The Van Buren press., 1896-08-08


ON Public Lands Should be
Fayorabiy Considered.
The best of land must have1he besE
OF title, otherwise land buyers will re-
gard it with suspicion. The man who
buys land for a home will accept no
title but perfect one. Spectators
may be willing to take risks, but as
rule they too are exaeting on the score
OF clear title. Land can be robbed of
its good name, for it's character, so to
speak, may be aspersed. Let the report
go abroad that certain tract of land
has defective title with chances of
being involved ultimately in litigation,
and 1t begins Immediately to depreci-
ate. One man, it is said, can spread an
evil report faster than ten men can re-
par damages consequent upon it. Re-
cent controversies involving the title of
lands coded by the United States to
railroad companies have tended to
greatly depress land transactions in Ar
kansas. Not only has the sale of rail
road land been checked, but also the
sale of farm lands in all parts of the
state has received backset. The cause
is the effect of adverse advertising. 1t
became known abroad that the title of
vast bodies of land in Arkansas is in
litigation. 1t is unfortunate for the
state that the district United States at
torney instituted suits against the rail
al
of lands claimed to have been patented
to the railroad by mistake 40 years ago.
lnasmuch as large amount of that
land long ago passed into the
Possession of Innocent Purchasers,
who in turn decided it to others. 1t
seems the government should devise
some other method of correcting its
own errors than q suit at law, for re-
conveyance Labor and cost involved in
such proceeding are not the only points
to be considered though sufficiently
important and weighty-there is the
unfavorable and damaging effect of adj
verse advertising, which is likely to
prove check to land sales for years to
come.
The controversy between the United
States and the state of Arkansas, grow
ing out of an unndiusted account, has
been detrimental to the state and peo-
Pile for years. The public lands COM
nittee of the lower house of congress
had under consideration for a period of
three months bill looking to COM
promise and settlement of existing
claims between the United States and
state of Arkansas, which made report
decidedly favorable to the state, and
which is so regarded by our congress-
men, as well as almost every person
who has carefully studied the subject.
A thorough examination of the account
ing, as shown in the printed report of
the public lands committee, shows con-
clusively that the state is getting the
best of the settlement by hundreds of
thousands of dollars. By the terms of
this settlement innocent purchasers of
land from the railroad company hold
ing under patent from the government
are protected by the United States.
This is as it should be. The bill pro
vides, moreover, that the state shall re-
linquish any right, title and interest it
may have under the swamp-land grants,
and to the lands that have been in con-
troversy between the state and railroad
company, amounting to 172, 900 acres.
Other Favorable Features of the Bill.
There is also a condition in the bill
reported that the title to unconfrmed
swamp lands in the state which have
been entered under the public land
laws shall be confirmed in the owners
without payment of any money to the
United States. While the value of in
demnity lands was reduced from 50 to
81 so per acre, the committee credited
the state with sufficient amount OF
unconfirmed swamp land at 81. 25 per
acre, thereby leaving the balance $780,
572, as found in the compromise by the
secretary of the treasury, secretary of
the interior aud Gov. Clarke. The bill
as reported by the committee is a most
favorable settlement for Arkansas, and
places at rest land titles which have
been in dispute for many years to the
detriment of the states development
and advancement. 1t devolves upon
the legislature and governor of ArlSan-
sas to accept the compromise and set
Element submitted by the congressional
committee on public lands. Every cit
zen of Arkansas has direct interest in
the speedy acceptance by the state OF
the conditions agreed upon at Washing
ton. Further delay and supplemental
argument will lead to additional annoy
ance and loss to land owners, as, while
the question remains unsettled, land
conveyance will languish and immigra-
ton will be repealed to a great degree.
We need immigration and capital and
no impeachment should be suffered to
obstruct their march. If every citizen
will investigate thoroughly the compro-
mise measure he will decide it is far
better to accept the compromise than
to further prolong the controversy in
hopes of getting few thousand more
dollars out of the United States.
We Must Get Cat of the Rut.
The balance of trade is against Ark
ansas. 1t is possible the raw material
sent out Of the state annually exceeds
the amount paid for manufactured
goods. but the balance Of trade is never
theless against us. We must get out
of the rut. Too long have the people
of other states done the work which
sbould have been done here. Our peo-
ple are idle while the mechanics OF
northern and eastern states are en-
paged in manufacturing articles for