Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-22
Utility Of the Land Frauds Board,

S"i'S''Vh views, are us uuJuSt as tDey
are uncalled for and premature. Per-
sonal antagonism to Gov. Ireland. who
was also q member of that board
should not cause the News to disre-
gard justice, though it forgets courtesy,
The initiatory steps to investigate
alleged fraudulent sales and purchases
of school lands under the acts of 1878
End 1851 were first taken in the
house of the Eighteenth legislature.
An investigating committee was ap-
pointed by the house, clothed with au-
thority to summon witnesses and as
certain, by thorough investigation II
the allegations of fraud were correct.
The report of the committee exhibited
the startling fact that gigantic frauds
had been and were continuously per
petrated under the Endorsement OF
tacit approval of high officials. The
committee was further instructed to
formulate a bill covering the subject
matter of their report and to provide
remedy by which the interests of the
state could be protected The bill
formulated by this committee guarded
well every point, and it passed the
house almost unanimously, only four
members voting against it. 1t is true,
1t was emasculat.d by the senate and
some of it's best features eliminated
and it would make intensely interest
ing reading for the people of Texas,
could the true inwardnessn of the
senate's action in crippliug the bill
and delaying its passage become
known. 1t is further true that the
bill was defective in some respects,
but it was the best that could be done
and it became . law, for all realized
the great necessity and importance OF
the investigation, and of putting a
stop to the continued piratical inroads
upon the school lands and public do
main.
BY the terms of the law creating the
land-fraud board. only six months
were given and only five thousand dol.
lars appropriated to investigate the
fraudulent sales Of school lands; but,
Notwithstanding the paltry appropria-
ton and limited time, the board un-
covered the frauds that had been per.
petrated in the sale and purchase OF
about 100000 acres. They travelled
over the state, summoned witnesses,
recorded their testimony and when
convinced that a fraud had been COM
mitted and the law violated reported
the cases to the attorney general three
members Of the board concurring) with
instructions to institute suits to cancel
the quasi titles. The News will ex-
claim, "the board surprised the public
and the purchasers by the extent oil
their labors." They not only brought
to light the crookedness that had been
committed in the sale and purchase oil
! 100000 acres of school land, but thew
pointed out the perpetrators Of these
gigantic frauds and collected material
testimony for use in the cancellation
OF the illegal titles. If nothing else
had been done-if not one acre should
ever revert to the state-the board per.
formed grand work in pulling aside
the veil of fraud, trickery and rascality
and showing how and whittier we
were drifting.
The Investigation had the effect to
stop the wild, reckless and f.audu.
lent acquisition of school land and il
will have the still further effect to make
land spectators and state officials
whose duty it is to guard the public in
terests, more careful in complying with
the requirements of law. Evasion Of
law Is, in one sense, violation of law
and the officer and custodian of publ,
interests, who is cognizant that the
law is being evaded and permits ii, is
equally censurable with one who il
guilty of its open and fragrant viola
ton. The 100000 acres reported as
fraudulently appropriated, all occurred
under the acts of 1879 and 1881, and
under the administration of the pres
ent incumbent of the general land
Office.
Every case that the land-fra board
decided was fraudulent transaction
was reported, as required by the act
creating the board, to the attorney.
general previous to the 3rd day of Jan.
uary, 1881, for on that day the board
surrendered what little power ii had
laid down its credentials and went out
OF existence. III the attorne y-general,
or the county and district attorneys EN-,
ployed by him, have failed to institute
suits on the cases reported, within the
TIME liked by law, namely before April
10, 1884, whose fault is it? Ger.
tatnly not Mr.. Patton's or any member
OF the land-fraud board. If we are in.
formed correctly, many of the cases
We're reported previous to November,
1883, and none later than January a
1884.
~ is gross Injustice to hold Mr.. Pat.
ton or any other member of the land
fraud board responsible for the failure
or neglect Of the state or county off.
cials to prosecute vigorously and with
ability the cases reported. "Suits by
the thousand and ten thousand acres
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