Show CORRUPTION IN I HIGH PLACES CES Portland Oregonian The latest disclosures dis- dis closures es in the land fraud transactions In Utah Ulah leave no room for Cor doubt a a. ahas as asha ha has been believed b by many that this species of or theft has been as wide as the nation In Its extent Crime knows no nn limitation of or locality or party or creed Men high In the tho service of oC the government entered Into conspiracies s sto to defraud the government go In other words th the people of or a vast heritage of public lands It happened that in Oregon events led to tho the earliest disclosures disclosures dis dis- dis closures and here the first prosecutions were we-re had For many months Oregon has been paraded before the world as the tho hotbed of oC public land stealing the homo home of or the tho leaders In tho the conspiracy The Iho conviction of a United States senator sena sena- tot tor and a representative in congress caused the people of other states to hold up their hands In horror at the revelation of or con corr corruption in high places In Oregon But nut Oregon stands not alone nor shall she bear tho the disgrace of ot having conceived this greatest of or schemes of oC i public plunder This state Jg Is l willing to endure and has endured the the humiliation Incident to the proof of guilt of oC her favored and trusted citizens but who shall utter word of or reproach If the sham shame bowed bowed e head and drooping eyes Ces are lift liftoff e for tor a moment to behold the greater humiliation of commonwealths that must bear n n a heavier burden of or responsibility for this most stupendous crime against the whole American people Assurance Is given that the frauds will ihl be probed to their remotest r rami ramifications ml- ml and that high or low the guilty guilt shall be bo brought to justice Not lot alone upon the man who committed the single Ingle crime crOne of or perjury perjur shall the wrath of the nation be visited but the trusted servant of ot tho the people who added added add add- ed cd breach of oC faith to the theft shall bo made to suffer the consequences of or II his crime In seventeen states land- land mild fraud Indictments Indictments' h have hc c b been en found and prosecutions arc pending Not in severally were the crimes committed though the scene of ot each wrongful transaction was distant from rom the hc others Back Dack of ot every theft of public land vero master minds minds minds-in In official power at Washington manipulating I th the laws and the administration of public business conceiving new means of ot plundering the nation and carefully guarding against discovery and Interruption Inter of ot the piratical proceed proceedings I Upon the theme o the lash of ot the laws law's prescribed prescribed pre pre- scribed penalty should and must C fall But But It It Is to bo be hoped that the prosecution prosecution prosecution prose prose- cution of ot land frauds will not end with the punishment of or those thoe who secured their land Jand by subornation of ot perjury Other frauds far Car greater grenter In extent and therefore more costly to tho the nation I were vere perpetrated through the tho I laws It Is pos possible that the theat vast at steals ls of public land under th the scrip scrip- I laws la were cle conducted without any violation of or if criminal law but that does doe not nol mal make the offences any the less wrong rong In morals If the corporations L were able to secure the enactment oCl of oC l I 11 laws H which would protect thorn In theft of or public land hand they must have havo I procured those laws by corrupt methods Neither the tho department of the Interior nor nOI the department o of Justice can n come out of or these landL land land- L fraud ln Investigations estimations with wilh entire credit for for sincerity unless ever every effort shall b br he made to discover and mal make e public th thi means by which the tho graft has hus been conducted The manipulators manipulators of that part of at the public land land- stealing scheme mo may not nol be brough brought before the iho bar of an any criminal court I but bul ho hey hoy should be brought before the bar of oC public opInion and the lie evidence disclosed so s-o that the people ma may know upon whom the guilt lies Until that has been done the land fraud Investigation Investigation gation will be Incomplete and there I will be reason for tor question as to th the honest purposes back of oC the tion |