The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-10-22
HE Is VINnICATED,
INFAMOUS ATTACK ON GOV, CLOUGH
CLEARLY REFUTEr.

Hastings q Dakota Forfeiture
Bill, Emphaticaly Endorse GOV.
Coughs Action-:.ind's Trumpet
Up Charge Proves boomerang.
Appleton, Mimi. Sept 3O-To the
Public: Our attention has beenscalled
to an lnwarranted and entirely
groundless SANDER upon Gov. Clough.
which is being spread through the
state by the Democratic state central
committee and numerous Scandal-l0v-
ing Democratic newspapers, concern
ing the Hastings & Dakota land for
fixture bill. passed at the last session
Of the legislature. Representing the
counties where The land involved is
situated, we were the joint authors Of
the bill; and the fact that no inquiry
has ever been made of either Of us
about the fact OF tle case. by the an
thors and publishers of this groundless
story, shows that they Gid not want
to find out the truth. Solely in justice
to Coy. Cough. we desire to make his
unsolicited statement for the benefit of
those who care to know the facts:
in 1856. by congress, for the benefit of
the HASTINGS Il Dakota Railway COM
pany. about 10000 acres OF land in
Swift, Chip. eva, Big Stone and Ste
venS counties were set apart for In
demnlty purposes. 4 conflict be
tween this and another grant delayed
the government adjustment of the
matter until after 1873. 1t must be
borne IN mind that the state never had
any interest, title or claim to this
tract as state land. It was simply a
grant to the state in trust for the rail
Wa% company, and the only question
involved was whether the lands should
go TO the Hastings {, Dakota company
or be restored to the government for
the benefit of the settlers who had
'sGUatted' thereon. The cOngressiOn-
al grant provided that the grant, when
earned and properly selected by the
company, should be certified to the
state by the secretary of the interior,
and it was thereupOn made the duty
of the governor, without any option on
his part, to deed the lands to the rail
way company. The Hastings & Da-
kOta company lost its charter in 1887,
for failure to operate its line of road,
having sold the s.. re TO the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul company. and
was given by law three years thereaf-
ter in which to wind up it's affairs and
dispose OF it's property. Within that
time it sold all it's property and as
signed all it's claim to these uncertain
''indemnjty'' lands to it's vice presi-
dent. Russell Sage of New York.
lcc 7,
lican commissioner of the general land
office had decided that the selection
made by the company before the as
Signment to Sage was invalid. Act
ing upon the strength of this decision,
and competent legal advice, for the
purpose Of aiding the settlers thereon
to get these lands, we drew and Sc
cured the passage of the bill, where
by. because of such invalid selection,
the state virtually refused to receive
the lands under the grant, or deed to
the railway company, or to Sage and
it's assignees, and directed the govern
or to relinuuish the lands on behalf of
the state to the government. But in
the fall of 1894 Mr.. Hoke Smith, the
Democratic secretary of the interior,
overruled the former decision of Com
missioner Stone, and in November OF
that year certified to the state small
part, about 5000 acres. OF this tract,
for the exclusive benefit Of Russell
Sage, under the old grant. The Demo
cratic auditor of state certified the list
to the governors Office to be decided to
Sage, and it .ererpon became the i'm
perative duty of the governor, in obey
ing the law, to sign the deed. This
was the state of affairs when Gov
Clough took the Office in January, '95
There was no secrecy or concealment
about this matter at any stage. These
facts were VIGOROUSLY of record and
we'll known to everybody interested
The only people concerned, the resi-
dents on the land, knew that it was
the Democratic administration at
Washington. and not Gov. ClOugh
that had turned them down in the
matter of the tract of 5000 acres, and
they also knew that Gov. ClOugh was
compelled, under the law, to sign the
deed when he did for that tract.
AS soon as the forfeiture bill was
passed Gov. Ciough promptly relin-
uuished for the state the remaining
5000 acres: but TIE same Democratic
secretary again ruled against the set
tiers. He absolutely refused to let the
state relinquish, md declared that ne
would certify all of these lands to the
state, for the benefit of Sage, whether
the state was willing to receive them
or not. and thus deprive the settlers OF
their homes. He has not yet carried
out his threat, and as he recently re.
signed his office to go out campaigning
for "tree silver" the settlers may yet
get their lands. To abuse Gov. Clough
for performing his duty in this matter
and obeying the plain direction of the
law, and 10 add insult to injury by
trying to foist upon him the odium OF
their own iniquity, is a piece OF bold
mendacity never before equalled by
even a Democratic campaign commit
tee. e. T. Young,
j +. Jacobson.