San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-09-24
Glaring Land Frauds Throughout the
Wesf

West.
The democratic administration has
been looking over the books and
the result is foreshadowed in the fol-
lowing telegram which we take from
the Galveston News;
WAsHiScros, Sept. THE greatest
frauds under the government are yet
to be exposed, and will create q pro-
found sensation when brought TO
light. These irregularities are in the
public land districts throughout the
West and have been perpetrated by
thousands Of people in small way,
the aggregate reaching away up to
tens OF thousands of acres ofthe pub
lie domain, obtained fraudulently
from the government In some in
stances the government officers at the
land Office will be implicated in the
frauds, and several removals have
been made, to be followed by inves-
legations.
Certain registers of land Offices
have been found who have winked at
the fraudulent entries, each wink in
such cases being valued at no small
sum in hard cash. All these entries
which have been fraudulently made
will be held for cancellation, ard the
crooked entrymen will be arrested
whenever found.
1t is strange that many hitherto re-
putable business men throughout the
far West will conspire deliberately to
defraud the United States out Of l60
acre farms, while crooked people Of
all descriptions are constantly hover
ing over the public lands like yultures
Land officers are supposed to keep
up a constant struggle to prevent
fraud, but Notwithstanding this alleg-
ed surveillance, the government has
lost upward of half-a-million acres,
literally stolen from the public do
main by the land sharks.
Commissioners Sparks and Chief
Clerk Walker, of the general land Of
flee, commenced few weeks ago a
new system Of checking off" the
business of each local land Office. In
stead Of sending the inspectors hither
and thither to look after isolated cases
of fraud brought to the attention OF
the Office, and having the time OF the
inspectors frittered away in expensive
travel, these officials adopted plan
which is now being carried out. The
results are astounding. The inspec-
tors take one township ut time, ex-
anime every entry without exceptions,
and ascertain if each individual entry
man has complied strictly with the
provisions of the laws relating to
homestead, pre-emption, timber cul-
ture, mineral claim, etc. This new
system is virtual "clean sweep,
and the result is that many hundreds
OF false Claims are swept away and
the land restored to the public do
main. The opportunities for perpe-
trating these land frauds are open to
everybody, and the temptation catch
es scores Of people, good, bad and in
different, who want land. In New
Mexico the revelations are frightful,
the entire land operations in that Ter
ritory having been apparently stepped
in fraud for years past. When it is
stated that 80 per cent. Of oil entries
in New Mexico will be held for can
collation., it may be surmised to what
extent frauds have been perpetrated.
Reports from California are very bad,
while the Devils Lake Dakota) dis
trict is reeking with fraud and PERU
ry. In Kansas and Nebraska fully
TO per cent. Of all land entries are
crooked and will be cancelled. All
sorts of people are implicated, the
frauds even reaching up the marble
steps of the capitol to taint the skirts
of the representatives who frame the
laws, which are easily broken. Col
orado Is about asb bad, and altogether,
throughout the entire West, not 30
per cent. of all the unprotected land
entries are free from fraud. This is
a terrible commentary upon the wick
ed avarice of our day. The explosion
will occur within a few weeks, and
will arouse the whole country.