The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-03-03
From the Salem Mercury.]
THE SETTLERs' DIFFICULTIES
In EASTERN OREGON.

iei WIG pTecluct, OllOu CouhtJ, ""o
held on the I'd of February, for the
purpose Of taking measures to protect
their homesteadsagainst land-jumpers.
They declared as follows:
| WnErgAs, certain individuals have, in utter
disregard Of former filings. and wholly ignoring
that respect due TO prior claimants and actual
settlers ~ set forth by the Register Of tho Land
Office as his instructions from the Board Of Land
Commissioners, have proceeded to enter upon
lands already occupied and improved.
Respfred That we, the farmers Of summeryille
precinct, In order to protect our rights against
tho intrigues and mnDipulaliobs Of unprinepled
land spectators and vagrant nterlopers, do here
| by mutually pledge Ourselves TO assist each other
In defending the lands to which we have impart-
cd value by tho labor of our hands. In any way
deemed most prudent and cGeetual
The position here taken by the bona
fde settlers of Union county is entire
ly correct and proper.
The difficulty and embarrassment
into which they have been led, has
grown out of Radical fraud and mis-
rule, and by the grossest wrong Of
Republican State Administration here
tofore, the settlers are brought to
necessity Of self-protection, by force,
if need be.
At the time of the first settlements
in Eastern Oregon, the United States
lsurveys were not extended to that re-
lgion. When the surveys were extend
led, the State lands were very largely
located i'll that part Of the State, and
in many instances where settlers were
claiming as prescriptions under the
United States, they were induced 10
give up their claims and have their
lands included in the State selections,
being induced to believe that they
could more readily obtain title from
the State than from the United States,
and at the same price. After the
State lands in Eastern Oregon were
selected by Governor Gibbs, settlers
generally entered upon them and
| made their homes, and at great cost
, placed valuable improvements on
them, under the impression from pos
tive assurances by the then State au-
: torities that they would soon have
, their titles. During the Administra-
! ton of Gov. Gibbs nothing was done
/ to secure the insurance of titles to the
settlers. During Woods entire adj
fninistration of State affairs. all his
acts tended only to confusion III land
matters, as well as every thing else.--
. To avoid labor himself, for which he
! had no capacity, If inclined to work,
il appears that he suggested TO the
settlers in Eastern Oregon, that they
90 and make their applications for State
|. Lands 10 the United States Land office
at la Grandc, and thai sucl, application
c ,couid be good. The farmers conse-
9 quently applied to the United States
q Land Office for their State lands
: The Register and Receiver placed their
: names on the face OF the map, where
!, their land was located, and charged
. IRE dollars for 20 dong. Paying his
= money, the settler went home think
d ing his title secured. No application
g rs required by law was ever taken il
> the name of the State Board, and.
= consequently, none were ever for
: warded TO the State office. By the
i grossest Of swindles, money went intG
= the hands OF the United States Regis
nItsr and Receiver at La Grande, b,
, sbo,, sands of dollars. without authori
Il law, either of the United States
7 -. =. this State, while the deceivel
c and defra,, ,de,1 settler was left in con
r fidcnt secnrit.' to expend his labor anc
money on lands to which he bad no
: yet begun to berfecs n ..'tie. This wa
d the condition of things VII en- two year.
3 ago, for the first time si.7ee the be
ginning of the war, there w;,s Il lem
ocratic Legislature in Oregon. chi'
body enacted law providing for Il 10
cal State Land Office in Eastern Ore
gon, and for the election by the As
sernbly OF State Land Register. But
by the fraudulent and revolutionary
disruption of that body by Woods and
. his co-conspirators, by which the
State has ruefully suffered in other
i matters as well, the people of Eastern
/ Oregon suffered the defeat of the elec.
S ton of their local land officer, and the
consequent loss of the opportunity tc
: secure their land titles. They had
the local law which stood between
q them and the State Board of Land
Y Commissioners and no local officer t
execute the local land law.
!, When the present Democratic ad
ministration came into Office n loca
Register for Eastern Oregonwas elect
0 ed under the former law, and the pl'es
G ent Board entered upon duty an.
: went to work to carry into effect the
land laws of the State as enacted by
former Republican Legislatures, but
i. which laws haye never been admins.
4 tered, but they have remained on the
}. statue books like dead letters. The
y former Board refused to do its duty
because of want of clerical aid, and
for other frivolous excuses. But the
!; present Board are working under the
law as it stood before they came in,
q and are doing most active duty with
). no more clerical assistance than was
IS had by the Radical Board. What
|, then is the sense in the Radical out
: cry that Democratic legislatures and
Democratic officers have defrauded
y and ruined the honest settlers of East.
: ern Orgon? '.Ohl the swamp land
:. act! Let us inform the ignorant
i Radical editors that the swamp land
= act has nothing whatever to do with
the difficulties of Eastern Oregon. -
$ The trouble grows out of swindles
D perpetrated during Radical times up
r. on the settlers there by the United
f Land Office. Nothing done then was
!. right or sufficient under the laws Of
# Oregon, and certain local land claim
n jumpers mot swamp land claimants)
: are seeking to take advantage of these