Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-06
H. NJ. TELLER'S CAREER
GENERAL BOYNTON WRITES A CHAPTER IN
THE SENATOR'S BIOGRAPHY.
His Interest in the Backbone Railroad While Sec
retary Of the Interior Senator Van Wycks
Powerful Arrangement Of His Shameless
nsss-A Record Of Corruption.

CINCINNATI, April 5-Geneial Boynton
is contributing to Mr.. Hslsiead's CONNER
cial Gazette some very interesting reading
about the Republican Senators who votsd
against Halsiead's confirmation. His frst
chap'er on Henry NJ. Teller, Of Colorado,
is as foll0we:
The last nights Of Teller as Secretary OF
the Interior witnessed the most shameful
prostitution OF officisl place and power
The clerks worked sll night and through
Sunday 10 prepare patents 10 the vest sres
of lands comprising the Backbone Railrcad
grant, which, il lis cOnsummaii0n, was one
of the mos, eigintic swindles OF modern
times. II will require a separate letter of
length to give even the out
lines of this fraud contaminated by Senator
Teller in the midnight hours OF HE closing
term. A few extracts from report OF
Senator Van Wyck, who, by tie way, voted
with Teller to save Payne from investiga-
tion, will serve 20 show what kird OF q
fraud one of his Caal-oil associates declared
the Backbone grant 10 be TIE report was
made TO the Senate and printed. Its num-
Der is 1912, first session, FOrty-ninth Con-
gyess.
Said Senator Van Wyck
The most improvident and reckless o.
the land grant legislation du,i'g the las,
twenty-five years, aud the most open and
brazen ffauds, the most defiant hostility
to honest metto $, the most unsayory
scandals of corruption, form the priIcipsl
history of what is known as the Backbone
road, formerly the New Orleans, Baton
Rouge and Vicksburg, latteTly the New
Orlsans Pacific A company organized by
Lou siana in 1869. without a dollar in
cash or credit TO build a road, until, in
1871, il eecured a recognition in the Texas
Pacific grsEt, and donation of land on
conditions that i.s road should be finished
in five years The first ard only act, prob
ably the only one e,er contemplated, was
the Issue of bonds. Not q shOvelicl ol
earth wss thrown during the five years.
"On two occcaious it hsd secured sddt
tionsl legislation from Louisiana, euJhorz
ing usriaIn parishes and cities 80 huy bondi
and subscribe for stock in this Peter Funk
concern. So infamous and notorious hsC
il become that the State of Louisiana at
tempted to throttle the monster, and II
Apnl, 1857. repealed tbs act granting 81,
charter ana amencatoTy acts. The fiv'
years time for completion Of the rCad haC
passed, not "a dollsr or days work ex
pended, yet this defiant faud actually
went ioto the L. S. CoOrt ON The 9th o
Jun 1877, asking the Cou,t 10 sus.sin IL
own fraudulent assumption and set aside
this legislation"
When Secretary Teller had become Seaa
Tor Teller and ms midnight issue Of lanC
p5tents was UD in the Senate Tor discns
sion, Senator Van Wyck thus again de
nOunc,d the matter
'If you look ~ the record you will see
that it is a remarkable suit. On the 9tf
day of jane petition or complaint wa
mE6a 10 the L. S. Court; on tie 9th i; wa.
served; on the lith, two days aiterward
there was an answer from the defendant,
end then cn tine 11.h, the same day, ther,
WAS consent that counsel should argue i
il writing, and on the 18Th, two day.
after. there was Judgment rendered by
the Curt declaring that the act Ct th'
Legislature OF Lolisisna was uucenstiiu
tiongl. Th.t is expedition about equal Il
that of the Interior Department. They
we're Just rs diligent "a the department
On the 9th proceedings wee commenced
il the L. S. Court, ara on the 18Th the
decree was rendered
This whole thing has been q sham. II
is ffsud, it wss born of fraud, it hes
progressed thirteen years es fraud, and,
though consummated by the high authori-
~ OF an executive department Of the Gov
eminent, the transaction was fraud IN iis
ending.
The Courts were pro.tituttd to cid in
tie consummation of this, one of the great
est v.liciDieS ever connected with land
grants 1t il here boldly stated, unc1n-
irsdicted. by the New Oileans Pacific Rail
rnsd {. mpany that this WAS 4 sham, pre-
tended Fictitious case and fraud, and yet
the Secretary OF the Interior feels called
uuon to throw himself back upon the de
cision that the repeal msde by the Leg'sla-
tura of L1uisiana was unco. ltutUnal.
ana vet the suit was commenced on the
9Th of June aud ended upon the 18TH.
There was fraud upon its face, and the
New Orleans Psci6c, through it's PFesi-
dent, chars cteiizsd il as fraud and
showed the character OF the tJeDeactlCn.
"Mr. President, what mere need be said
except that the necessity is apparent that
the Senate should have the information
called for by the resolution. The country
VIII desire to know why the Transaction
was c,o1Cd in such haste. 1t is jos. ~ the
suit in the District Court Of the United
S:ateq, which was commenced on the 9th
day Of June aud closed on the 18th, To de-
clare unconstitutional sn act Of one oi ihe
sovereign States OF this Union. y t, after
all, will that seem any more Suspicious
than the fact that this was done in The dy-
ing hours Of the last ADMINISTRATION by un-
usual means, by tho working Of clerks
nights and Sundays. by great haste;
Forced through in thet way, uuder the
zip snd spur, it seems a fit ending OF
corporation which was sustained by the
fraudulent pre;en,e and sham OF al adj udi-
c.tiun In the U. S. District Court
THE Nation will ssk way an Admins.
tratiou lust going out Of power ennnid feel
il pecessary 10 act il such haste. '
The correspondent of the New York
Telegram il q gentleman of high Character.
He tpent several months in the TeIritoris1
under a commission to investigate land
frauds. lie teiegraphs to his paper N re-
gard to the general reputation oi Senator
Teller when he wes Secretary Of the IL
terror:
"Of all meu who have come 10 Washing
ton in an official capacity under OATH to
serve the Government there ere but lew
vhose public record II more unsavory than
that of Henry NJ. Teller, TIE senior Sena-
tor from Colorado During The Presicancy
of General Arthur M ign inhaenc- paced
Teller at the head o. he Iuterior Depart
meDt. As the supeTior Of the General
Land Commissioner, he took steps 20 have
the Land Office conducted according % his
peculiar ideas on the subject OF the Gov
eInme1t territory. The limited space pre-
c,udes the detailed description o! the VII
lsiniss which we're peIpeirated, Of the
Wholesale robberies OF the peoples heritage,
Of the baTe-iaced, shameless frauds when
attended the Tel.erian era.
"The swindlers and sharks fairly Tcye'ed
iD the opportunities thai occurred. IDS
writer speaks from personal knowledge
based On extensive investigation in the far
Western States. extending from Northern
California 70 New Mexico, Colorado and
Nebraska. The worst ffsuds end the most
indecent land-grsbbiDg by individuals oc
CURED there. The bol5est raids BIZ eoul-
less railway corporations were features that
attended TelleI's inCumbency.
con the night Of March 3, l5-5, when
Teller mad but feT remsining hours TO
serve, ne caused the clerks IN tie Lard
Ohi,e to work all night in order ttat re
might sfiix his signature before going from
Office to the notorious Backbone giants, a
monstrous ard outrageous tbuse of Towsr.