Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-05
LAND FRAUDS.
some Interesting Statements Prom the
General Land Commissioners,
Recent Report.
nov Fraudulent Land Eptries are st.ae
ana Law Violated Precautions
Aseins, swadiers.

WASHINGTON, Dec 1.-THE land com.
uhssloner's report IA given To the publlr
W-uHy' fraudulent land entries Are dls.
GUESSED NJ length, The comnisslouer
spsi AZ The outset Of MY admiulstra.
tloh ! was confronted With oycrwhrlplus
evidences that the public domain was
pelhe inade the prey vi unsrrupnlons
speculation and the worst forms Of land
monopoly through systematic frauds car.
tiVu on aud contaminated under The nun.
iic land laws. My predecessor had for
thrce years called the attention az con.
kfeSs 70 The extent aud magnitude Of
fraudulent appropriations Of public lands
ana, az shown by his general aud spooial
feports, had found II necessary to ens.
pend The Issue Of patents In several
Fn~s nhd territories, either wholly
or IN certain classes OF on.
tileo ana special districts of
Vpuhtly ~ appears that AZ the approach.
J inR emu ol the last administration these
suHpehslonH We're removed by Official or.
aeI, ana thata Hood of suspected entries
lau n'tn passed TO patent aud were pass.
Ing to patent when ] assumed tho dnues
OF llis uilice Applications for suits Ia
I
where the patents had been iss,ied as lni1
az the "a Of March, 1888, had hlrradv
been presented Reports OF spccihl
agents, registers and receivers aud M.
spcetors Of suiycyorsqpnera and local
lnnd olisces, communications from linit.d
states attorneys aud other officials. and
letters from public men aud private CHI.
aens throughout the country, were laid
I before inc, all detailing one common story
/ ni widespread, persistent, pnblic land
/ robbery committed under gul-c of The
various forms OF public land entry.
I In many sections OF The country, uota.
I hly throughout regions dominated by eat.
I tlc'rHisng intcrests--thp vnkt area living
I west oil the plnety-nlnth mcridlan--eXam.
nations, wherever made, had developed
/ at all points that entries were chiefly nc.
1 titious aud fraudulent aud made In bulk
through concerted methods adopted by
organizations that had pnrcced out the
1 country among themselves aud were
I maintaining seized possessions OF unen.
tered land by boundaries aud Enclosures
defended by armed riders aud protected
against immigration aud settlement hy
systems OF espionage aud Intimidation.
In other cases, as In farming regions
approximate To The cattle belt, II was
shown that individual speculation, iol.
lowing the progress OF public surveys
was covering townships OF agricultural
land with entries made for the purpose
of selling the claim to others, or by On.
tries procured Tor the acquisition of land
N large bodies.
Again, In timbefcd regions, the forests
were being appropriated by domestic and
foreign corporations through subornod
entries made IN fraud aud evasion OF law.
Newly discovered coal.nelds were being
seized and possessed Ia Ike manner
The question OF my own duty, MS The
administrative officer immediatoIy charged
under the law with seeing that the public
lands were disposed of only according 10
law, was at once forced upon me. Should
continue 10 certify and request tho issue
Of patents by the president indlscrlml-
nutoly upon entries which there was
uyery reasonable ground to believe were
fraudulent ingroatcr part or should with.
hold Huri tinui action until examinations
could be made and tho false claims sep.
nrnted lr0m those that were ynlld2
Should ! disregard cumulative evidences
Of The universally Of fraudulent appr0-
prlation OF public lands and become nn
onlclal fundamentally Of their cOnsum.
nation, or should say 81 NOM 90
know what ain doing before ask the
president OF the United States 20 biun
any more land pntcntsY'
N Is true that could not, aud ought
not, reject and cancel entries on general
suspicion, but the noiorlcty OF
fraud az the rule OF public land
. claims, and the lndGN Of general
facts officially established by nu.
OF every class aud In every locality, at
least put me upon earnest inquiry.
As n measure, as II appears 10 mo, OF
Indispensable prccautiou, ! notified the
several divisions VI this ofllcu that final
action should be suspended upon entries
made in states aud territories In which
the greater degree OF fpud had bcon de-
Veloped, md wherc the larger dlsposable
area Of public lands remained.
The result oi this action has been
snuiaty, aud has, when fully under.
Stood, mel with hearty approval from
bona Hide settlers. have received many
letters expressing gratitude that steps
ere being taken to arrest The disposal Of
lands for speculation aud monopoly 10
the disadvantage of those who desire 10
secure permanent homes, Settlers
who 80 out on the frontier Az endure
the hnrdships Of pioneer lie do 80
with the expectation that they VIII be
Joined by others: that communities VIII
spring up, churches and schools be
established, the value Of their posses.
sions enhanced, and the conyoncnces aud
advantages OF civilized life attalnodi bat
speculative appropriations Of public
lands destroy these hopes, and leave nc
tnul settlers isolated for years, or they
are compelled 10 remove 10 other local.
} ties From this, the bona ode, honCei
clnss, assurances Of satisfaction have
been voluntarily rendered for Tho action
taken.
This notification, or order, wHs not oX'
poctod 20 be acceptable 10 those whose
purpose II "a falsely aud ffandrlcni5 70
acquire title 10 public lands, nor 10 those
whose profitable vocation WAS ~ promote
the specify obiaiBmcnt of paionts iol
conpensation or fee. u waa public
/ measure 10 the public Interest, aud wa'
Intended 10 cheek, aud not 20 facilitate
con-piareA apHlnpt Tho government.
have oAused lists of suspended enlriei
20 DO placed M the hands 81 special agents
for cAanilnation and report, and am c1p
glncrd thar 10 ~ not safe % Issue patent,
, ou pre.empilUn, committed homeHtet
and nlhft entries iu which fraud MOE
largely prevails without such cNal0iDa
I ton
q append ths following extracts from
general reports 81 officers o. this depart
lnent. wbieh giyn a condensed view ui ~
situation ~ puhllc-lani entrica ~hen NJ,