The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-10-12


government, there is scarcely person
in the land who could not, without hest
tation, announce that Hoke Smith was
one of them. 1t is not thus for the
good that he has done, but by reason
of the illiberal Interpretation that he,
and those under him, have given TO
pension laws and the obnoxious man
ner i'm which they have endeavored to
carry out their interpretations that
have caused him to be so well remem-
bered.
But the administration of the duties
of the pension department is not alone
among the objects of the care of the
Secretary of the Interior. Within his
jurisdiction also are all matters per-
tanning to the government lands, grants
of land to railroads and other corpora
tons, and the abrogation OF such orig
inal grants, by reason OF the non-fultill-
ment of the conditions involved in the
grant, the claims of purchasers, pre-
emptors, homesteaders, etc These are
matters for his Judgment to decide
The power of the Interior Depart
ment to affect the fortunes of many
people for good or evil is strikingly IL
Illustrated by recent decision of Secre-
tary Smith regarding the title TO lands
in the western portion of the upper
peninsula of this state. The decision is
a matter of great misfortune to many
people-tO the homesteaders and set
tiers who supposed they had assured
ownership To the lands upon which
they had began To carve out homes in
the wilderness. Mr.. Smith has decided
that the homesteaders on the lands in
controversy have no rights whatever.
The lands go the corporation which
contested the homesteaders' and set
tiers claims.
On one side of this controversy are
poor men, settlers in wild country,
possessed of neither wealth nor inilu-
ence To properly assert their rights.
On the other baud was one of the rich
est and most powerful land corpora
tons in the state, with plenty of money
and influence with everything but
equity; and the corporation won.
1t seems strange that the secretary,
if he were imbued with sense of jus
tice, should have turned his back on
these settlers Oh lands that were in
right and equity public domain.
The lands involved in this controver-
sly lie mainly west of LAanse, in Bara-
ga, Ontonogan, Iron, Houghton aud
Gogebic counties Much of it is excel
lent sofia rich clay loan, well cover
ed with timber, much of which also is
valuable. They were embraced in "A
grant made by congress in 1856 to the
state of Michigan to aid in building
certain designated railroads in the Up
per Peninsula They were involved in
subsequent grants, the conditions of
which were never fulfilled and the lands
were never earned, until finally they
came to be IA part of the grant made To-
the Marquette, Houghton ~ Ontonogon
K. II. Co, which agreed to build a road
from Marquette, through L'Anse, To
Ontonogon. The road was built as far
as LAnse within the prescribed time,
but never extended farther. The COM
pany received the allotment of lands
due to it for the number of miles built,
and it was generally conceded that it
had forfeited all claim to any further
portion of lands which it would have
had if it had built the additional thirty
four miles to Ontonogon. Acting on the
belief that these lands would be restor-
ed to the public domain and be subject
to entry, numerous settlers came 10 oc-
cupy them They filed their claims un
der the homestead law and expected,
eventually, to receive title in full from
| the government. In one way and an
other the railroad company continued
| to maintain claim to these lands, al |
though no prctense could be made that
il had ever earned them.
Finally the Il. X. Co. transferred the |
great body of lands to which it had title |
and also those under consideration to a |
corporation known as The Michigan |
Iron Il Land Co., which corporation has |
carried on the fight against the settlers. |
The grounds on which the Secretary |
renders his decision is, that the Mich. |
Iron Il Land Co., as an innocent pur
chaser, is owner of the lands. He adj
mts that the NJ, II. IL D. Co. was not
entitled to them, but inasmuch as they
were once certified to the Co, although |
conditionally and wrongly so, and al
though the conditions were never com
piled with, still the present claimant is
an innocent purchaser and must be per-
mitted to hold the estate Surprising |
such ruling were to hold in ordinary |
transfers. what safety would there be
i'm titles Pass your. title to another
party, and the fraud becomes bona |
fide holding
Thus great body of valuable lands
are taken from the people and given to
wealthy corporation, and the govern
ment gets not a penny of compensation
for it. The decision entails IA real mis-
fortune-absolute ruin-to hundreds of
men, many with families, and is an adj
vantage to no one save the fortunate
owners of the stock of the corporation.
Can any one doubt that it would have
been just as easy for the Secretary to
have made his decision the reverse of
what he did make it? Could he not have
given multitude of reasons for so do
ing, any one of which would have been
far more valid than the one on which
he basis his decision? Would not po-
sition so taken have been far more in
accord with justice and public policy
than the decision rendered?
The Democrats have much to say in |
their platforms and i'm their speeches
about their sympathy with the common
people and their opposition to grasping
corporations and the money power.
Here is a Dractical illustration-a real