Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-12-10

ratlonS and of private land. and the in
I crei-~sd efficiency of the public land ser
vice are commended to the attention of
congress to secure the widest distribution
of public lands in limited quantities
among settlers for residence and cultiva-
tion. and thus make the greatest number
/ of individual homes, was the primary OBJ
( ject of the public land legislation in the
early days of the republic. This system
was simple ore; it commences with an
admirable scheme of public surveys.
but which the humblest citizen
could identify the tract upon
which he wished TO establish as his home.
The price of lands was placed within the
reach OF all the enterpriSing, Industrious
and honest pioneer citizens of the coun
try. 1t was soon, however. found that
/ the object of the laws was perverted un-
| der the system of cash sales from & dis
trlbution of land among the people to an
accumulation of land capital by wealthy
and speculative persons. To check this
tendency preference right of purchase
was given to settlers on the land.
plan which eliminated in the
| general presumption act of 1871.
/ The foundation of this system
/ was actual residence and cultivation.
! Twenty years later the homestead laws
/ were devised to more surely place actual
| homes III the possession of actual cul-
! tlv3t0rs of the soil. The land was given
! without price; the sole conditions being
/ residence, improvement and cultivation.
! Other laws have followed. each designed
/ TO encourage the acquiremeGt and use of
land in limited individual quantities. but
/ IN later years these laws, through vicious
Legislative methods, and under changed
! conditions n nCI
! portation, have been so evaded and VIC
lated that their benifcent purpose is
threatened with entire defeat. The meth
| DDS of such evasionS and violation
| are set forth i'll detail in the reports of
| the secretary of the interior and commits
| Sloner Of the general land Office. The
rapid appropriation of our public lands
| without bona tide settlements or cultiva-
| ton, and not only without intention of
residence, but for the purpose of their
| aggregation IN large holdings, in many
| cases, in the hands of foreigners, invites
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 in the public
| land service. The results of
| those efforts are so largely
| in the nature of reforms in the recess
! and methods of our land system as to
prevent adequate estimates, but it ap-
| pears by compilation from the report of
! the commissioner of the general land office
that the immediate effect in the leading
cases which have come to a final ter
mination, has been the restoration to
the mass of public lands 2,750,O0O acres
of that 100000 acres are embraced in
|
department or the courts and that
action of congress has been asked to
effect the restoration of two million sew
en- hundred and ninety thousand acres
additional besides which four million
acres have been withheld from reserva-
tlan and the rights of entry thereon
maintained. | recommend the repeal of
the preemptlon and timber culture acts
and that the homestead laws be so
amended as to better secure compliance
with and cultivation for the period of five
years from date of entry without com
muuication or provision for speculation
REIMBURSEMENT. l also recommend the
repeal of the desert land laws unless it shall
be the pleasure of congress to so amend
the laws as to render them less liable to
| abuse. AS the chief motive for the evasion
of laws and the principle cause of their
result in land accumulation instead of
| land dlsWbutlOn, IL the facility with
which transfers are made of the right to
be secured to settlers, it may be deemed
advisable to provide by legislation some
guards and checks on the alienation of
vested rights and lands covered thereby
until patents can be issued. Last year, an
executive proclamation was issued direct
ing 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 ingep-
lous methods resorted to in order to con
tinue these trespasses and the hardihood
of the pretenses by which in some cases,
such Enclosures are justified, are fully de-
tailed in the report of the secretary of
the interior. The removal of the fences
still remaining which inclOse public lands,
will be enforced with all the authority
and means by which the executive branch
of the government is or shall be invested
by the congress for that purpose.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF PEN
sIoNs
contains detailed and most satisfactory
exhibit of the operations of the 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. On
the 18th day of June, 1886, there were
! $50, ,784 pensioners on the rolls of the bu-
reau. Since 1861 there have been LOIS, ,74O
applications for pensions filed, of which
! 1884 were based upon service in the
war of 1872. There were Cpl ,754 of these
| applications allowed, including 60,178 to
the soldiers of 1912 and their widows.
| The total amount paid for pensions since
| 1861 is S80S, 24,Sl1.57. The number of
new pensions allowed during the year
| ended June 80, 1886, is 4O,S57, larger
number than has been allowed in any year
save one, since 1861. The names of 2,229
| pensioners which had been previously
| dropped from the rolls, were restored
! during the year, and after deducting
| those dropped within the same time for
various causes, a net increase was render
! ed for the year of 20,608 names. From
! Jan. l, 1881, to Dec, 1885, 1867 private
pension acts had been passed since the
| last mentioned date, and during
| the last session of the congress GA such
! acts became laws. 1t seems to me that
! no one can examine our pension estab
! lishment and its operations without being
| convinced that through its instrumental
/ ity justice can be very nearly done to all
who are entitled under the present laws
to the pension bounty of the government.
! But it is undeniable that cases exist, well
! entitled to relief, in which the pension
| bureau is powerIess to relieve. The really
worthy cases of the class are such as only
| lack by misfortune the kind OF quantity
! of proof which the law and regula-
| tions of the bureau require, or
which though their merit is apparent,
/ for some other reason cacnot be
| Justly dealt with through the general laws.
/ These conditions fully satisfy appH-
/ cation to the congress and special
/ actments, but the appeal to the congress
/ for special pension act to oyerrule the
/ deliberate and careful determination of
| the pension bureau on the merit, or to
( secure favorable action when it could not
! be expected under the most liberal execu-
/ ton of general laws, il must be admitted,
| opens the door to the allowance of ques-
/ tionable claims and presents TO the legis-
/ Iative and executive branches of the gov
ernment, concededly not within
/ the law and plainly devoid of
/ merit, but SO surrounded by sentiment
| and patriotic feeling that they are hard
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