The Portland daily press., 1889-12-04
populations Of from one hundred to thousand

with the marshals of the United States to
preserve the peace, and upon their requisition
to use the troops to aid them in executing
warrants and in quieting riots or breaches Of
the peace that might occur. He was further
directed to use his influence to promote good
order. and to avoid any conflicts between or
with the settlers. Believing that the introduction
and sale OF liquors when no legal restraints or
acquisitions existed would endanger the peace
and in view of the fact that such LIQUOR must
first be introduced into the Indian reserva-
tons before reaching the white settlement, l
further directed the general commanding to
ENFORCE the laws relating to the introduction of
aroent spirits into the Indian country, Tie
presence OF the troops has given a kind of
security to the well disposed citizens and this
tended to restrain the lawless. In one in
stance the officer in immediate command of
the troops went further than l deemed justi
fable in supporting thei de facto municipal
government of Guthrie and he was
SO informed and directed to limit.
The interference of the military to the sup
port of the marshals on the lines indicated in
the original order. very urgently recommend
that Congress at once provide territorial gov
eminent for these people. Serious questions
which may at any time lead to violent out
breaks are awaiting the institution of courts for
their peaceful adjustment. The American
| genius for self government has been well illus
trated in Oklahoma, but it is neither safe or
wise to leave these people longer to the expe-
dents which have temporarily served them.
A provision should be made for the requis-
| ton Of title to town lots in the towns now es.
tablished in Alaska, for locating town site
and for the establishment of municipal govern
ment. Only the mining laws have been ex-
tended to that territory and no other form of
| title to lands can be obtained. The general
land laws were framed with reference to the
disposition of agricultural lands and it is
doubtful if their operation in Alaska would be
beneficial.
We have fortunately not extended to Alaska
| the mistaken policy of establishing reserva-
ton for the Indian tribes and can deal with
| them from the beginning as individuals with,
l am sure, better results. But any disposition
of the public lands and any regulations relating
to timber and to the fisheries should have a
kindly regard to their interest. Having no
power to levy taxes the people of Alaska
| are wholly dependent upon the general govern
ment whose revenues from the seal fisheries
make large annual contribution.
An appropriation for education should
neither be overlooked nor stnted.
Attention is called in this connection to the
suggestion of the secretary of the treasury re-
lating to the establishment of another port of
l
facilities and regulations.
THE LAND LAWS.
In the administration of the land laws, the
policy of facilitating in every proper way the
| adjustment of the honest claims of individual
settlers upon the public lands has been pursued.
The number of pending cases had during the
preceding administration, been greatly in
creased under the operation of orders for
time suspending final action in large part of
the cases originating in the West,
and Northwest and by the subsequent use of
unusual methods of examination. Only those
who are familiar with the conditions under
which our agricultural lands have been settled
can appreciate the serious and often fatal con-
sequences to the settler OF policy that puts
his title under suspicion or delays the issuance
of his patent.
The manifest purpose of the homestead and
pre- emption laws was to promote the settle
ment OF the public domain by persons having
bona hide intent to make home upon the
selected lands. Where this intent is well es-
tablished and the requirements of the law have
been substantially complied with the claimant
is entitled to the prompt and friendly consd-
Grafton of his case. But where there is reason
to believe that the claimant is the mere agent of
another who is seeking to evade law intended
to promote small holdings, and to secure by
fraudulent methods large tracts of timber and
other lands, both principal and agent should
not only be thwarted in their fraudulent pur-
pose, but should be made to feel the full PEN
alties of our criminal statutes. The laws
should be SO administered as not to confound
these two classes and to visit penalties only
| upon the latter. The unsettled state of the
titles to large bodies of lands in the Territories
OF New Mexico and Arizona, has greatly re-
tarded the development of those Territories.
Provision should be made by law for the
prompt trlal and final adjustment before ju-
dlciai tribunal, or commission. of all claims
based upon Mexican grants. 1t is not Just
to an intelligent and enterprising people that
their peace should be disturbed and their
prosperity be retarded by these old conten-
tions. l express the hope that differences of
opinion as to methods may yield to the ur-
gencv of the case.
The law now provides
PENSION FOR EVERY SOLDIER
and sailor who was mustered into the SER
vice of the United States during the civil
war, and is now suffering from wounds or
disease having an origin in the service and
In the line of duty. Two of the three neces-
sary facts, viz. muster and disability, are
usually susceptible of easy proof; but the
third, origin in the service, is often difficult,
and in many deserving cases often impossi-
BILE to establish. That very many of those
who endured the hardships of our most
bloody and arduous campaigns are now dis
abled from diseases that had a real but not
traceable origin in the service, l do not
doubt.
Besides these there is another class, CON-
| posed Of men, many of whom served an en-
listment of three full years, and of re-enlist-
ed veterans who added fourth year of SER
vice, who escaped the casualties of battle
and the assaults of disease, who were al
ways ready for any detail, wh0.were in every
battle line of their command, and were mus
tered out in SQUAD health, and have, since
1 In IF No. Al
same indomitable and independent spirit the
contests of civil life, been overcome by dis
ease or casualty.
1 am not unaware that the pension roll al
ready Involves very large annual expendi-
ture. Neither am l deferred by that fact
from recommending that Congress grant a
pension to such honorably discharged SOL
diers and sailors of the civil war, as, having
rendered substantial service during the war,
are now dependent upon their own labor for
a maintenance. and by disease or casualty
are incapacitated from earning 1t. Many of
the men who would be included in this form
of relief are now dependent upon public aid,
and it does not, in my judgment, consist
with the national honor that they shall con-
tinue to subsist upon the local relief given
indriscriminately to paupers instead of upon
the special and generous provision of the ma
| ton they served so CALAMITY and unselfshly.
Our people will, am sure, very generally
approve such legislation. And am equally
sure that the survivors of the Union army
and navy will feel a grateful sense of relief
when this worthy and suffering class of their
comrades is fairly cared for. There are sone
| manifest inequalities in the existing law that
| should be remedied. To some of these the
Secretary of the Interior has called atten-
| ton.
1t is gratifying to be able to state that
| since the adoption of new and better meth
DDS in the department the calls of the pension
| Office for information as to the military and
hospital records of pension claimants are
now promptly answered, and the injurious
and vexatious delays that have heretofore
| occurred are entirely avoided. This will
| greatly facilitate the adjustment of all pend
ing claims.
| The advent of four new States, South d.
| kota, North Dakota, Montana and Washing
ton, into the Union, under the Constitution,
| IN the same month, and the admission of
| their duly chosen representatives to our ma
| tional Congress at the same session, is an
event as uneXampled as it is interesting.
The certifcation of the votes cast and of
| the constitutions adopted in each of the
/ States was filed with me, as required by the
eighth section of the act of February %,
| 1889, by the governors of said Territories re-
| spectively. Having, after careful examina-
ton, found that the several constitutions
| and governments were republican in form,
| and not repugnant to the Constitution of the
L ;A.,l ;s;o e a.