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Show " WEALTHY LOBBY BACK OF BILL, SAYS CLARK Wyoming; Senator Makes Sensational Declaration That Excites His Colleagues. WASHINGTON. March 31. Senate proceedings today were 'enlivened 'en-livened and something of n sensation sen-sation created when Senator Clark of Wyoming declared that a rich and Influential lobby was behind the bill for the repeal of tho desert land, timber and stone and homestead commutation com-mutation laws. Mr. Clark spoke of the work of the commission recently v?nt Into the West to Investigate the operations1 of land laws, and commended the President for his course In this matter, saying that It Is a sufficient defense against the charge of Impetuosity made against the Chief Executive. Ho charged tire agitation agi-tation for a repeal of the land laws- to the owners of largo bodies of railroad grant lands In the West. The effect of the repeal, he said, would be to take out of the market every acre of public land. ' Outlined the System. But tho public lands still would bo sold, Mr. Clark said, and he outlined a system of substitution by means of forest reserve scrip, secured through the disposition of railroad lands In forest reserves for other lands, saying that If Mr. Gibson's bill should become a, law the value of all this land would be doubled. He added: "Never in the history of land legislation has there been such determined, de-termined, 'such a barefaced lobby as Is behind this legislation, and whlcrfi has been pressing it for the past; three years. It Is no secret that one of the largest holders of these lands recently has boasted at a public banquet that he had contributed $25,000 for the purposes of this bill." Mr. Gibson and Mr. Patterson both demanded the name of the man In question, ques-tion, but Mr. Clark declined to, give it to tho Senate, saying he would not enter into personalities of that character in the Senate, but he would give the name of any Senator who might wish it. Man Should Be Branded. "I think," said Mr. Patterson, "that the name should bo given here; that man should be known and- be branded throughout the country." Proceeding, Mr. Patterson demanded that Mr. Clark should say who constitutes con-stitutes the lobby here in the Interest of the repeal bill. Mr. Clark again declined, but said the Senator from Colorado knew who constituted con-stituted the lobby. - Mr. Patterson replied promptly: "When the Senator from Wyoming rays that I know who constitutes the lobby of which he complains, he speaks hastily and without justification; there is not ono word of truth in that statement" state-ment" Mr. Clark replied that he had meant merely to say that Mr. Patterson murt have observed the lobby, and he withdrew with-drew the statement that the Colorado Senator had had positive knowledge of Its exlsterice. |