The Monmouth inquirer., 1889-12-05

thousand, and is proportionately as well provided
as Guthrie with churches, schools apd newspa-
pers. Other towns and villages having popula-
tions of from one hundred to a Thousand are scat
tered over the territory
In order to secure the peace of this new COM
munity, in the absence of civil government di-
rectediGen. Merritt, commanding the Department
of the Missouri, to act in conjunction with the
marshals of the United States to preserve the
peace and upon their requistjon to use the
troops to aid them in executing warrants and in
quietfng any riots 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, where
no legal restraints or regulations existed, would
endanger the public peace, and In view of the
fact that such liquors must first be introduced
into the Indian reservations before reaching the
white settlements, further directed the general
commanding to enforce the laws relating to the
Introduction of ardent spirits into the Indian
country.
The presence of the troops has given a sense Of
security to the well disposed citizens, and has
tended to restrain the lawless. In one instance
the officer in immediate command of the troops
went further than deemed justihable in sup
porting the 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 govern
ment for these people. Serious questions which
may at any time lead to violent outbreaks, are
awaiting the institution of courts for their peace
full adjustment. The American genius for self
government has been well illustrated in Okla
homa but it is neither safe wise to leave these
people longer to the expedients which have tenn
porarily served them.
Provision should be made for the acquisition OF
Y.kx l. d.
Alaska, for locating town sites and for the estab
fishment Of municipal governments. Only the
mining laws have been extended to that territory,
and no other form Of title to lands can now be OBJ
tanned. The general hand laws were framed with
reference to the disposition Of agricultural lands,
and it is doubtful II their operation in Alaska
would be beneficial
In the administration OF the land laws the policy
Of facilitating, In every proper way. the adjust
ment Of the honest claims of individual settlers
upon the public lands has been pursued. The
number of pending cases had, during the preced-
ing administration been greatly increased under
the operation Of orders for a time suspending
final action In large part Of the eases origi-
mating In che west and northwest and by the sub
sequent use Of unusual methods OF examination.
Only those who are familiar with the conditions
under which our agricultural lands have been set
tied can appreciate the serious and often fatal
consequences 10 the settler of policy that puts
of his patent While care Is taken to prevent and
to expose fraud IL should not be imputed without
reason.
The manifest purpose of the homestead and
presumption Laws was to promote the settlement
of the public domain by persons having bona
f1de intent to make home upon the selected
lands Where this intent has been well estab-
lished and the requirements Of the law have been
substantially complied with, the claimant is
titled to prompt and friendly consideration of
his case. But where there is reason to believe
that the claimant Is the mere agent of another,
who is seeking to evade a 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 purpose, but should
be made to feel the full penalties 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.
reference is here made to New Mexico
and Arizona land titles.
Pensions.
The law now provides pension for every soldier
and sailor who was mustered into the service 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 necessary facts viz, muster and disability
are usually susceptible of easy proof; but the
in many deserving cases impossible to establish
That very many Of those who endured the hard
ships of our most bloody and arduous campaigns
are now disabled from diseases that had a real but
not traceable origin in the service do not doubt
Besides these there is another class composed
of men many Of whom served an enlistment of
three full years, and of re-enlisted veterans who
added fourth year Of service, who escaped the
casualties of battle and the assaults OF disease,
who were always ready for any detail who were
in every battle line of their command, and were
mustered out in sound health, and have, since the
close of the war, while fighting with the same
indomitable and independent spirit the contests
of civil life, been overcome by disease or cas-
ualty
am not unaware that the pension roll already
involves very large annual expenditure, neither
am deferred by that fact from recommending
that congress grant pension to such honorably
discharged soldiers 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 in
eapacitated from earning II. Many o6 the men
who would DO included In this form Of relief arc
now dependent upon public aid, and II does not,
in my judgment, consist with the national honor
that they shall continue to subsist upon the local
relief given ndiscximinatey to paupers instead of
upon the special and generous provision Of the
nation they served 50 gallantly and unselHshly
Our people win. am sure, very generally ap-
prove such legislation. And am equally sure
that the survivors Of the Union army and navy
will feel . grateful sense Of relief when this
worthy aud suffering class OF their comrades Is
fairly cared for.
There are some manifest inequalities In the ex-
isting law that should be remedied. To some of
these the secretary Of the interior has called at
tention.
It Is gratifying to be able to state that by the
adoption of new and better methods in the war
department the calls OF the pension oflce for in
FORMATION as to the military and hospital records
of pension claimants are now promptly answered
and the injurious and vexattous delays that have
heretofore occurred are entirely avoided. This
VIII greatly facilitate the adjustment of all pend
ing claims.
The president then speaks OF the four new
states.)
Protection of Railroad Employees.
The attention of the interstate commerce COM
mission has been called to the urgent need OF
congressional legislation for the better protection
Of the lives and limbs Of those engaged In operat-
ing the great interstate freight lines Of the coun-
try, and especially OF the yardmen and brake
men, A petition, signed by nearly 10000 railway
brakemen was presented to the commission, ask
ing that steps might be taken to bring about the
use of automatic brakes and couplers on freight
cars ~
Ar a reokinp NJ state railroad foynr,i sSionor1