The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-22
PROGRESS. WITH A BIG P.

Perhaps Senator Wathhll's hill Withdrawing the
pnblic lands Of the United States lying In Missis
slppI from private sale and entry and nserying
them for actual homestead settlers may prevent
the railroads and Syndicatcs getting them, but we
doubt H. Certainly II will not unless the officers
IN charge are moro yigilant than our State officials
have been In trying 10 hold the stato's public
lands Notwithstanding tho fact we had a statute
preventing amy one individual from purchasing
more than 2iO acres Of tho public lands
Of this State, IN 1881 Lord % Byron
Eyen succccdcd In securing deeds 20 as
600 acres OF land In Harrison county IN one day
Tho modus opcrandl whereby the school children
OF the state were robbed (for the money received
from the sale oi these lands belongs 10 the public
school fund.- was rs follows
Ever, representing Manhall. Phillips & Co, n
firm OF London capitalists. having sent hls agent to
locate the lands, employed couple OF dciunct
Radical politicians at Jackson 10 induce NJ many
negroes NJ possible 10 make application Tor 2ioncrcs
each Of these pine lands In South Mississippi In
order that u large amountoi business might be done
In IA short time M possible the OLD time negro
bosrcs prepared largo number OF applications
which needed only the name of the applicant or
'his mark" They then advertised an excursion
from Ncksburg and Nazoo city Ia Jackson, char
tered trains aud on the day designated brought In
whole carloads Of colofcd citizens ium the Valley,
each OF whom was caused 10 agn HI name OF make
his mark 10 ono Of tho applications ior $50 ncr OF
pine land. which the applicant had never stCn aud
perhaps hns never seen since that date. Hay
Ing ncd the application IN The swamp Land
Commissioner olico. the possession armed with
that Officers certificate mhrch % the Treasury,
who're they deposit their ij or % ccnta per acre,
and with The rlcpipi II tho Treasurer they move
ON the Secretary OF State. who complnccntiy iUu@
a.. III tel.
patriots ucu adjourn 90 nclghhonng saloon.
whom after taking drink each one srns a quit
claim 10 H. 100 acru to the representatives Of tho
Hrilish gold BUGS. who had furnished tho money
with which the onty was made.
Tho insult Of this scheme may be summed up
thus
The agents Of the noble Bhtishcr ucv doubles,
handsomely paid the Valley darkcys had q jolly
rArurslon Ia the capital aud irvc drinks the land
sharks stole In al several thousand acres Of The
hnusl pine land in the world, The STATE officials
.ognls.,nuc 81 tha scheme 20 cyade The law. II any
thcrc h. wiiury disrciaricd the rights and inter
cts of she people. ard u they wcrc dccciNed they
wcrc tooruilclcs. 10 an the positions they held
with credit 30 themselves and honor Ia ihcir con
,uinrniE and the school fund. which was the
,nrrd hhcrttnrc of our children. vas unccrc-
siunnd"fcd In the name Of "prosrcas'
With a blg r. Ololona Ngsngrn
Every Mssissippian who reads this
should resolve not 10 rest until this
transaction il investigated aud the parties
TO Il arc exposed and punished. a test
with every candidate for the next
Legislature should DO, "Arc you In favor
Of investigating the swamp land frauds,
with view 10 the restoration Of their value
20 tho children OF the Sta,o?" II
Eyer shas been guilty as charged,
no mus, have had aiden and abct.
tors in tho State. lilo can not, per
haps, be reached. but they can and they
should be. II Mississippi permits this
swindle TO pass unqucsiioncd shc will
make herself party TO the dcinuding OF
her children Of fund 90, apart for their
education. She cannot afford 10 occupy
such an attitude any longer than she can
help. The press can do great deal To
wards achieving this result by keeping the
facts we copy from The Ololond MoUngc'
before the people and urging upon them
the selection Of men for the Legislature
who will pledge themselves to probe this
swindlc 10 the bottom, hurt who Il may.