The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-16
lie BARNES TELLS SECRETS.
ne Wrote the Land Reform Part of Cieve
land's Message Of 1886.

he Wrote the Land Reform Part OF Cieve-
land's Message Of 1886
Bpeciai to tho Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Jan. IA 81 am still waiting to
zee whether the President means to take any
action in the matter of Law Clerk lie Barness
removal" said General Weaver this evening
s'Those Of us who interested in the cause OF
land reform would much prefer to have justice
done in the matter without making it subject
Of investigation bv the public lands committee
which would have no authority, of course, TO
override the head Of any executive department"
The adverse comment on the matter has been
stirred afresh to-day by the statement or MI.
lie Barnes that he wrote that part of the Presi-
dents message of 1856 which announced the
much boosted public land policy OF the aollinls-
tration. Mr.. LIE Barnes says: ,
But that have been accused, apparently oy
auth ority OF entertaining views not orthodox
would not say what think now have me right
In sav In the pre- paration for his annual report
Tor 1856 Mr. Lamar die me the honor to ask me
10 prepare his reply to Dorsey, involving state
ment of fundamen tai principles and an an
nouncement of administrative policy, which the
secretary accepted with most courteous ana
Gathering Acknowledgements and made his own.
He did me still greater honor. he asked me
10 nrepare the public land portion of the Presi-
dents message, formulating and defining the
public land policy of the administration. what
thus wrote at his command was adopted and
appeared q part Of that message. have not
changed" .
This message is not only the one emphatic
deliverance of this Administered on the public
land question, but it the last official utterance
of the President on that question. Now on the
of Mr.. Vilas's going into the Interior Depart
ment with all his connections with land grao-
ing lumber companies, the author of this boasted
land-aw deverance is summarily thrown out OF
Office for the specifically assigned reason that
he would have proved a disturbing element IN
the administration of the land laws under Mr.
Villas MIR. Lamar dismisses tho man who
wrote his report and the Presidents message as
30 the public lands to save his successor the
trouble. Mr.. Lamar could not remove the Presi-
dent, but it certainly is not travelling far out OF
the path pointed to by these circumstances to
infer as the land-retorm members of Congress
sorrowfuly do infer. that the reform ideas
which Mr.. LIE Barnes put in the Presidents mes
sage have been dismissed from his policy as
having served their purpose Mr.. Villas showed
the President a heap Of things during his recent
tour through the booming Northwest, and did
not fail TO make him see the political power
which the great lumber companies WELD in that
section. In point, it may be observed that the
Northern Pacific railroad case, which Secretary
Lamar-before he was nominated for the Su-
preme Court and Mr.. Villas to succeed him. and
Mr. lie Barnes simultaneously became disturb
ing element in the Land Office-decided against
the railroad company, has been reopened by his
order and referred to the Attorney general.