, 1889-07-30
CARRoLL's COMPLIMENTS TO
CAREY.
To Hon. Joseph NJ. Carey:

CHEYENNE, Wyo, July 29.-From a
study of the local political machine pro-
longed through a period Of half a dozen
years or more several things have struck
me as being peculiar to this territory and !
hope they are regarded as extremely pecu
liar in all other communities. In the first
place there has been a very small body of
men, Of whom you are me-, who have set
themselves above the rank and file Of the
people, ~arrogated TO themselves privileges
which they denied TO everyone else and
through a system Of perpetual though
paper puffery have gradually come to be
regarded as omnipresent and omniscient in
everything that Appertains to human af-
fairs. Their newspaper ~henchmen have
endeavored to so interblend these person.
alities as one aud inserarable with the ter
rltory itself that criticism of their public
acts while occupying public positions has
been construed rs rank treason against
the government.
Whenever any one has presumed to
c%riticise them they have been made to
feel the weight of an influence, perhaps
directed through devious channels, but
nevertheless dangerous to the interests of
the private individual. Everything that
has lately been published in the Sun, aid
some of the matter has been inspired if
not actually written by yourself, has car
RED with it a covert but unmistakable
threat OF the dire vengeance which will
follow public criticism OF acts which else
where in this free land of ours are re-
Garded ms legitimate subjects OF criticism
if not censure. Throughout your entire
letter runs a vein of the same character.
Your expression that before another year
has completed its record those who have
been engaged in doing him GGovernor
Warrenl an objectionable wrong will
cnnge and cover at his feet
like whipped ours" Is an insult to the
manhood of every American citizen in
Wyoming. Governor Warren Is a pub
lie servant. His public acts are as leeiti-
mate a subject of criticism as those of his
immediate superior Gen Noble or the
president of the United States himself
If criticism of him is unjust or uniounded
in fact then it reacts on The individual or
newspaper that promulgates it. If it
is founded in truth and justice it is of in-
finite public good for it shows that the
newspaper or individual is no respecter Of
persons In so far as wrong-doing is con-
scrned, and the threats of vengeance
which pursue either is not simply a grave
injustice TO the individual or institution
but a menace TO that freedom of speech
for which the revolutionary fathers
uught.
In what THE LEADER has seen fit to
say about Governor Warren's pre.emp.
ton claim it has studiously avoided all
personal attacks upon the governor as an
individual. 1t has on more than one oc.
casion spoken favorably of his energy, his
ability and his shrewdncss. 1t now Just
as chcerlully pays the same tribute to his
his talents. But the presumption matter
involved a principle. 1t arose entirely
above the domain Of a personal contro-
versy. The matter had been given pub
licity in a New York paper over the sig.
nature Of a Republican. 1t then became
a subject of public notoriety and therefore
a legitimate matter of public information.
1t was hen given publicity in THE.LEAD-
Err and If it became widely known it was
more through the efforts of your own or.
gan calling perpetual attention to it and
failing to meet the charge than il was
through the individual presentation of 1t
in this paper. That ontest so lar as
TUE LEADER is concerned closed with
last Friday issue Of this paper. A semi
official defence appeared in the previous
days issue of the Sun. The matter has
therefore gone TO a jury composed of the
people of the country and there we are
willing to let it rest.
Lawyerlike, in your presentation of the
Warren matter you very successfully
dodge and obscure the only real issue that
was involved in this controversy. The
only question at issue was this: Did or
ulu not bONtTuOT aTTen OOUlln lrOuuu
ulent possession Of 1854 acres of govern.
ment land?" As to the value of the land
it cuts no figure in the case. Nalueless to
everyone else it must have been Of some
value to Governor Warren or he would
never, as you say he did. place improve.
ments upon 1t to twenty times the amount
required by law. You know the law on
the subject much better than | do, but
for your ediication | will quote from the
REPORTER. a scmi-oficial land office organ,
published in Washington, the syllabus Of
an opinion by Acting Secretary Muldrow
published in the April issue. Here it is;
six months OF occasional or periodical
visits, or ever continuous presence on the
land, not with a view to making it a per-
manent home, to the exclusion of one
elsewhere. but merely for the purpose o.
carrying out the letter of the departmental
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