Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-04
ANiArrER OF RECORD.
Something OF the Work Done by the
Land. Frauds Board.


the organising OF Mr.. Walsh, continues TO ms
sert his superior qualifications for the land
commissionership 10 those OF MIR. Patton,
and In the course of the discussion finds
It necessary not only TO misrepresent the
conditions and circumstances under which
tha land frauds beard labored, but Its report
rs submitted to and approved by the COVER
nor and.published TO the world Indeed
the temper ofthe News Is so man Testify that
OF opposition to Mr.. Patton instead of friends
ship for Mr.. walsh, that whom tho intimate
associations OF the former with the governor
are considered, one involuntarily recalls the
continued and energetic assaults of the News
upon his excellency In Its Issue OF the 3hh
nlt, the News remarks:
Mr. Patton has at the public expense been
furnished the opportunity to show from Off
cial records whether or not the general land
office has been properly managed. He &C
nee, and was Furnished money and paid a per
diem to assist him In the Investigation. TO
render the inquiry more thorough the place
OF commissioner Walsh seemed to be the
proper reward OF the committeeman who
should discover In the land once evidences
of reimbursement, OF corruption or negli-
this prize In view, would have made public
anything wrong In the land office that he dis
covered. And yet he has officially made no
complaint against thisl office, Its manage.
ment or its chief and his newspaper advo.
Gates, when they contend that land frauds
could not have been perpetrated Without the
permission of Commissioner Walsh, Inn
pliclt'y admit that, II the charge be true, Mr..
Patton was incap able OF ascertaining that
fact. He had every facility 10 establish the
truth OF charge OF this character. and with
the assistance of two expert aids, IL must be
believed. m ,de as thorough an examination
OF the land office as was req bred. The land
office Is we'll and honestly managed, or MI
Pa ton IL apparently tncapable OF the task of
reforming sbuses that m ~ prevail in 1t, for
he could never hope to correct a wrong that
he could not see.
II the News has no special purpose of hos
tillty to Mr.. Patton, or hidden intent of
deeper Significance, 1t Is incomprehensible
how alournal so well informed in state affairs
can print such insidlous misrepresentation
in face of the record. The News knows, or
should now. that the Investigations of the
land frauds board. were limited to six months,
with not less than five specific subjects of
investigation: First, the illegal purchase of
school lands; second, the general land office;
third, the history of the filing of the John
Gibson certificates and the proposed surren-
der OF the same TO the general land office I;
fourth, the history of the appraisement of
the school land situated in Has
kell county; nth, the purchase of school
laud by land-ofiice clerks. Here was work
enough mapped out to enlist the active
services OF three energetic men for two years
II thoroughly and intelllgently performed.
Instead, however, the )ard was limited to
six months, and limited, as the News well
knows, because the directors, failing to pre-.
vent the investigation, sought to hamper IT
as much AZ pos ,ible. The board, looking to
the main object in View, viz; the discovery
of fraud in the purchase of school lands.
devoted almostit its entire time to this especial
purpose, the three members travelling all
over the state night and day; and although
they had only six months in which to collect
evidence in territory as large as Texas, yet
| their success in ferreting out evidence involv
| ing nearly n million acres of land, illegally
taken from the school fund, Is tribute &c
their energy higher than any words OF praise
The News saws:
| He tMr. Patton had every facility to estab
| lish the Truth of charge OF this character
| Qnefliciency or corruptness) and with the as
| sistance of two expert aids, II must be be
lteved, made as thorough an examination of IN
tttnd Office as WdS required.
The land-frauds board in its report says:
The examination of the general land otfict
has been ,rhohy omitted because the 81.
months allowed for the entire work is abou
TO expire and a thorough examination OF thu
consideration of the system of business tn,
course OF action pursued heretofore, as IL may
have affected the interests of the state. or n
an exposition of favor to individuals, n
FOmetimes charged, cannot be perfected anC
strict Justice done to all, the state and TIL
officials Of the la d office without IN ,re time
, 1t would possibly require three months o
time diligently employed to make a full an,
! comprehensive examination. As we have Iii
PEELED to wholly omit this portion of the dut.
assigned to us.
The News published that report when
was made. and now why does 1t avoid II
declarations? Does II presume upon the ie
norance or falling memories OF the people
| Can the failure of an investigating board I
/ Investigate for lack of time be counte
against that board: The News defends NJ
Walsh's administration of the general Ian
1 office, and yet, in view of Its own INTEL
8 gence, on, may well question II the News doe
e., not invite an attack on It's defense OF ths
a administration, when it says:
And yet he (Mr Patton, or more properl
the board has officially made no complain
against this office, Its management or A
chief, and his newspaper advocates whe
Y they contend that land frauds could not hav
been perPetrateh without 1, ne permission {
K u the charge ne true Mr.. Patton was inca pc
- BILE of ascertaining the fact.
= THE GAZErr shas no ambition to obi Q
: the News In Its seeming purpose. but this D,
q per Is unwilling that the land.frauds board
OF which Mr.. Patton was member, SHOULD
. be charged with failure to do what the
IS were allowed no time to do. The GAzErr
:. has no attack to make on Mr.. Walsh I
obi ge tina News or any ons else: but we Il
!, desireito show that Messr'. DEM )rse, ua
and Patton did all they were allowed tim
" to do, and this showing can be found In In,
o report they made, and which has been give
,r to the pnblic In pamphlet form. The worl
:, OF the land fraudsIboard is a matter of recor,
aud from the record THE GAZETTE quote
10 compliance with another clause of IN
Ia law requiring us "to inye tigate the ceneri
land Office for thu purr oss dett rm ming. a
.e many clerks aud what officers In said ofiic
10 have In the past two years filed upon scho,
ie lands. aud under whose advice and permit
rs sion they made such files," we find that
?, | q. Beaumont, craftsman, Herman Pressler
IL craftsman, and assistant clerks Franl, 7
, Roche, A. w. Townsend. j. X. z. Bvrne an
., James d. Eston, fled on school lands upd,
II the acts of ISL and 1881, with the consent an
approval OF the commissioner.
~ And again:
ii In pursuance OF the duty prescribed for N
> lands. which duty Is defined in the io,lowin
words: And said board shall further in vestl
gate the appraisement OF the school In nd
situated In Haskell county, and their M
proval by the commissioner or the genera
land once. and the manner In which the m,
proval, and the manner In which the book
u ofthe surveyor OF sa'd county are reported I
~ have beeu opened In the city OF Auattn ~
II, me purpose OF per mttting parties 10 file n,