Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-10-08

THE SHAwANo LAND SALES /
$15ooo0 Lost to the School Fund by
Democratic Malfeasance'"
The Neics is entitled to the thanks of the Re
publican Press and Of the people at large 70
calling attention TO the extraordinary manage
ment of the land sales in Shawano and Waupa
ca counties, whereby the School Fund has los
NOT less than one hundred and fifty hoaSaad dol
tarS. The News testIfies that the notice of thes,
sales W as purposely deferred till the last moment
that consequently the attendance was small anc
comepetition limited; the result being that 50;
| favored few" got the lands at less than one-hdi
what they were worth And the Meas Justly
holds up this gross mis- management to the cen
sure and condemnation of the people.
Upon whome shall that condemnation be visit
| ed The Netcs says upon Gov. BASHFoRD. -
Why's Because, if the Ne,es is to be believed
(Which it is not } che alone has the power
to fix the time of the sales of those lands and in
this instance the order (of sale) was delayed til
the last moment in order that the especial friends
of the Governor might have the field entirely to
themselves" The case of the Neics would be
perfect If its facts were not, as usual all false
| There are two fatal flaws in it's indictment
against Gov. Bashford. First, the Governor
gGce no order for the sale; second, if he had the
Commissioners (who are all Democrats) might
at their discretion, hare ieitdrateR the lands from
market That they did not do So but let the
sales proceed, at a cost of one hundred and fttu
thousand dollars to the people Of the State, is sui.
ticiently accounted for by the fact that they are
following in the footsteps of their illustrous
predecessors, and were too intent upon pocket
ing tat fees to look out for the interests of the
School Fund" Upon the Democratic Commits
sioners, then, and on them alone, rests the en-
tire blame of the "swinde" which the Ne1es has
broughtto light.
OH lis sport to see
The Engineer hoist with his own petard
The Meas in attempting to demolish Gov.
Bashtord has very successfully "blown up" its
own party friends.
One new circumstance relative to these Land
Sales, invented by the Neics, merits pass
ing notice. The Madison Journal has already
stated that no Patent for the sale of these Swamp
Lands had been received at Madison when the
sales commenced. and therefore that the Gov
ernor could not, if he would, have ordered the
sale. To this conclusive fact the Meas opposes
the following fiction.
Gov Bashford secretly despatched an agent
to w ashington to obtain that patent, so thatth
lands might be sold without notice, and might
be bid off by his friends, at less than one-half
their real value.
Now be it remembered that the sales commence
ed on the 9Th of September, and on the 9th of
the month the Commissioners of the General
Land Office, addressed the following commune
cation to the Governor.
GENERAL LAND OFFICE,
Washington, Sept >, 1897.
His Excellency.
Coles Bashford
Governor of Wisconsin,
Madison Wisconsin;
SRI hace the honor 10 transmit herecih pat
ent No. !, issued to the State OF Wisconsin, un-
ler the Sd section of the act of the I'd of March,
lSA5, the receipt of which you viii be pleased to
acknowledge at your earliest convenience.
You will observe that the patent does not en-
brace as much land as the certificate called for.
This arises from the fact that some of the lands
had been otherwise disposed of, and others were
not subject to entry In supplemental certif-
icate this discrepancy will be adjusted.
With great respect,
Your ob't. servant,
THOS. A. HENDRICKS,
Commissioner.
Here is direct and "Official' contradiction
of the Meas last lie. The Commissioner him
self transmits the first patent under date of the
9th, and promises supplemental ones. Ofcourse,
these patents could not, by any possibility, have
reached Madison before the 9th or 10th. while
the Commissioners Commenced selling in Sha-
wano and Waupacca counties on the Sth. Need
any moro words be wasted on this glaring fabri-
cation
In conc usion the NcscS says:
But we knew it, and patiently awaited the de-
velopements and they at length appear in the
form of a swinde, which is very warmly defend
ed by the republican press. 1t does us good
to see them defend it. They thereby identify
themselves with it.
So far from defending the Republican press
denounces this ''swindie," and charges it home
upon Its Democratic perpetrators Bind we ven
ture TO say that il ever the Netcs, or any other
BARsTow organ, makes good single charge of
corruption, or misconduct, on the part of Gov
BAsHFoRD, the Republican press will be prompt
to condemn it. AssuredIy they will not initiate
the conduct of their Democratic cotemporaries
who stood by Barstow, through thick and thin,
and justified every one of the numerous 'swin-
dies j. by which his Administration was disgrace
ed, the People fleeced, the School Fund robbed,
and the Treasury beggared.-MU. Sent.