The sun., 1873-10-29
An Enormous Wrong.

The warfare carried on under the exist
ing Administration against the hardy set
tiers of the West who have taken up land
ndcr the Homestead and PrcUmptiun
.aw., whDu the ! ghts Of ths elias. of citi-
lvn- have iuterfcrcd with the schemes of
railroad projectors, forms one Of the most
dlsagreoahle chapters of our current his
tory. II has generally been the intention
Of Congress, with all its corrupt legislation.
10 protect the settlers under these laws:
and wherever grants have been made TO
railroad companies, lands TO which pre-
cmption riehts attached nj the time the
line OF the road was hXed have been
exempted from appropriation hy special
provisions.
This intention Of Congress to protect
settlers holding lands under homestead and
prc,imption claims, such n have always
been recognized rs valid, has been defeated
in innumernblc instances through cxtraor-
dinary ruling, by Mr.. WILLIS DRCMMoND,
the General Land Commissioner, who owes
his possession of office TO railroad influence.
Many Of his rulings in these matters have
been opposed to the long-continued prac-
tlce OF the Interior Department, and can
not find the slightest justification either in
in law or equity. And IL is "A disgTaccful
fact that at the present time very few
settlers who have taken and improved
homes under the Homestead or PrcJmptiOn
laws have any security that they will be
able 10 retain possession OF their property
if the officers Of an actual or projected
railroad choose to assert clam to II.
one Of the baldest wrongs connected
with this matter is Commissioner DRUM
MoND's false application of what is known
a. the Regulation OF 1850. He insists that
before lands once withdrawn can become
subject TO homestead entry they must be
restored TO market by the method pre-
scribed IN that regulation. On this pre-
text ne not only excludes settlers from
public lands which 10y law are subject to
prcjimption and homestead entry, but also
opens the door for the seizure by railroad
corporations OF lands which have been
| duly entered, and upon which valuable and
lasting improvements have been made.
| A statement OF the circumstances under
viii h the Regulation OF 1896 was estab-
/ lshcd Will suffice to prove the iniquitous
/ character Of DRUMMoND's rulings on this
! point. In 1855 the discovery was made
/ that the United states Register at the Land
/ Once in Helena, Ark, was in the habit of
marking on his records all the best tracts
/ Of land in his district with the letter A." I"
indicating that they were sold, when the
/ contrary was the fact. The object was to
/ induce parties who wished TO purchase
! lands to pay a bonus to the supposed first
purchaser TO relnVlish his claim. The
/ Register assumed to act Hs the agent of the
! imaginary first purchaser, and pockctcd
the bonus. The trick was discovered; "A
list Of the unsold lands was obtained and
they were ordered TO be offered, to the
highest bidder after thirty days notice.
Then the regulation was made that when
lands have been kept out of market from
any cause they shall not be subject TO be
taken at private entry until they are first
offered to the highest bidder after thirty
days public notice.
This regulation was adopted before
either the PretmItlon or Homestead law
was passed, and related solely TO sales OF
iapd' Its only intention was to prevent