Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-03-23
. WASHINGTON LETTER.
Interesting Interview With Oklahoma
Payne on the Object aud Rights
OF His CDlonists.
Legal Status or "No Mans Land"- Open
to Settlement by White Men.
AutocratIc Despotism at Washington
The Law aud the Facts.
Special corrcspondence OF tho Gazette.


Special CORRESPONDENCE ofthe Gazette
Washington, March 1871 am per.
suaded that Gen. Rosecraps will arouse
the indignation of the peoi lc against
methods of despotism, to which the
government has resorted In dealing
with Oklahoama Payne and his bands
of colonists, TO n degree never known
before. Indubitable fac 8 are present.
ed by Payne and his friends and as
sociates, proving beyond all question
that no European or Asiatic despotism
ever exerted lawless power more bru-
tally or recklessly than the minions of
this central government in arresting
and imprisoning and destroy
ing every civil right Of these
pioneers cooperating under Payne's
direction and contemplating, us he
declares, no violation OF any federal or
other law.
THE PARADISE.
The district OF country in which
these colonsIs sought homes belongs
TO the government of the United
States, save TO the extent that the
alternate sections within forty miles
on either side of the Atlantic \ Pacific
road are owned by this railway COM
pany. The Indian title has been
wholly eStinguished and tie secretary
of the interior, in an official paper, has
declared that this land was open TO
settlement, The act of September 20,
ISL, provides THAT all lands, when
the Indian title Is extinguished, shall
LIE open TO settlement, subject TO the
provisions of these acts, unless re-
district Is no part of amy reservation.
The act of March IS, 1869 recites
that IN compliance with the desire
OF the United States To locate other
friendly Indians and freedmen there
in" &c, but soon after this
these freedmen became citizens
and the scheme Of colonization by
Gov. Brownl0w of Tennessee was
wholly abandoned. Africans were
preferred 10 red men and made elti-
zens, that the Republican party,
through negro intervention, might
govern the South, and the act OF CON
gress, statute at large, page 49, pro-
hibits the fuithlr removal of Indians
to this territory. Then comes the
charter OF the Atlantic d Pacific rail
way company declaring that the Uni
ted States shall extinguish as rapidly
az may be, consistently with public
policy and only by The voluntary ces-
sion of the Indians, the Indian title 10
all lands with the operation of this
railway land grant. Section of the
railway charter provides that the resi-
dents and foad shall have all lands
within forty miles of fhe railway OH
either side of II through the midst of
the Oklahoma country. The act OF
March 3, 1879. provides that the even
sections shall be subject TO homesteads
and preemption, one hundred and
sixty acres for each settler or person
who has taken homestead.
DEvESs' DECREE.
On October 90, 1850, Attorney.Gen-
eral Devens decided that the Atlantic
d Pacific railway company had for
feited no night or franchise or land
grant. The company had failed, IL h
true. TO build fifty miles each year, az
provided In their charter, and also
failed to have Its entire line completed
MS required, July !, 1873, but that the
government was at fault since ID failed
10 center an estoppel." The govern
ment should have gone into court or
by an net Of legislation asserted IT,
rights and thus protected itself and
persons securing homes In the terri
tory.
pAYNE's STORY.
Under these laws, plain, simple. dj-
rect and unrepealed, Payne alleges
hat he and his associates sought
homes In the territory. How he was
Expelled and with what bnrshness and
brutality, and how lawlessly and by
yhnt influences, he tells with keen
ense of wrong and degree
II simple eloquence even amazing.
was led to think, while
lstenlng to his fierce invoctives. that
ohio sets up the wrong Payne as n
anddate for the presidency. Upre
so find true leader OF The people and
lot solemn old curmudgeon who
cunts his hoards by the millions, and
y sheer force of gold claims honors
nd emolumen's of imperialism. The
ountry newspapers and =, ecuIators Ia
atent outside advertisements inserted
ne picture of The wrong Payne in their
retzy pages.
PiSIoNs AND PURPOSES or THE COL
oNfsTs.
The facts and the law surely Justified
ne supposition of the common people
nat they had the same right TO colo
ize Oklahoma as other public lands,
J New Mexico, Oregon or elsew here.
Tut 1t seems that capital preceded Ia
or and great specul itors having the
~ Of authority In Washington aud In
10 attoiney-sene ofllce, had taken
ossesston OF Oklahoma. They
ere above and superior 10
y virtue OF their wealth. They az.
lifed possession under no homestead
4. They simply fenced In the whole
'untry and then employed cavalry
zen and even used the soldlery Of the
nited States in guarding their pos.
ssions. No poor squatier who pre-
sred TO comply IN all things wiihthe
'untry's laws and create home for
msclf and family was suffered to In
'de the district appropriated law
SLY ny tbeie great sIcculators.
THE blessed COURTS.
What Is most marvellous II the ex-
aordinary fact that these followers or
lyme were not arrested by United
ute marshals. ANY little deputy.D
Id Payne. "could have taken ali If
anywhere before any court. we
sremcst anxious to have our conduct
d our rights inquired into by the
oper authorities of the countrv
e knew that we had violated 10
" and proposed TO violate none. we
,re most anxious to have all cues
ms affecting our right to settle
these public lanas adjudlcated
Inn 0rSrta nut l...l.. = t Is