The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-11-08
Stealing the Public Land.

| which the people OF this country have
the right to seriously complain, it is the
way the public lands have been stolen
from them. The controversy is with
the Republican party, and it will be
difficult for the leading men among
them to defend so gross a violation of
public confidence. The great wealth of
broad acres, the magnificent heritage of
the people. has been gradually taken
from them; the most of it by grasping
railway corporations, and every once in
awhile big slices cut off by fraud and
outrageous theft. Any government but
one wholly given up to schemes for
the retention of political power would
have found time to overhaul these land
robbers. whether in the form of organ
lied corporations or simply acting as
individual adventures. But this boast
ed Republican prOtectorate finds no
time to look after anything except the
spoils of Office, and the retention of
favorites in the soft places of Govern
mental control. 1t has, therefore, come
to pass that what little public land has
escaped the ravages of grasping cor
porations is being gobbled.up in every
conceivable fashion by men who care
nothing for public rights and still less
for the arm of the law. The most out
rageous and astonishing frauds have
been perpetrated upon the Land Office
of the United States in the far West,
frauds so gross and monumental in
their character as tosalmOst surpass be-
| lief. Complaint has been made time
and again bv the settlers who were be-
ing robbed and plundered by these bold
Adventures, but their complaints were
! left unheard and UNDECIDED until these
violations had grown to such proper
/ tions as to demand attention by the
danger of great public scandal. These
things have long been known to the
authorities, but the scene of the rascal
tiles being far removed FROM the theater
of political activity, delays were al
| lowed to 90 on, disheartening the
efforts of the settlers, and still more
| firmly intrenching the robbers in their
schemes of greed and conquest. When
/ the muttered grOwls of discomfort could
no longer be postponed and action was
+ forced upon them, 4 special Land Agent
was sent West into the Territories to
/ investigate and examine. and the pict-
ure he draws of Republican carelessness,
iDattention and neglect would be dam
aging in the extreme ii the party whose
agent he is had any conscience to reach,
or any sincere regard for public opinion.
/ This agent says:
1.-The Desert Land Entry act has been vio-
I lated with recklessness that was positively
astonishing. In many cases it was found that
absolutely nothing had been done toward re-
claiming the laniS, and yet what are known
and regarded us good citizens have gone be-
7 fore the land officers and made solemn oath
that the land had been reclaimed and all the
conditions of the law complied with, when, in
4 fact, no mark ma e by human hands could be
found upon lhn entire tract. Other tracts
were taken up under the Desert act that are
no more desert Il an the Valley of the Ohio
River. Other land was found to have been
taken up under the Timber Culture act upon
which there was growing at the time of the
original fling more, forest trees than the law
requires when final proof is to be made. The
Homestead law has not becn fairly construed.
and thousands or acres have been patented
by persons who have not complied with one
single requirement of the law and who have
given fraudulent testimony with the full in
tent ami purpose TO defraud the Government.
4 Tens of thousands OF acres of public lands
are fenced of by wealthy stock raiSerS, thus
leaving the actual settlers without range for
the family cow. In one instance it was found
that men living near city in Montana had
fenced up three thousand acres of public
lands and permitted the town people to
pasture their stock on the Enclosure for one
dollar per month per head"
We have here string of charges
which are disgraceful in the extreme,
including perjury and villainy That
such a state of things could exist under
the eye of men charged with the duty of
protecting the public interest seems al
most incredible, but so much has hap
pened during the past twenty years of
a like character, not only out in the far
LIT he h.,, -
civilization, that one need not be aston
ished. If the common people of this
country, they who must work hard for
living and have not the time tOread up
closely the current political doings of
the party in power, could know fully
and completely how the interests of this
country have been trifed with, betrayed
and abused by those charged with its
protection and defense, they would not
need to be told what their duty was as
honest patriotic citizens. A sweeping
Indignation would overwhelm the men
who, prating of their zeal and fidelity,
waste their time in political scheming
and delude the people by honeyed
words, when broken promises and be-
trayed trusts rise'up to condemn them
upon every hand. What that agent
says of the manner the public trusts are
administered in the Territories is
equally true of public concerns nearer
home, and every intelligent unpreju-
diced man knows it. Neglect and in
difference is written up against most of
the public duties of the Republican
party, and it is high time to call that
party to account. american Register.