New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-07
influence and the protection Of the universal laws


lands and Of tie public surveys The preservation of
national forests. the adjudication of grants TO
States and corporations and of private land claims.
and the increased efficiency of the public land ser
vice. are commended to the attention of Congress-.
To secure the widest distribution of public lands
limited quantities among settlers for residence ani
cultivation and thus make the greatest number OF
public land legislation IN the early days of the
Republic. This system was simple one IL coul-
menced with AN adnrabe scheme, of public sur
veys. by which the huublest citizen could identify
the tract upon which Ito wished TO establish his
home. The Price OF lands was placed within the
pIoieer ctizens of the country. 1t was soon. how
ever, found that the object of the laws was pr
vertrd under the system of cash sales. from dis
tribution of land among the people to an accurDu-
lat ion of land capital by wealthy ami speculative
persons. To rhecx this tendency preference right
pIar which cuImn ated in the general pr, -en pfion
act of 1s11 The foundation of this system
actual residence and cultivation: Twenty years
later the homestead law was devised g" more
surely place actual hom-s in the possession of
actual cultivators of the soil. The land was given
without price, the sole conditions being residence.
i'm rOvemunt and cultivation. Other laws have
followed, each designed to encourage the acquire
ment and use of land III limited ind vidual
quantities. But in Later years these laws. through
vicious administrative methods and under changed
conditions of communication and Transportation.
have been evadei and violated that their brne-
fcent purpose threatened with entire defeat.
The methods of such evasions and violations are
detail the reports OF the rccrCtary OF
the Interior and the Commissioner of the General
Land Office. The rapid appropriation Of our public
lands wtho bora hde settlements or cultivation,
and not ONLY without intention of rcedeuce, hu for
the urpOse of their aggregation IN large holdings,
in many Gases in the hands OF foreigners, invites
the serious aud immediate attention of the Con-
gress.
The energies of the land department have been
devoted during the present Administration {"
remedy defects and corre:6 abuses in the public
land service. The results of these efforts are SD
largely in the nature of reforms in the processes
and methods of our land system as to prevent
adequate estimate but II appears by compilation
from the reports of the Commissioning OF the Cen
eral Land Office that the immediate effect in lead
ing W cb have come TO a final termination
has been the resforat.o on tn the mass of public
lands of 2,15O0OO acres; that 100000 acres are
embraced in CATIONS pending before the
Department the courts, and that the aciiOn of
Congress has been asked 10 effect the restoration
of 2, 100000 acres additional; besides which
100000 have been withheld from reser- |
walton, and the rights of entry thereon maintained
| recommend the repeal of the Dre-emDton and |
timb-r-culture acts, and that :he homestead laws
he amended as to better secure comp lance with |
their requirements of residence, improvement and |
cultivation for the perod of five years from date of
entry, without communication or provision for specu-
latve REIMBURSEMENT also recommend tue repeal |
of the desert-lan laws unless it shall be the /
pleasure Of the Congress to amend these laws :
10 render them less lab 10 abuses. As the chief |
motive for evasion of the laws. and the principal
of their result in land accumulation instead
of land distribution. the facility " it'll which |
transfers made of the right Dtenhed TO be |
secured to settlers it may be deemed adv sable TO
upon the al enation of homestead rights and lands !
covered thereby until patents issue.
Last year an Executive proclamation was issued. |
directing the remos al of fences which Enclosed the
public domain. Many Of these have been removed |
in obedieuce TO such order; but much OF the public
land still remains within tue lines OF those unlaw-
full fences. The ingencus methods res3r;ed 10 10 |
order to continue these trespasses and nardlhoOd |
OF tue pretences by which in ,some cases such in
closures justified are fully detailed in tie |
report of the Secretary OF the Interior.
The removal of the fences still remaining which |
authority aud means with which the Executive |
branch of the Government shall lie invested
by the Congress for that purpose.
PENSIONS.
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions
contains a detailed and most satisfactory exhibit
of the operations of the Peuson Bureau during the
last fiscal year. The amount of work done was the
largest any year since the organization of the
bureau and it has been done at less cost than
On the 5oth day Of June. 1850, there were
81 s, 7s3 pensioners on the TO is Of the bureau.
Since 1901 there have been 735 appli-
cations for pensions filed. of which rs 34 we're
based upon service IN the war of 1872. There we're
621. 754 of these applications allowed, inc uding
60, IFS to the soldiers of 1872 aud lhelr widows
The total amount paid for pensions since 1851 is
$50, 624,Sl 81.
The number of new pensions allowed during the
year ended June 80 lss6. is l0.s57-a larger
number than has been allowed in any year save one
since 1891 the names of = 29 pensioners which
had been previously dropped from the rolls were
restored |
dropped within the same time for varIous oausrs
a net increase remains for the year OF 2O.6o
names
| .967 private pension acts had been. passed Since
the aforementioned date and during the last
session of the congress- 64i such acts became laws
1t seems to me that no one can examine our pen
sion establishment and its operations. without
being convinced that through its instrumentalIty
Justice can be very nearly done to all VITO are
entitled under present laws to the pension bounty
of the Government.
hat oil
to r, lief, in which the Pen sion Bureau IS pOweress
to aid. The really worthy Cases of this class are
as he aw as
the Bureau require. which. though their merit is
apparent for some other reason cannot be Justly
dealt with through general laws These conditions
faliv Justify application to the Congress and special
enactmentS. Bur resort to TIE Congress for
special pension act TO Over-ruIe the deliberate and
careful determination of the Pension Bureau on the
merits or Ia secure favorable action when 1t could
not be expected unuer the most liberal execution of
general laws. il must be admitted, opens the door
to the allowance If questionable claims and pre-
sents to the legislative and Executive branches of
the TO eminent applications concetedy not
within the law and plainly devoid of merit. but 80
surrounded by sentiment and patriotic feeling that
they are hard to resist suppose it will not lie
denvd that many claims for pension are made
without merit, and that many have been allo ell
upon fraudulent representations This has been
declared from the Pension Bureau not only IN THIS
bnt in prior Administrations
The usefulness and the Justice of any system for
the distribution 1t pensions depend upon the
equality and uniformity of Its operation.
IL will be seen from tho report of the COmmis-
soner that there are paid by the Government
l3l different rates of pension.
He estimates from the beat information he can
obtain that 5000 Of those who have served in the
Army and NAVY of the United States sup
ported in Whole or in part, from public funds or by
organized charities, exclusive OF those IN soldiers
homes under tho direction and control of the Gov
erument. Only 10 per cent of these pensioners,
bile of the entire number Of men furnished for the
late war something like 20 per cent, lnclndng
their widows and relatives have been or now are
in receipt Of pensions.
The American people. with a patriotic and crate
fnl regard for our ex-sodiers-tOo broad 100
sacred TO be monopolize'i by any special advocates
exact Justice should lie doue all honest claimants
for pen sons. In their sight the friendless aud
destitute soldier dependent on public charity, II
OF he entitled has precselY the right 70