Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-06-10

COmInAss1OneF Dpakks CkataClsOd.
The views Of parties familiar with the
public land system have been solicited ~
10 the necessity for and the elect or the
General Land Once order OF April 8, To-
sued by Commissioner Sparks. which
suspended In q large portion Of the Uni
ted States the issue Of patents upon en-
tries under the laws. Among others Mr..
Britton, of the firm OF Britton q Gray, Of
Washington, D. c., when asked for his
opinion Of Commissioner Sparks expla.
nation Of bis sweeping order, said:
Seine designing PARTIES must have imposed
mon him. For thirty years previous to his
present appointment he he's had no known
connection, direct or Indirect, with the pub.
lie land system. He was sworn in ON March
70, assumed charge OF his Office on March ~,
and 10 sued the order in question on April 3,
and fow could he In six working days master
the theory OF this public land system, and get
the details OF its practical administration 70
well in hand IS to intcllIeenfly frame such .
sweeping 0rcerg How could he in that time
investigate the necessary facts pertaining TO
such q vast mass OF entries, master the laws
app cal le thereto. determine that such q
large percentage were fraudulent, formulate
uuu uRCGes Win MS suDO u II aIBS t0t u reNO-
iutionfry remedies as cl0sing all the local
land tffices and General Land once, and then
inteliigcnt,y adopt the order under considera-
ton? II would have been physically impossi-
BILE. In the issuaEce Of this order he must
have been lnisled by depending upon some
designing subordinst 8. who wished 10 make
awreck OF his administration by HANGING out
false lights"
What are tho special 0b..ec,ions TO this
nrisry'
pressive, unlawful, and impracticabk IN lis
operations. Now, 1t will be n safe estimate
TO say that the United States has patented
more than enc hundred million acres under
the pre- emption and homestead laws. vet UNI
til q very recent date in this immense area
settlement claims have been perfected into
title In total ignorance that 80 per cent. Of
them were fraudulent
what amount OF time and money would be
required to execute this order OF COmmis.
sioner spsrksy'
"In 1884 3, 5sl cases were Investigated and
the appropriation Of $4,000 was exhausted.
This would average $500 per case as the cost
OF inyes igation 10 the Government ale ne: as
Stunning the same rate OF cost on the 100000
pending entries suspended by that order and
the aggregate expense Of their investigation
would be $40, 900, 600. The General Land
Once 10 never less than eighteen months be-
hind = current date. IL In now working upon
entries made In September, 1854. So that
CWO yealB have elapsed after the entry has
reached the General Land Once before II can
be examined and aprevct for patent. From
the time, then, that q pre-emptor commences
his claim and reaches the very earliest period
where patent can be issued, two years and a
half must elapse. Considering this long
period, during which the claim Is subjected
10 the crucial test of the entire neighbor-
hood, surely the Government has had suffi-
Cient opportunity 10 determine that he is en-
titled to his patent. But right here this order
begins to operate. 1t refuses the issue of the
patent when the law says 1t shall issue, and
when the Commissioner has himself notified
the party that he has examined his proofs,
found them to be correct, and approved his
entry for patent, the real trouble has only
commenced for the unfortunate victim Of
national generosity. An army of Land Office
detectives are then forwarded to loo down
his chimney and peer through his windows in
search Of suspected fraud, and these detec-
tives are In turn to be subjected to a system
OF checks and counter-detection. The system
is un-American, oppressive, and wholly indie
fensIble."