Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-07
SEIZED BY CANADA.
Continued from First Page.


and actually restored thereto 100000. 900
acres of land. Indeed it was asserted that
Sparks wanted the figures fixed at 400
COG, 900 acres, but that somebody outside of
the committee heard of it and insisted that
the amount should be reduced, either out
side the convention or it would be chal-
lenged on the floor. For the information
of Democratic orators who may injudici-
ously hurl these platform figures careless
ly around during a speech and then lind
himself cornered with demand for proof
it may be well to look into the claim by
the Democracy regarding the public do
main. Owing to the fact that Mr.. Stock
slayer was a candidate for appointment
for commissioner and did not feel like
taking the responsibility of provoking
criticism, no RESERVATIONS OF land to the
public domain have taken place during
the fiscal year just closed, and the figures
remain as they were in the annual report
of the commissioner of the general
land office. By that report Mr.. Sparks
claimed to have restored to the
public domain 1928, 972 acres of
land. OF these, 9,499, 400 acres were only
recommended by the commission for for
fixture, etc, while 81 81, 4Sl acres were
actually claimed to have been restored by
that official. These recoveries were di
vided as follows: Granted lands restored,
S,95S, IL acres; restored within indemnity
limits, u 30, 600 acres; private claims,
510, 600 acres; fraudulent entries Cancelled,
400, 600 acres; invalid swamp and other
state selections Cancelled, SIC, 104 acres.
Strange as 1t may seem, the only lands IN
the above list actually restored to the
public domain and available for settlers
was the area comprised in the 100000
acres or thereabout of lands forfeited
within railroad land grants, of which
5000, 600 acres We're forfeited from the At
lantic d Pacific railroad by congress
without the assistance of a Democratic adj
ministration and without opposition from
the road. The other 5000 acres were for
feited in the same manner. Of the 81
600, 900 acres within the indemnity limits
alleged to have been restored by revoca
ton OF indemnity Withdrawals. not a mil
lion acres has been made available for set
tiers These lands are covered largely
either by indemnity selections, which no
revocation can take away from the
chasers who have bought Of the company
and whose rights are protected under the
law of March 3, 1887. Of the 400, 900 acres
of fraudulent entries cancelled, it may be
said that the cases were appealed from
Sparks to the secretary of the interior,
who has reversed over fOur-ffths OF the
cases and allowed the land to remain in
the remainder of the cases the land largely
went to some specializing contestee,
large class of whom the Sparks policy fOs-
tered and fattened. OF the $4,000 acres of
swamp lands and other state selections
cancelled, and the SIC, 900 acres of private
land claims disallowed, the same thing
may be said. The cases have been ap-
pealed to the secretary. and having been
decided by Sparks upon the exparte state
ment of special agents, whose chief anX-
iety was to make Il record, and some OF the
private land claims upon the recommend
alton OF the present surveyor general OF
New Mexico, who already possesses Il rec
ord, they are likely to be revel sed, and in
any event are not within sight OF the dear
settler, so that with very liberal allow
ance the lands actually returned to
the public domain during this Dem
ocratic administration to date will not ex-
coed ii 100000 acres and 9000,0 of this
the administration had no hand i'll restOr
ing. During his term OF Office Mr.. Sparks
exercising his usual judlcious and eXecu-
tive functions, determined that because
certain railroads had not completed their
roads within the time fixed by the grant
ing act that they had no right to their
lands, and he refused to certify IL, 100000
acres of selections so that congress might
have time to forfeit the grants. This
should also be added to the lands restored
ny tne Denocratlc parry 10 tne puDIlc 10
main and the entire claim of the admins
tration is as follows: Lands actually re-
stored, 81 ,S24, ASH; lands which Sparks re-
for restoration, 9,493, 400;
lands which Sparks thought ought to be
and restored, 17O49.470. Total
IS, 1913, Al. Where the Democratic party
picks up the other As, 600, 900 acres it claims
to have restored, cannot be found but it
can easily be figured out with the 1900
acres in the above claim which has not
been restored to the public domain.