The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1888-02-04
E0nny, Isn't 1T /?
There are TAieUes and Thieves.
Lincoln, N. M.

Jan. ClSI.
In recent issue you commented sc
verely upOe Surveyor General Julian's
paper in the North American ReYiew, and
expressed it as your opinion that Stephen
w. Dorsey's reply, nailed Mr.. Julian to
the cross, so to speak But you did not
evidently, read Mr. Julian's replication
to Mr.. Dorsey's reply. Mr.. Dorsey is now
in the air.
The controversy concerned. I believe
is entitled, "The Land Thieves of New
Mexico" I stand squalely, fatty, up
rightly by and with Mr.. Julian, and
doubtless the Surveyor General of New
Mexico would vOueh for me were it neces-
sary.
Land Thieves are only common Grim
inals, and not bit better, in my opinion,
than men who deal in stolen mules. This
this thing of making land thief NO
ToRIoUs hero is worse than transposing
an erstwhile mountebank into minister.
| cannot conceive of greater Ignorance
and irresponsibility than pseudo intelll-
gence confined by the limits of patron
age. In what the land thief is better than
any other person guilty of theft can
not discover and l only know of one
thief worse than his fellows, and he is
the thief who robs a man of his honor
property possessions are his yeracity, in.
tegrity-his honor ; and he who destroys
or seeks unjustly to deprive fellow be
ing of that honor, is thief compared
with whom the impenitent on the eros:
were deserving of sanctification and en-
titled to the halo of heavenlines
But the most suspicious of all erim
nails are insinuatiOn calumniators mer
who having presaged their wantonnesl
by treason, follow it up with calumny
This sad spectacle may be observed here
as elsewhere but, l suppose, as we are
passing through what the great Beeche
called "an age of modification and dis
grace, we must recognize such peopl,
as a species of the enemies of society
just little below land thief, who in
deed is so contemptibly low that he can
no be properly classified by an intelli
gent, honest man.
The man who uses his ignorant employ,
to the commission of perjury, and, con
struclively suborns perjury, to the enc
that lands may be acquired, is beneatl
the level of pickpocket, for he not onl,
PLAYS treason to the confidence of his em
ploye, but trades upon both his necessi
| ties and ignorance to perfect a crime H.
Is too cowardly to perpetrate himself
just so it is with man who will trad
for sheep and ranches for the purpose o
blackmalling larger interests.
Quasi titles are given, though the deed
I and bills of sales are never recorded an,
the middleman, the "steerer, will pei
petuate his little joke by compelling hi
more fortunate neighbor to either pay
bonus to get him out of the way or pun
chase the property at double valuation
Meanwhile the dupe, the true and law
, full owner, only gets his original price,
if as much. He knows nothing of tn
a deal, for he is an ignorant ma 1, but hi
friend, the amigo the Christianlike brotf
er who has the interests of his fellow
( man at heart, the way he gets in his fin
3 work has become so much a habit tha
' his nature has surrendered to the subst
tute
There is only one consolation to b
drawn from all these humiliating circun
stances, namely, the consciousness {
/ that purity of character, integrity of pu
i, pose and honesty of soul which distil
guish the superiority of men and the t,
merity to maintain THOSE qualities againi
all classes of thieves and beyond Ii
Y reach of specialist.