. The condition of the
newly proclaimed king, Manuel, is
satisfactory to the physicians in attend
ance. His wounds are not severe, ami
if there are no complications, of which
there are no signs now, he is expect«!
to make a speedy recovery. He tarries
hia arm in a aling, and declares (list he
sudffers no pain.
The bodies of King Carlos and Prinrs
I.uia were embalmed yesterday and w ill
lie In state according to the custom of
the court.
The funeral w ill probably be held
February 10.
GOES TO ASYLUM.
Jury Acquits Thaw But Daclarea Him
Inaana.
New York, Feb. 3.— Adjudged not
guilty of the murder of Btanford W hite
by reason of insanity at the tim e the
fatal shota were fired, Harry Kendal)
Thaw Baturday was held by the cent to
be a dangeoua lunatic and was whirled
away to the state hospital for Hie crim
inal insane at Matteawan.
The verdict came after 25 hours of
waiting, and when every one connect«!
w ith the rase had abandoned all hope
of an agreement ever being reached in
this or any other trial. Four hours
after the foreman’s lipa had framed
the words "n o t g u ilty ," with the ac
companying insanity clause, Thaw,
protesting he was sane, was on ids way
to Matteawan. A little after nightfall
he had been received In the institution
under commitment papers which d i
rec t«! hia detention "u n til discharged
by doe course of la w ."
DEATH IN ITS PATH.
Tornado Kills Eight and Maims IOO
in Mississippi.
Wesson, Miss., Feb. 3.— Extending
40 miles from west to east, the path of
destruction made by Friday’ s tornado
just north of here was found to have
suffered a worse disaster than at first
reported. In the tornado path the
known dead number eight, the fata 1 ly
injured four and the seriously injured
at least 100. There are fears that the
death list may reach 15 or 20, most of
those b e lie v «! to be dead being negroes
who have not been accounted for since
their cabins were crushed.
The damage is estimated conserva
tively at $300,000 ami may reach a half
m illion.
In the wreckage lie four
churches, six cotton gins and several
country stores.
The tornado cut a path about half a
m ile wi<le. R elief parties have been
sent out. A ll streams are swollen and
the country roads are strewn w ith fal
len trees.
SETTLEFATEOFRUEF
Played Prosecution False From
Very Beginning.
MEMORY SUDDENLY FAILED HIM
Thought Decision of Appallato Court
Would Result in Releasing
Him From Jail.
Ban Kram-iaco, Jan. 30.— An attempt,
to kidnap Abe Ruef from the county
jail ami spirit him away wan unearth«!
last night by Sheriff Ia rry Dolan. Tho
details of the plot were revealed by one
of the guards, who had seen the prepa
rations. The plot waa being en gin eer«!
by the Indicted magnates, wiio recog
nize that they muat get Ruef out of the
way at all hazards Ur save themselves.
In the midst of the denunciation be
ing heaped upon the graft proaecutinn
by Patrick Calhoun and hi* fellows in
indictment ban come a clear light «b ow
ing that the prosecution «lands at th »
present moment aa strong as, if not
stronger, than ever.
Abe Kuef’a trial w ill Ire pressed with
vigor. Then he w ill lieaentenoed to 14
years In prison. He may at once bo
placed on trial again ami his «enteric«*
raised to 2H yeara. Then Patrick Cal
houn w ill be put on trial and Ruef
dragged from tire prison to testify.
This arrangement has been made
necessary by the discovery that Ruef
and the indicted magnates were nego
tiating during the very time that Ruef
was under guard. The plot has been
unearthed by Hpecial Agent W illiam J.
Hums, and it includes tbe insinuation
tliat Ruef had an advance tip on the
decision of the Appellate court, which
qu a «h «l the indictment against him .
With this information, Ruef, believing
that he would be tu rn «! looae, sudden
ly lost his memory on all matters that
would tend to incriminate Calhoun and
other lm lict«l magnate«.
HALL UN STAND.
Testimony la Vigorous Daniel of Con
spiracy Charges.
Portland, Jan. 30.— For over three
hour« yesterday John H. Hall, ex-Unit-
ed States attorney, te s tifl«l In defense
o f the alleged conspiracy charged in the
Indictment on which he is being t r i « l
in the F «lera l coart.
He vigorously
denied that he had ever en ter«! into a
conspiracy or an illegal agreement with
Bteiwer and his associates or with any
body else. He asserted that at no tram*
had he ever been unfaithful to hia trust
as a pioeecuting officer for the govern
ment, neither had he ever b«*«n dilatory
in prosecuting all violationa of the law
that had been rep o rt»! to him and sup
ported by the nec<eaary evidence. Mr.
H all w ill pro>«bly complete his testi
mony this morning and the cross ex
amination of the witness by Heney w ill
follow. Aside from tbe final argu
ments to the jury, Heney’s cross exarn-
ination of Hall promisee to be the feat
ure of the trial.
Jndge W«dieter, counsel for Mr. H all,
said last night that he would prolwbly
call only one witness when the witneea
finished ids testimony, although it is
understood Bteiwer w ill Ire recalled for
further croes examination. Heney w ill
offer some testimony in rebuttal when
the defense haa concluded Its case, so
that the final arguments cannot begin
before tomorrow afternoon and prob
ably not until Baturday.
Blame for Theater Fire.
Boyertown, Pa., Jan. 30.— The jury
which haa tieen investigating the diaas-
troua fire at the Khoetlee opera house,
turned in a verdict at 1 o ’clock this
morning, in j « r t aa follows: " W e are
of the opinion that Mrs. Munro and
the deputy factory inspector are largely
r«*sponsible for the disaster, owing to
negligence. W e request the prosecut
ing attorney of Burke county to arreit
and if possible convict Mrs. Munro,
owner of the stereoptican machine, and
Insurance Must Be Paid.
Harry M. Bechtel, the deputy facory
Kingston, Jamaica, Feb. 3.— The inspecor, on the charge of crim inal
English insurance companies that lost negligence."
heavily in the earthquake and fire of
January, 1907, have had a further ver
Big Increase in Pensions.
dict handed down against them. Two
Washington, Jan. 30.— A general
test cases for the payment of losses pension bill, which, If ratified, w ill
sustained at the time o f the earth increase the pension roll by about $12,-
quake were recently decided adversely 000,000, has Ireen introduced by the«
to the companies. The companies ap chairman of the committe«’ on invalid
pealed to the Bupieme court. Today pensions. The bill provides for the
the Bupreme coart upheld the decision payment of a pension of $12 a month,
of the lower body, which had decided instead of $8, as at present, to all wid
that the fire was not of earthquake ows of veterans of the Mexican war, of
origin.
the Indian wars, all widows of veterans
of the C ivil war married prior to June
Bank Closed in Brooklyn.
27, 1890 and all widows of Bpanlsh wsr
New York, Feb. 3.— The*Home Rank veterans who died of disease contracted
of Brooklyn, an institution on which a in the aervice.
ran was started, didYiot open for busi
ness Baturday. The Home bank Is a
Band o f Women Thieves.
small institution, located in Bouth
I.nblin, Russian Poland, Jan. 30.—
Brooklyn. It has a capital stock of The police of this city have unearthed
$100,000 and a surplus and divided a liand of robbers com pos«! entirely o f
profits amounting to $63,670. The de women and the leaders have been taken
posit«, which formerly averaged about into enstody. _ The women are said to
$600.000, have been reduced greatly be responsibleafor a long aeries of high
■inoe the October panic.
way robberies.