The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-08-28
THE PINE LAND RING.

The Milwaukee Neaus is still troubled
about the Pine Land Ring, for lack of
some other subject on which to make a
raid against its political opponents. It
publishes an old dispatch from Washing
ton which concludes with the inference
that ''If the facts are as represented. it
seems probable that the Interior Depart
ment viii declare the sales null and void.
and order the summary punishment of
the conspirators. !" The same correspon-
dent who telegraphed the above from
Washington on the 18th, has just got off
another, which is as follows
The purported history of the Stock
bridge and Munsee pine lands negotia-
tlons of 1872 furnished your correspond
ent SIX weeks ago by high authority on
Indian affairs, has had the effect to arouse
many of the Wisconsin lumbermen. who
are writing letters to Washington officials
not very complimentary in tone to Mr..
l.. 5. Beecher, of Boston. They charge
MIR. Beecher with having been in several
rings himself, and are generally strongly
condemnatory of his course of action
offer to prove that Mr.. Beecher was in
league with the Government agent, and
that he made more money out of the
Stockbridge and Mrmsee lands than the
Wisconsin spectators would have made
if they had succeeded in carving out
their original plans. There is something
behind all this which the Secretary OF
the Interior expects to find out, and the
report of a special agent Of the Depart
ment now In Wisconsin, it is believed,
will clear up the whole matter
Now, that there was d ring formed
some three years ago to gobble the In
dian lands by a private sale in Washing
ton, is well known. That this project
was defeated by Mr.. Sawyer and Senator
Howe, Is also well known. In place of
such appraisal and secret sale, a law was
passed providing for an appraisement by
three persons, only one of whom was q
resident of this State. This appraise-
praisement was made, and full descrip-
ton of the lands with the appraised
value, was published for three months
previous to the public sale, in three
papers IN this district. Every man in
the country had an opportunity to ex-
anime the lands in connection with the
appraisement, and scores of lumbermen
did so. Attempts were undoubtedly
made to form combinations for the pur-
chase of the lands, but the large number
of bidders prevented the success of the
schemes. In fact, Beecher himself
claims that he broke up the combination
of rings. The fact that the land brought
at sale thirty thousand dollars more than
the appraisement, shows for itself that
the bidding was both spirited and indie
pendent. Those who had the most
money secured the most land. Some of
the larger buyers may have put their in
terest together and divided the lands
they secured among themselves. Some
of them may have been disappointed at
the result But all this does not show
that any of the lands were sold for less
ans were defrauded. The fact is, that
the Indians were more than satisfied with
the result of the sales. They realized
more money than they had any reason to
expect. However, let the investigation
go on. The new agent has been on the
ground but short time, and viii after
proper examination, submit his report.
In the meantime would it not be well to
await the result There will be plenty of
time before election for the democratic
press tQ.review the case, after they get
the facts. Their insinuations now will
have little weight with the people since
it is understood that it is not the truth
they are after so much as ammunition to
shoot off at Grant and the Republican
party. If there has been corruption
among the government officers in rela-
ton to the sales, we all want to know it :;
but If 1t has been simply a grab game
between the lumber and land specula-
tors, and the government has suffered no
harm, it is of little interest to the public.
-Oshk0sh Northeastern.