The Russellville Democrat., 1886-12-15


 preference right Of purchase was given to.set- tiers on the land-a plan which cnlmip atea. .Jn the general prc-einption aef sf The foundation of this systess: equal residence and cultiva, tion s.s.enty-fve years later the homestead was devised to more surely place actual homes in the possession ofactual cultvators of the soil The land was given without price-the sole con- ditions being residence, improvement and culti- vation. Other laws have followed, each designed to encourage the requirement and use Of land in limited individual quantities, but in later years these laws, through vicious administrative meth ods and under changed condition of fcommunica- ton and transportation, have been so eyaded and violated that their benilcent purpose is threat ened with entire defeat. The methods or such evasions and violations are set forth in detail in the reports of the secretary of the interior and commissioner of the general land office. The rapid appropriation of our lands without bona fde settlers or cultivation, and not only without intention of residence but for the purpose Of their aggregation and large holdings Gn many cases in the hands of foreigners) invite the serious and immediate attention of the congress.
 The energies of the land department have been devoted during the present administration to remedy defects and correct abuses on the public land service The results of these efforts are so largely in the nature of reforms in processes and methods of our land system as to prevent ade- qnate estimates, but 1t appears py compilaton g eral land office that the immediate effect in lead ing cases which have come to finai termination, has been the restoration to the mass of public lands of 750 600 acres; that ,370, ,10 acres are embraced in investigations now pending before the department or the courts, and that action Of congress has been ask ed to effect the restoration of ,790, ,000 acres additional, besides which 400, 900 acres have been withheld from reservation and the rights of entry thereon maintained.
 I recommend the repeal of the pre- -empton and timber culture acts, and that the home stead laws be so amended as to better secure compliance with their requirements of resi- dencc, improvement and cultivation for the pe- riod of five years from date of entry, without communication or provision for speculative relin- punishment. also recommend the repeal of the desert land laws, unless 1t shall be the pleasure of the congress to so amend these laws as to render them less liable to abuses. As the chief motive for an evasion of the laws and the princi pal cause of their result in land accumulation, instead of land distribution, is the facility for which transfers are made of the right intended to be secured to settlers, it may be deemed ad- visable to provide by legislation some guards and checks on the alienation of homestead rights and lands covered thereby until patents issue.
 Last year an executive proclamation was is- sued directing the removal of fences which in- closed the public domain. Many of these have been removed in obedience to such order, but much of the public land still remains within the lines of these unlawful fences. The ingenious methods resorted to in order to continue these trespasses, and the hardihood of the pretenses by which, in some cases, such inclosures are justified are fully detailed in the report of the secretary of the interior. The removal of fences still remalnIng which enclose public lands will be enforced with all the authority and means with which the executive branch of the govern
 
 that purpose.
 The report of the commissioner of pensions contains a detailed and satisfactory exhibit of the operations of the pension bureau during the last fiscal year The amount of work done was the largest in any year since the organization Of the bureau, and it has been done at less cost than during the previous year in every division. June 30, 1886, there were 365, IS3 pensioners on the rolls of the bureau; since ls6l there have been ,0lS, 735 applications for pensions filed, of which 7S, S3i were based on service in the war of 1872. There were 62i, 734 ofthese applications allowed, including 50, IFS to the soldiers of 1872 and their widows. The total amount paid for pensions since 1861 is S50s 624 ,sll 57, The num- Der of new pensions allowed during the year ended June 90, 1886, is 40, s75-a larger number than has been allowed in any year save one since ls6l The names of 2229 pensioners, which had been previously dropped from the rolls were restored during the year, and alter deducting those dropped within the same time for various causes, a net increase remains for tine year of 20, 65S names. From January l, 1861, to December l, 1885, l967 private pension acts had been passed. Since the last mentioned date and during the last session of congress 644 such acts became laws.
 It seems to me that no one can examine our pension establishment and its operations without being convinced that through it's instrumental ity justice can be nearly done to all under the present laws, but it is nndeniable that cases exists well entitled to relief which the pension bureau is powerless to relieve. The really worthy cases of this class are such as only lack by misfortune the kind or quantity of proof which the laws and regulations of the bureau require or which, though their merit is apparent, for some other reason cannot be justly dealt with through the general laws These conditions fully justify application to the congress and special enactments. but re- sort to the congress for special pension act to overrule the deliberate and careful detcrmina- ton of the pension bureau on the merits, or to secure favorable action, when it could not be expected under the most liberal execution of general laws it must be admitted opens the door to the allowance of questionable claims, and presents the legislative and executive branches of the government applications con cededly not within the law and which are plany devoid ofmerit, but so surrounded by sentiment and patriotic feeling that they are hard to re- sist suppose 1t will not be denied that many claims for pensions are made without merit and that many have been allowed on fraudulent representations. This has been declared through the pension bureau, not only in this but in prior administrations. The usefulness and the justice of any system for the distribution of pensions depends on the equality and uniformity of its operations
 It will be seen from the report of the commis- sioner that there are paid by the government lSl different rates of pensions He estimates, from the best Information he can obtain, that 5000 of those who have served in the army and navy of the United States are now supported in whole or in part from public funds or by organ zed charities, exclusive of those in soldiers' homes under the direction and control of the government. Only IS per cent of these are pen sioners, while of the entire number of men fur nished for the late war, something like 20 per cent, including their widows and relatives, have been or now are in receipt of pensions.
 The American people, with patriotic and grateful regard for our ex-soldiers too broad and too sacred to be monopolized by any special ad- vocatcs, were not only willing but anxious that equal and exact justice should be done to all honest claimants for pensions, In heir sight the frendess and destitute soldier dependent upon public charity, if otherwise entitled, had precisely the same right to share in the provision made for those who fought their couutry's bat ties as those better able, through friends and influence to push their claims. Every pension that is granted under our present plan on any other grounds than actual service and injury or disease incurred in such service, and every in- stance of the many in which pensions are in creased on other grounds than the merits of the claim, works an injury 10 the brave and crippled but poor and friendless soldier, who is entirely neglected or who must be content with the smallest sum allowed under the general laws.
 AGHcu1TuHE.
 The department of agriculture, representing the oldest and largest of our national industries, is subserying well the purposes of it's origin by the introduction of new subjects of farming en- terprise By opening new sources Of agricul- tural wealth and dissemination Of early informa- ton concerning production and prices 1t has contributed largely to the country's prosperity Through this agency advanced thought and ln- yestigation touching the subject it has in charge ed to the home production at low cost ofarticles of food which are now imported from abroad. Such an innovation will necessarily, of course, in the beginning be within the domain Of intelli- gent experiments, and the subject in every stage should receive all possible encouragement from the government The interest of Inllions of our citizens engaged In agriculture are involved in m enlargement and improvement of the results of their labor and zeaous regard for their well fare should be willing tribute to those whose productive returns are main source of our progress and power.
 rIKuRo-rSEUMosIA.
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