San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-19
AN UNRloHTEoUs VETO.

There has been no act of this present
administration more unjustihable than
the yetoing Of the Des Moines River
bill, which was done some time since by
his excellency the president Of the dem
ocratic party ofthe United States. This
bill was an act quieting title to certain
Des MOines river lands, so as to secure
TO bona fide settlers on these lands
clear title to their farms. The point at
issue was the original ownership of the
lands: the Des MOines river company
having received a grant many years
since for river improvements which
were never made. These lands, years
ago, were entered upon and settled by
homesteaders. The claims Of the old
river improvement company were
bought up by New York land specu-
lators and litigation begun to GUST the
settlers. These cases have been in the
courts for more than twenty years, The
utmost hardship has been incurred by
the settlers in striving to maintain po-
session of their farms. which in several
instances have been under cultivation
by their present owners for nearly forty
years. Congress passed bill for the
relief Of these actual settlers. Cleveland
vetoed it, 1t is said by the influence Of
New York capitalists. The senate
passed the bill over the veto. but the
house sustains the veto. No greater
wrong has been done by any executive
act In decade than was done by Mr..
Cleveland in thus eyioting hundreds OF
honest families from the farms they had
cleared and settled score OF years
since, and upon which they had expend-
ed lifetime Of hard toll.
1t is not creditable to the head Of this
government that he should invoke the
supreme power laid In his hands for the
protection Of the rights Of the people to
infringe upon those rights and dispossess
men Of their inheritance. The case is
not aew one. 1t has been before the
country for many years. All the powers
OF the courts we're invoked to dispossess
these people of their property, and
though the verdict was again and again
in their favor the expensive litigation
had impoverished scores Of them and
driven others to desperation. Riots, in
cident to attempted eviotions, have
broken out again and again, and an
armed resistance to this ruthless rob-
berry has been waged for years. In lend
ing the power Of the government, the
personal power vested In him as execu-
tive, contrary to the expressed will of
congress, to this injustice Mr. Cleveland
has shown himself the enemy of the
people and the friend Of expressions.
There was not the slightest excuse for
his thus travelling outside Of the usual
routine of legislative action and over
riding the calm, deliberate judgment OF
congress as to the rights Of these set
tiers. The veto In this case was infin-
itely more obnoxious than his pension
vetoes. Those only affected one indi
vidual or family; this destroyed the
property Of years, robbed hon
est men OF the hard earnings OF
. lifetime, turned their families out
OF doors homeless and shelter!ess in
their old age, and made them the prey
Of land sharks who had no claim upon
their lands, unless perhaps q payment
in gross in some instances Of fifty cents
per acre. The settlers had paid the
taxes, maintained the land and expenses
of government, had settled on the land
in good faith and made 1t productive,
and by every ruling Of equity and by
many rulings OF courts we're fully enti-
tied to retain the possession, which in
many instances had been unquestioned
for series OF years. sympathy with
Irish restraint and eviction comes