Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1886-05-22
STEALING OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.

STEALING OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The republican party seems to hate
nothing more than an honest effort at
reform where it has proven lax.
No man has been more roundly
abused by Its newspapers than has
Commissioner Sparks, who has been
trying ever since he has been in Office
to save the public lands from the pirates
who have for so long been preying
upon them.
The story of their frauds has been
told of late in startling facts set forth
by Herald correspondent detailed for
the purpose. The people can hardly
realize how they have been victimized.
According to this correspondent 20,-
900, 900 acres of the public lands were
absorbed last year. ''some honestly,
but more dishonesty" OF nearly five
millions entered under the timber cul-
ture act three fourths of the entries
were "either illegal. Or positively fraud
ulent." Over two million acres were
entered under the pre-emption act, a
considerable proportion of which was
"downright and shameless robbery OF
the people,"
The Harrisburg Patriot says:-"Ef
forts have been made under the present
administration to put a stop to this
thieving business, but it seems to be so
lngrained in the. management of the
public lands that the greatest difficulty
is encountered in every attempt to
check it. The efforts of Commissioner
Sparks in that direction have met with
the fiercest denunciation and opposi-
ton on the part of those who are i'll
terested i'm having it 60 on. The land
robbery cannot be effectually suppress
ed until congress enacts laws that " ill
consign the robbers 10 prison the same
as any other class of thieves"
The Herald correspondent tells of the
rascalities practiced under the pre-
emption and timber acts. These have
both been abused in the most outrage
Gus way by speculators. An example
} of the diversion OF the pre-emption act
was the action of Boston corpora
ton, which, by setting a movable shan
ty Oh the adjoining corners of four Sec
! tiOns would pre- empt them all, then
run the shanty on rollers to another
I corner and repeat the operation, until
it has thus become possessed of nearly
; the whole of one of the most fertile val
leys of Nebraska.
; Railroads have secured grants with
out earning them; cattle corporations
r have hired their employees to make bogus
e pre- emptions and transfer them to the
! : company ranch owners have fenced IL
, water supplies and driven away by
z violence and threats honest settlers. L
E is time that all these people should bt
o given to understand that their thiever-
les are at an end,
:. The president revoked COMMISSIONS
e Sparks order recently issued TO stol
all this swlndling, because he did no
S think it within the law. 1t now rest
h with congress to find the remedy. TIN
=, war upon Sparks will be loud and bit
1t ter. The monopolistic republican
n sheets have given tongue, and tn
II Blanches, Trays and Sweethearts hav
'' opened out i'll unison upon the track o
lie this true and fearless officer.
i AS the San Francisco Bulletin SAYS
u "And now we hear that Sparks is
!, crank that he 'haint got commo
lie sense; that he is trying to break u
I. the land business<,,- 1t is further in IN
RS wind that Sparks is so much in tn
way of the syndicates that he must b
ID turned out of Office. lie has given OF
IS Tense to many powerful interests. W
., have the much worn declaration tha
t the public lands should be held as
t public trust for honest settlers. Bu
be when the land commissioner calls
v. halt and points out instances OF rObber
~ on stupendous scale there is Il generi
es buzz of indignation from all the Ian
tie tie rObbing syndicates and spectators
ed Sparks is troublesome man no dOub
of There never was man i'll Office VIII
t te exposed rascality who was not
It's troublesome man"
10 Yes, Sparks is troublesome fellow
Il he objects. Holman is a troublesom
as fellow he objects. COckrell is trouh
Of lesome fellow; he also objects. VIII;
ns ns we need in congress is more men WI
or object; not men who depend upon til
of platitudes of party platforms to keC
ry them and their party in power, b,
on men who being themselves personal
@es @ honest, are loyal enough, wise enoug
he and brave enough to break up plunde
n. ing everywhere; under their own nos,
IL in the capitol, i'll the departments,
as the army and navy, in the dispos,iC
OF of the public lands and everywhel
re else.
H. Some people seem to think it is yer
ed important that congress shall adjour
rl Its members and employees are all pa
s. es. by the year; let them work, even if Il
In weather does get warm, until they
least right this tremendous wrol
the which is being perpetrated against ii
"a 10 country.
ON
ne. ne: GENERAL MCINTYRE IN THE FIEL
be
Ill JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, May 10.
,p- General d. III. Mcintyre, of this cit
to-day announced that he would enl
ntf ,", the race for congress in This dislri
n. against the Hon. X. Z. Bland. II
Fed friends here are enthusiastic and sa