The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-07

rule Of the State.
THE INDIAN CHARACTER AND
NATURE
are suSh that tbeg are not easily led Willie
brooding over una justed pronE Tnis is
especially so reg riding their land mat rs,
arising from toe construct on and operation
Of railroads across gone ot the reservations
and ola ms of title tnd light Of ~cupancy
set up by whit persons 10 some Q the best
land. With tEer res lutions we rec. legis-
late Ar their ina adj ustmgnt. III set le-
ment OF th Sc matters will rem We many EN-
barrnssmeuts 20 PR gress in tie work OF
leading the | d ans TO the adoption of our
institute rs and briugirz them under the
operation, the II lueuce and he pfOtsctiOn
Of the laws 81 our coul try. The recon-
negotiations o. the Secretary of the IHterior
and
THE CoMMIs IONER OFTHE GENERAL
LAND OFFICE,
looking 10 bettcr protection Of public land,
and OF the pub &c Eurvsy, this reservation oil
national ~fOrests, the adjudication of Rrauts
10 States and corporations, and of private
land claims, aud the increased efficiency OF
the public land service are cJm mended 10
the attention q; Congress 10 secure the wild
est distribution of public lan0s IN limited
Quantities among settlers of les dence and
cultivation, and thus make the greatest
number: OF individual homes was the pri-
mary object OF the public land legislation in
the carly days of the Republic. The system
was a sinple one. It commenced with an
adnirAbis ssheme Of
LAND SURVEYS.
By which the humblest citizen could identify
the trast up n which he wished TO establish
hls home. The price OF lands was placed
within the roach Of all the enterprise &, in
dustrious and honest pioneer OF Iens Of the
country. II Was soon, hOreVer, found that
the object Of the laws was perverted under
the system OF cash sale from a distribution
Of land among the people 70 an accumula-
By WEALTHY AND SPECULATIVE
cPBRS0SS
To check this tendency n preference right
Of purchase ives g ven to settlers on the
land, q plan which eliminated in the gen.
eral Pre-em ton act OF lSil. Tbs foundation
Of this system was actual residence and eul-
tivation. Twenty year. later the homestead
law was devised to moro surely place actual
homes in the possession OF actual ~cultivators
Of the soil. The lan1 WAS given without
price, the soils conditions being residence,
improvement M cultivation. 0thor 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
METHODS
and under changed cond tions Of communi-
cation n tranGpoItli ion have been SO
eVaded and violated that their benehcent
purpose is threatened with entire def at.
The methods of such eylslons and violations
Seere"srS of The Interior and Go%missioneT
Of the General Land Office. The. rapid APP
preparation Of our public lands without
bona fde settlement ard cultivation and
not only without intention of len e, but
Tor the purpose OF their AGGREGATION IN age
holding, in many cases in the hands Of
foreigners, invites the SO ious and immediate
attention Of Congress. The energies of the
Land Department have been dev0tdd during
the present administration to remedy de ects
and correct abuses 10 the public land SER
vice. The results Of these efforts are so largely
in the nature Of reforms in The process and
methods Of our land system as to prevent
adequate estim ates, hut it appears by
q So@piIs ion from the reports of
that the immediate effect in leading cases
which have cOmo to a fual termination has
the restoration TO the mass OF pu lie lands
OF 2 $50 900 acres; hat 2, $40, 900 acre are en-
brsced in investigators now pending before
the department or the courts, aud that ac-
ton OF Congress h Rs been asked to effect the
RESTORATION OF TWO MILLION SEW.
EN- HUNDRED
and ninety thousand aores additional. Be
which 1900, 900 acres have been
from reser gati0n and the
right of entry thereon maintained. /
feCOhultu NJ tua repeal OF tue pre- emIllOu
and timber culture acts and that the home
stead laws be SO amended as TO better secure.
com plianco with their requirements of resi-
deuoe, imprOyem, mt and cultivation fer
period of five years from date Of entry,
without commission OF provision fer specu-
THE REPEAL OF THE DESERT LAWS,
gress 10 so amend these laws as to render
them less Liable TO abuses, as the chief mo-
tive for an evasion IF the avs and the prin-
eipal cause of their result is land accumu- ]
instead. Of laf d distribution, is the
facility with which transfers are made of tbs
intended to be secui ed to settlers. 1t
may be advisable TO provide by leg. station
guards and che SKIS loon the
ALIENATION OF HOMESTEAD RIGHTS
and lands covered thereby until patents
Last year IN Executive proclamation
was ISSUED directing tho removal of fences
which inolosee the public domain Many of
have been removed in obedience to
such order, but much of the public land
still remains within the lines of these I'M
fences. The ingenious methods re-
sorted to in order TO continue these tres
and c hardih0od of the pretenses By
led, are ful detailed in the report of he
Secretary Of the Interior. The removal of the
still remaining which inclOse public
will be enforced with all tho authority
anu mebub VIII WHICH the Executive DTHHtn |
the government is or shall be invested by
the Congress for that purpose.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER
OF PENSIONS
contains a de Iaiied and most satisfactory ex-
hibit OF the operations of the Pension Bureau
uring 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 dOno at less cost than during the pre-.
yiOus year in every division. On the Both
day of June, 1886, there were 36j 1888 pensiops
ers on tte rolls OF tho bureau. Since 1851
mere have been 1,0lS,73l applications fled, |
Of which 1854 were based upon service
the war of 1872. There were 62l ,754 OF
.hcse applications allowed, including 6O,l78
o the soldiers of 1872 and their widows. The
.otal amount paid for pensions since 1861 is
lS08, GA 81 81. The number OF new pensions |
lllowed during the year ended June 80, 1856
6 40,B57, a larger number b has been al
owed in any year save one since 1861.
THE NAMES OF 1920 PENSIONERS,
which had been previously dropped from the
rolls, were restored during the year, and
lfter deduoting those dropped within the
Iame time Tor various causes, a net in
,rease remains for tho year Of 20 658 names.
from January l, 1851, to December /, 1861,
1857 private pension acts had been passed,
Since the last mentioned date, md during
last session Of the Congress, GA such acts
'ecame laws. 1t seems TO me that no one
Jhu oAdutlO our DbhNiOH bhNdOllk1InG0I ana |
Is operations without being cOnvit ced that
its fundamentally justice can be
very nearly done to ell who are emitted
lnder present laws to the pension bounty of
he government; but 1t is undeniable that
exist, well entitled to relief, in which
he Pension Bureau Is poWerless to relieve.
he really worthy cases of this class are
UGH as only lack by misfortune the kind or
Of proof which the law and
equations OF the bureau require,
" which, though their merits ale ap-
for some other reason cannot be
Justly dealt with through general laws.
conditions fully justify application
to the Congress for special enactments, but
IesOTt to the Congress for a spe rial pension
act 10 override the deliberate and careful
determination OF the Pension Bureau on the
merits or TO secure favorable action when Il
could. not be eXpectsd under the most
liberal execution Of general laws, il must
DO admitted that II opens the door TO
THE ALLOWANCE OF QUESTIONABLE
CLAIMS
and presert1 TO the legislative and execu-
1--WE branches of The government applioa-
tione, conesdedly not within the law and
devoid of merit, but surrounded by
sentiment and patriotic feeling that
hard 20 resist 4 suppose il will not be
1enled that many claims for pension are
made Without merit and that many have
allie owed -
UPON FRAUDULENT REPREsENTK-
-