New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-27
1tvD STEALING IN THE VEST.


Our Washington dispatches on Monday showed
that the Government is at last taking some
action concerning the notorious and long con-
tinted land stealing Ivy cattle men and foreign
cattle companies in Colorado, Nebraska, Ny"-
ming and Ncw-McXico. \ special agent has peeh
ot work i'm Colorado and reports enormous
illegal seizures of land by the Prairie Caltle
Company. "A corporation of foreigners rms
single company appears to have illegally ichc'o
in 81 square miles OF land. list Is given OF
the fraudulent entries in seventeen states anu
Territories and il il estimated that between
:. OOu. 900 aud 5000, 600 acres have been thus
stolen from the public domain in the aggregate,
while several millionsof acres besides have been
fraudulcntlv entered. A NewMeXico land
agent declares that 90 per cent of the entries
in that Territory are fraudulent, while Dakota
ogrnt estimates the fraudulent entries there mt
~ pcr cent. II would appear from this that the
laws framed for the protection of the Govern
mcnt from fraud in land matters are practically
dead letters. aud that all the labors of those
members of Congress who for years deNotou
Themselves Ia tina class Of legislation have gone
for nothing. II this In not the case it must De
that the laws have not been property admin
alctrd or that the agents of tho Govoihm'ht
have been mfathlu To their trust
II IN tolcphy clear In amy event, that tho
worl, of land stealing has been prrrsoly ~ cnHy
ns If thccOuntp had been without aGoNrinmcnt
on laws of any kind and It Is evident that 80 Tar
M the protection of actual settlers IN concerned
there really has boon neither local nor genera
administration in the scenes OF these bold ANA
systematic rpbbrucs and on RACES. Certainly
there is no other country under the sun where
bands of foreigners could enter audaclOusly
seize and fence in hundreds OF square miles Of
the public Lands, Dust the citizens of the coun-
try from their holdings by force and arms, re-
fuse to pay take, or to purchase the land, and
il all respects act as though they were in
conquered country, and this with complete inn
punity. What makes the scandal ten times
worse is that the story is an old one; that this
land stealing has nOtoriOusly been going on for
wears; that the faces have long been known to
everybody; and that thus far nothing has
been done but TO make reports. The United
States Army was employed the other day to eXpel
Payne and his followers from Oklahoma, but
we never hear of any serious efforts TO dlspoSSc'S
the arrogant foreign corporations that have ylo-
lcntly thrust hundreds of American citizens
out Of their little holdings, and who, backed by
their bands of ruililn cowboys. tcrroriZc the
regions they have squattcd upon, and paraIyzo
or purchase the local administration. The pre-
sumption is that at last some steps are To be
taken to abatc this National scandal, for 1t Is
nothing less; but assurcdly the people will not
be satisfied unless the laWless career OF the
land-grabbcrs Is promptly terminated, ana nm
l.. pf ma
rcSortcd To for the restoration OF the stolen
land, to the public domain, and for the punish
ment OF the foreign adventures who have been
foremost i'm these mgh-handed acts of usurpa-
ton and aggression.