, 1889-09-25

Warren's friends, an argument that the
governor accepts and repeats, custom
has run Aead of law in Wyoming In land
matters. People sometimes want land
that it is not easy to get by complying
with all the formalities presented by the
secretary OF the interior and the commits
siouer of the general land office. Coy.
ernor Warren was living IN Cheyenne.
The company in which he was interested
wanted the lands it had decided to take up.
They could only be acquired by individ-
uals and thus the combination of tracts
effected. Governor Warren says that it
would have been perfectly easy for him to
get some one else TO go out to the tract,
swear u a residence upon it, and, having
complied with the law, sell it tothe com
pany. He says hat he did live on it, but
his W statements were evidently intend
ed to convey to the writer the impression
that it was a residence by declaration
rather than a residence in fact. While
his residence in Cheyenne was kept open
and he was here during a great deal of
the time, as his attendance as a member
of the city council shows, he says he was
out on the ranch a large part of the time
looking after a well 300 feet deep that had
heen sunk there, and interesting himself
also in the stock that ranged over the
acres acquaed by himself and his asso
ciates.
As to his giving his address at Chey-
enne and not at the ranch. he has an ex.
PLANTATION of that. There was no postoi-
fee at the ranch. The nearest point that
he could give his correspondents bv nam
was Cheyenne and he gave it. 1t does
not seem to be anything IN the way of
pallitation of the unnecessary swearing in
dulged in that Governor Warren says he
paid $3.50 per acre for the land, and
would now sell it for 81 an acre if he could
get it. As for his other interests. and
his interests particularly in the Union
Pacific railway, neither he nor his friends
make any apology for his connection with
them. They Join in declaring that no
man in Wyoming ought to be censured or
condemned for being enterprising, even
with profit. As for his alleged friendship
for The Union Pacific. it is maintained that
that is not a necessarily blameworthy
feeling. for the territory yves about all
that it is to the fact that the Union Pa
cifc has made it possible to reach it. As
a result OF his push" Governor Warren
is not only governor, he is the head of
the electric lighting company that lights
the city of Cheyenne. he has a large com
mercial warehouse in the city, he is con-
nected prominently with range cattle en-
terprises that own lArge tracts in differ
ent parts of the territory, and he is inter
ested in development companies that
are retaining areas under the desert lands
act.
On the opposite side the men who have
been the most severe upon Governor
Warren have continued to be So, not be-
cause he wanted a little strip OF land that
no n else wanted, but that, having ac-
quired 1t by unnecessary perjury, he has
unskillfully persisted in attending to
prove an awkward job to be a meat and
innocent transaction. His enterprise is
His ability and public spirit and generosi-
he is bold. The opinion expressed is
that he seems to be virtual boss of
Wyoming. whether it be territory or
a state, and that he is reaching out Tor
property and making daring investments
as much for the political as for the money
power it will give him. When Mr..
Cleveland became president, Warren was
still governor, having been appointed b.
President Arthur in the last week of his
term of office. 1t is assumed that there
was some ~exigency that made it desirable
for him to be put in Just at the time he
was. Mr.. Sparks came in as land com
missioner. His scrutiny of land claims
and his suspension order interfered with
the projects of men who were getting
lands rapidly and easily under his prede-
cessor. Governor Warren sympathized
with the men who condemned Spai ks.
In the second report made by him as
governor under Cleveland, he INDUCED in
sharp criticism of Mr.. Sparks. He ex
pected to be removed. He was removed.
President Cleveland appointed as War
ren's successor Mr.. George w. Baxter of
Cheyenne, a man brought up at West
Point, an officer in the army until he
caught the fever for cattle speculation
when he resigned and became Il successful
king" He had some land by purchase.
Adjoining it was some government land.
He desired to use that also. The law
prohibited him from fencing government
lands. So he fenced his own lands by
what is known as the checkerboard
plan, y so as to include the government
land without entering upon it. He had
not proceeded without advice. His
father, Judge Baxter of the United
States court, advised him that his course
would be lawful. An agent of the land
office, spurred on. it is believed, by a Pc
lltical opponent, reported Governor Bax-
ter's alleged trespass. President Cleve-
land removed him at once and appointed
Governor Moonlight. Governor Warren
cannot be reasonably accused of any
share in this ousting of Governor Baxter,
for he has committed the same ofFense
himself. The case had been heard in the
territorial court, and a finding for Cover
nor Warren has been made. 1t now re
mains for the supreme court of the
United States to say whether the terri