The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-06-13
INCOMPETENT or a sLAsDEEEn

INCOMPETENT Or A sLANDERER
Commissioner Sparks tries to reta
hate upon the people Of the west 70
their criticisms on him and bis oours.
by declaring that the c,mmunitk.s in
habiting the Territories and ia,
western States are largely made up o.
land thieves and swlndler.. HIS charge.
are of a wholesale rather than of 9
specific character. and are evidently in
tended 10 include the people generally
He says that as his decisions. rulings
and interpretations Of law are all in
the interest Of honesty and reform,
honest persons cannot find fault with
them, and that the opposition to HIM
comes exclusively from land sharA and
oorruptionists. It's q noticeable fac
that not few of the eastern news
papers accept as trae theplea and plaint
OF Sparks, and a opting his theory
abuse the west for protesting against
the Commissioner. One would be led TO
believe, if he did not know better, that
the population o; the west was largely
made up of land sharks who were
given up exclusively TO dsvising
schemes for practicing fraud upon the
government. and TO stealing the public
domain. Mr.. Sparks and these editors
DO not stop 10 reflect a moment. and
evidently do not believe that others
viii p ay more than passing attention
to matters. II is rather peculiar that
such frauds as are salleged should be
practiced without the perpetrators being
detected and punished. Mr.. Sparks
has bee2 in Office fifteen months, and
in his own mind, has been during all
that time a vigIlsnt reformer; the
courts have been open to him for the
prosecution OF criminals. and Federal |
AarShals and District Attorneys have |
been at his service; indeed, he has had
the judicial and executive forces of the |
. nation at command, and could at any |
time have punished a known swindler.
But be has done absolutely nothing
save 20 cry fraud and abuse the western
settlers. as matter OF course there
have been more fraudulent land entries,
bat we are confident that the titles to
nine-tenths of the public domain in the
Territories are held by persons Who
came by them honestly, and that gov
eminent has not been sTindIed; the
nation has received its pay for the soil
and the land has gone to those for
whom it was intended blythe laws.
1t will be remembered that one OF 1
Sparks underlings. Surveyor-General
Dement,, of this Territory, was in Wash.
ington last winter, where he imbibed
largely of the spirit Of his superior. He
told some startling stories OF land frauds
IN this Territory. which il they had
been true should have subjected half the
people in Utah TO prosecution for I
swindling the government Mr.. Dement, I
vent 50 far as TO make his charges
definite. and put them in a slape where
they could be inves igated. and as ,
he was promptly called up ,
on for the proofs Then be found out [
that be had been reckless in his asser j
lions. and that the alleged frauds ex- c
listed only in his imagination. He was I
compelled TO "go back"on himself, and $
admit that he knew nothing of any C
erOokedness, though he had charged '
that gigantic frauds had been perpe- v
trated. If Commissioner Sparks were Z
put to test he too would have to say \
that he wss ignorant Of any frauds. O
though he had recklessly charged their 1
sxistence.7 q
1t Is not because the western people p
are dishonest and bent on swindling G
government that they find fault with +
3parks; it Is because the latter Is either Ii
70 ignorant or so malicious that he is t
Unable 10 perform his duties in way 10 r,
yiye the people their rights; it is re- a
lause be Is continually issuing ridicul ii
us orders and circulars which operate
ojurionsly against tie people. and are L
.ot refOrma.Ory in their character. D,
His order prohibiting. the fell "
ng of timber on the public do Il
nam, aud the circular "repe aIing'' m
be presumption, timber culture S,
nd desert land laws, were ignorant or IL
Inscriptions of power. 10 the q
reat injury and annoyance of honest lii
sttlers and legitimate enterprise. The "
sstern papers do themselves no credit al
championing the cause OF the up al
art Commissioner, who abuses and is
anders as upright. as honest and as A.
Itelligent communities as can be found NJ
nywhsre in America. N