Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-09-04
A GAME OF BLUFF.

The Cattle Men, Under Lead Of Ben
Butler, Threaten to Sue the Pres-
ident and EnJoln the Enforcement
OF His Proclamation. IA ae
New York, Aug. 31.-A Long
Branch special to the Herald says:
"The Herald published recently tele-
gram announcing that Gen. B. r, But
ler had paida visit to Block Island,
about which there was more or less
mystery. Among the guests In
Hildreth's West End Hotel
this evening is Col. George B. Cork
hill. formerly district attorney Of the
District of Columbia. Col. Corkhill is
son-in law of Judge Miller, probably
the highest authority on constitutional
law now on the bench of the United
States supreme court, and as Gen.
Buffers call was on Judge Miller, who
passed the summer at Block Island,
and as Col. Corkhill was present at the
Block Island interview, your cores
pondent asked him to explain the
object Of the call on Justice Mil
Ter. Col. Corkhili said there was no
political significance in his coming
but a great deal Of business, which
will in the near future make matters
lively in the White House and else
where. Il don't think there Is any
secrecy concerning it, nor any attempt
to conceal the real object. The real
cause Of the visit was the order Of
President Cleveland directing the own
ers Of cattle in the Indian lands In the
West to yacate their grazing grounds.
Gen. Butler is himself the owner Of a
large rancho, and his clients and person
al freinds represent many millions of
dollars Of capital thus in
vested. The order is there
fore Of very great consequence
and Importance to them, and he was
preparing to sue the president Of the
United States, and the object Of his
visit was to ask preliminary order
restraining the execution Of the proc
lamation Of the president until the
question involved could be decided by
the courts. General Buffers object
was to present the matter to Judge
Miller, Judge Blanchard being absent
from his circuit and not easy Of access.
Gen. Butler, as I have said, represents
many millions Of dollars invested by
his clients and presented very cogent
reasons for some order that would
protect them. The desired order was
not issued, and l did not hear any of
the conversation with Justice Miller
about it, and do not know what his
views upon the question are"
Col. Corkhill then said that there
had undoubtedly been great frauds
committed. Many honest men bad in
vested money In the business, suppos-
ing everything TO be right, honest and
legal Now the order of President
Cleveland is peremptory, sum
mary and dlctatorial. He says
they must go and go at once. Now
about this order there will surely
be a fight. The cattle will not be
moved. You couldn't move a colored
picnic, let alone 100000 head Of cattle
by any proclamation, let it be made by
the president or any one else" Yes;
the fight will be made. 1t involves
important questions-the rights Of
property, the power Of the Indins to
make contracts and the power Of the
government to interfere. OF one
thing rest assured, the cattle will stay.
The fight will 60 on. We have no
autocrat In this country. If a landlord
wants to put you out Of
his house he goes TO the
courts, not to the president. If a
contract has been violated We 20 to the
courts not to the executive. AS to
what Justice Miller decided, do not
know. He did not grant the injunc-
tion. No overt act had been committed.
The president had simply issued an
order. If nobody obeyed, that was
the end Of 1t, unless he attempted to
enforce it, and then another question
would arise"