Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-12-20

DURING the past week land patents have been received here that passed the local office not more than four months ago. Such thing never before occurred in the history of rhe land office. During Cleveland's admins alion printed cir culars were sent 10 all local land offices l directing this attention to the fact that claimants to public lands must not ex- pect to receive patents for same under three years from the time of receipt of i Tinal proof in Washington. But under the nre elt administrator from four to SIX months Is all the tune required for patent to issue. During the lasS year of the VilaE-SUocksldger admnis..c tion. ll5,000 applications for patents were suspended in the general land office oI charges Of su opposed fraud, and a special court of inquiry was instituted to inves tigate same and harrass claimants by long and wearisome delays. Not only has this enormous bulk of e-ial been disposed of but the office is squarely abreasG of its work and settlers may now expect patents to their lands with in a few months from date Of making an acce ptable proos. 1t is the policy of the present National Administration to aid and encourage settlers to make home, on the public lands aad thus el- rich themselves and country by their labor. The reverse of this policy was pursued by the democrats. Every homesteader and pre-emptor on public lands, were resarded as land grabbers, and special agents were sent to spy out any little shortcomings that existed either in fact or fLncy, and report the entTy for cancellation. The number of en- tries reported fraudulent by special agArt Nj. R. Slater, in this district dur-,g his thEye years incumbency, sx ceod the to,a; of all others since the office was esta 1,ishe i1 Arizona. And it IS notorious fact hat not one case of the m@ny brought to trial, ever resulted il a conVic,ioJ, out it frequently cost the claimant more than the land was worth 10 defend it, and the government more to prosecute han the land woGld bring it if sold at double min imum rates. Slater, however, was not to blame for this, but hIs superiors WHO stood behind and required this of him. That gentleman informed the writer that he twas once censured by the department, for not reporting more than one fraudulent land entry a day Astonishing as this may appear, MT Slater claims to have the documen- tary proof that will make good his as sertion. Under the Sparks Villas and Stockslager reign every locator on pub- lie lands was adjudged rogue until he proved his innocence, but under the wise and liberal decisions of the Hon. John s. Noble and Commissioner Lewis A. Groff every settler is accounted, innocent until proven otherwise. Good faith in the homesteador and pre-emptor, will cover many laches of the law. and the honest settler will everywhere be strengthened in his rights. Between the two admin istrations the comparison must be odious to the democracy.
 MINISTER MIzNER made a bad matter worse when he said that Baruudia was given up because the Guatamalans threatened to sink the American ship ping. Ben Butler would have respond ed promptly to such a threat by taking of his coat and thrashing the ground with the grand nogul of the Guatama- Ian government.