The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-16
Caught in a Big Steal.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-Every day
new proof is brought forward to show the
wisdom OF the change in the administra.
tiou of national affairs. Each day new
evidence is brought to light showing that
the changes in the personnel of the
departments can hardly be too sweeping
or radical if a through reform in the
administration of public affairs is to be
secured. The other day dispatch was
given in the World describing the radi-
cal steps being taken by General Sparks
toprotect the interests Of the Land Office
from the corporation interests which
have SO long controlled it. Their audac-
ity in holding on to the very last moment
is something extraordinary. Yesterday
General Sparks found evidence of an
attempt to steal over half million acres
of land right out from under contrary
order of Secretary Lamar a few days
before General Sparks gained possession
of The Land Office. For q number of
years the Southern Pacific has claimed
l5,OO0,O00 acres assigned to them by the
Texas Pacific Railroad. Congress, at
the last ses.iun, declared this grant for
feited, and directed that the land should
be restored to the public domain. Upon
March 18 Secretary Lamar issued an
order directing the Registers Of the va
rious Land Offices throughout the coun-
try to hold these lands subject to entry
and settlement. In the survey of the
Southern Pacific Road it laps at the
junction with the Texas Pacific Railroad
in such manner that for number OF
miles it runs across the lands of the
Texas Pacific grant. After Mr.. Lamar
had issued his orders the agents of the
road, anxious to save something out OF
the wreck of 100000 acres, applied
through their old friends in the Land
Office to have the lands ad joining their
road where it laps upon the Texas Pacific
line exempted from the order.
Such an exemption WAS made and was
issued March lS by the acting Land
Commissioner, Harrison. The tract
exempted embraces nearly 100000 acres
of land. This violation of MIR. Lamars
order was very quietly accomplished. 1t
was only yesterday that General Sparks
discovered it. He called upon Mr.. Har-
rison to explain his issuing an extraordi.
nary order. He said that he had signed
it merely in routine. way. This is q
favorite defense for every job unearthed
in the departments. The order was
traced back to the chief clerk and the
head of the railroad division in the
bureau. Neither one of them would
assume the responsibility of the order.
General Sparks intends to carefully
investigate the whole subject and find
out who is responsible for it. Here under
the beautiful workings of the civil service
law the expert agents of the plunderers
of the public lands have been left in the
department in such positions that acci-
dent only disclosed their attempt to take
out over half q million acres of land,
contrary to the order of the head of the
department, throwing these lands open
to public entries. There is no defense to
be made for such an attempt. 1t was as
deliberate theft as was ever planned,
for if the order could have stood undis:
turbed for number of years it would
have given the Southern Pacific Road a
good claim to title in the courts. What
is true of the Land office is probably true
of any one of the great bureaus of the
government where the corporations OF
the country have had large interests at
alta ke.-FroD te Ncap York World.