, 1890-08-19

pactly as it can well be done. The in
terview was as follows:
a Sun reporter called at the land office
in this city and questioned Register
Champlin as to the effect of the attorney
generals decision: The peril of the
situation. SAID Major Chaplin, cannot
be overestimated. l have read the de
cision and may get Geographic ~instruc-
tons to suspend entries at any moment"
Does this decision cover all classes OF
entries, maior2'
Yes, sir, you couldn't make a timber
culture, homestead. presumption or des-
ert entry, except upon the peak OF some
mountain, and not even then If a nil of
water should gush out up there. Only
mineral entries can be made"
Then the land offices would have no
business to DO" said the reporter.
II should say not said the major.
1T would clese up every land Office in
the territory, to say nothing of other
states and territories affected" But
that is not all, " he continued, the act
has been in force since October, 1888. 1t
is therefore retroactive-all entries made
since the passage Of the act may be can
celed by order of the department in con
formity to this law
WIN has not this law been enforced?"
We'll, y said the register, II suppose
the secretary took a Common sense and
liberal view of the matter and preferred
not to execute such provisions unless fully
supported by legal authority. He has
given the people the benefit Of the doubt
until now"
What will he do now?p
u can only give 0 my opinion. |
thsnE thn aaarntor, &c IL. ill ,,.o
his influence to have the law properly
amended. He has already suggested this.
That be will not willingly infict such a
lieve.
Isn't this the legislative crime of the
century," asked the Sun scribe.
ut is, indeed. from our standpoint. 1t
Is of vastly more importance than the
statehood matter. To Wyoming IL is the
ight for life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Our boards OF trade. city
councils. county and territorial authorities
should move in this matter. A storm of
indignant protests should rise all over the
West"
II have already this morning ad-
dressed an urgent letter to Judge Carey
upon this very subject. A repeal or
amendment of this act is Of vital import
nnce to the welfare OF thus territory.
Wyoming needs immigration and devel.
opment, and these we cannot have under
the operation of this act. 1t will be a
long term Of years before Powell's costly
experimental surveys and impracticable
theories will be utilized, if ever. The
world may come TO an end. or this gen.
Grafton under the sod ere that period ar
rives. In the meantime. as the poet says,
we must act. act in the living present"
The Republicans have plumed them
selves a great deal upon the liberality Of
their western land policy. They have
shrieked it from the stump, they have
howled about it in their papers and they
have made plsnks Of it for their political
platforms. 1t has been Judge Carey's
chief stock in trade and he has harped
upon it until even his alleged benefciaries
have grown tired of hearing oft. But
what has he done TO avert what is
nothing short OF an absolute calamity
to Wyoming and the entire
arid region? Apparently not a
thing. Everybody was under the i'm
preston that the law had already been
modified, but it is now evident that this
is not the case. The Democratic admin
istration may have many sins to answer
for in the administration OF the land laws,
but it is left for a Republican administra-
ton to withdraw all public land from
entry, destroy all emigration and cripple
hundreds OF settlers scattered over the en-
tire Rocky mountain country.
Judge Carey and his Republican friends
have much to answer for to the outraged,
villified and abused Western settlers.