The San Francisco call., 1896-03-15
Favoritism Shown in Awarding
Final Proof Notices for
Publication.
IS PUT ASIDE
Democratic Editors Appeal to Wash
ington Authorities Against the
Unfairness.

the records of some of President Cleve-
lands Cabinet officers and many OF his ap-
pointees in disregarding plain provisions
of the laws of the land and constituting
other laws to suit their convenience and
disposition, S. P. Patrick, register of the
Land Office at Visalia, must be man
after Growers own heart. According to
reliable information Register Patrick has
not only disregarded an explicit and man
datory law respecting the publication OF
homestead final proofs, but an unbroken
chain of precedents at the Visalia office as
well.
1t is the custom to comply with the law
in publishing notices of final proof in
newspapers printed nearest the land de-
scribed in the settlers application. Regis
ter Miller. who conducted the affairs of
the Visalia Land Office during Mr.. Cleve-
lands first term, rigidlv adhered to the
plain provision Of the law, regardless of
the politics or other predictions of the
newspaper published nearest to the land
described" M. J.Wright, Mr.. Harrison's
appointee, followed the example of Regis
ter Miller and his other predecessors at
the Visalia office.
violate this law and at the same time hold
on to his office. The registers conduct in
this particular has been the means Of
bringing down upon his official head the
maledictions of q half dozen editors. Some
of these newspaper men are stanch Demo-
Gratis and Patrick will hear from them in
tones loud and long. Editor Dewey of the
Lemoore Leader is in the vanguard of this
fight against Register Patrick.
The first discrimination made by Regis
ter Patrick occurre soon after his induc-
ton into Office, ana was against the Le-
moore Leader, a weekly newspaper then
conducted by Gill & Son. The senior
Gill had in some manner incurred the dis
pleasure of Patrick. and the latter sought,
it seems, to get even with the editor by
denying him the privilege of publishing
any land notices, regardless of said lands
contiguity to Gill's newspaper.
Gill & Son subsequently sold the Leader
TO Wilbur T.. Dewey who, soon after he
took charge, reminded Register Patrick of
his duty and the law III the case. The
Register disregarded Mr.. Dewey's request,
and instead of awarding him the advertis-
ing placed it il the Hanford Democrat, a
paper which had been launched in the
meantime.
1t was then that Editor Dewey made his
complaint to the Commissioner of the
General Land Office at Washington, D. C.
Since that time the contest of authority
and opinion has been kept up between the
gritty editor and Mr.. Cleveland's register
at Visalia.
Having established his own precedent
and put his own construction on the law in
the case, Patrick did not hesitate to dis
criminate against other country news
papers in his district which had just
claims upon the registers consideration
by being published nearest the land ce-
scribed. Among these are the Delano
Courier, Traver Advance, Tulare County
News, Kern County Californian, Exeter
Penny Press and the Hanford Sentinel
The editors of all these newspapers are
preparing an onslaught upon Register Pat
rick, who will find his official path any
thing but "downy" in the future.
Whether the claims of these gentlemen
will have any effect at Washington is
problematical. The next issue of their
journals will contain some mighty
interestin' readin' " for Register Patrick
and the Land Office Department at Wash
ington.
The settlers, too, whose interests are at
stake and whose titles may be clouded by
the proceedings of Register Patrick, are up
in arms over the matter, and are denounc-
ing that gentleman in unstinted terms.
In support of his position Register
Patrick in his correspondence with the
department at Washington referring to
Editor Dewey of the Lemoore Leader and
his brother, F. V. Dewey of the Hanford
Journal, used this language:
1.-The Leader never has been. is not now
nor can be Democratic journal while
controlled by any member of the Dewey
family. They are lot of journalistic
freaks and have no political convictions"
When it is remembered that Editor +.
V. Dewey controls one of the stanchest
Democratic journals in the San Joaquin
Valley and himself is a member of the
Democratic State Central Committee, the
allusion to that gentleman may be re-
garded somewhat strange.
The case as it now stands before the Land
Office at Washington may be very accu-
rately determined by Mr.. Dewey's latest
communication, with accompanying ex-
hibits, to the Land Commissioner. In the
course of the communication Mr.. Dewey
says:
Mr.. Patrick probably INDUCES in joke when
he says that by virtue of seven years. expert
ence as publisher of the Tulare Times he be-
came well acquainted with the status of all
papers published in Tulare and adjoining
counties, and then, by way of illustration,
shows how well he was acquainted with their
standing for character and stability" by ad
mitting that before he had published one final
proof notice the requisite number of times one
of the papers in which he ordered the said
notice published died of newspaper fits by an
overdose OF public pap" from his Office, and
another one (the Review to whom he gave
patronage died only six months later.
In conclusion,we inclose you herewith sworn
proofs as against Mr.. Patrick's mere assertions,
on the two questions upon which the case at
issue rests, viz: Is the Lemoore Leader paper
OF general circulation, and has it the proper
financial backing to insure the publication of
final proof notices in accordance with the law?
Fresno to Grant a Franchfse.
FRESNO, CAL, March 14.-It is under
stood that Tho PnorJ of C;fy Tru OF