The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1896-10-15
HE Is INDICATED.
INFAMOUS ATTACK ON GOV. CLOUGH
CLEARLY REFUTED.


CLEARLY REFUTED.
Senator Young and Representative
jacobson, the Authors of the
Hastings & Dakota Forfeiture
Bill, Emphatically Endorse Gov.
Clough's Action-Lind's Trumped-
Up Charge Proves a Boomerang.
Appleton, Mimi. Sept. SOTO the
Public: Our attention has been called
to an Inwarranted and entirely
groundless Islander upon Gov. Clough,
which is being sLfead through the
state by the Democratic state central
committee and numerous scandal-lOv-
Ing Democratic newspapers, concern
Ing the Hastings e 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 the case, by the au-
thors and publishers of this groundless
story, shows that they did not want
to lind out the truth. Solely in justice
to Gov. ClOugh, we desire to make this
unsolicited statement for the Lenefit of
those who care to know the facts:
Under land grant made to the state
in 1856, by congress, for the benefit of
the Hastings 4 Dakota Railway COM
pany. about $4,000 acres OF land in
Swift, Chippewa, Big Stone and Ste
vens counties were set apart for Gin
demnity" purposes. A 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. 1t was simply
grant to the state in trust for the rail
way company and the only question
involved was whether the lands should
go TO the Hastings e. Dakota company
or be restored to the government for
the benefit of the settlers who had
.'squatted'' 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-
lkota company lost its charter in 1887,
for failure to operate its line of road,
having so / the same to the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Pail company and
was given by law three years thereaf-
ter in which to wind up its affairs and
dispose ,of. its property. Withiny that
time 1t sold all its fproperty and as
signed all its claim TO these UNCERTAIN
Indemnity lands; to its vice presi-
dent, Russell Sage, of New York.
Commissioner Stone, therlast Repub-
1ican commissioner of the general land
office, had decided that the selection"
made by the company before the as
tsignnent 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 ssuch invalid selection,
the state virtually refused to receive
the. lands under the grant, or deed to
the rAiIWay company, or to Sage and
it's assfcnees, and directed the govern
or to reli1l0Itisll the lands on behalf OF
the state to, the government. But in
the fall of 1854 Mr.. Ho5e Smith, the
Democratic secretary of the i4;,erior,
oyerrrilad the former decision of Com
missioner Stone, and in November of
that year certified to the state small
part, shout 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 decided to
Sage, and it thereup n be" e 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, 80.
There was no secrecy or concealment
about this matter at any stage. These
facts were VIGOROUSLY of record and
well known to everybody interested.
The only people concerned, the resi-
dents on the land, knew that 1t 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 tn tract.
AS soon as the forfeit re bill was
passed Gov. Clough promptly relln-
ouished for the state the remaining
$4,000 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
ont his threat, and as he recently re-
signed his office to go out campaigning
for "free silver" the settlers may yet
get their lands. To abuse GOV. Clough
for performing his duty In TINS ma'. .9
ond chewing the plain direction OF the
law. and to add insult to injury by.
irving to foist upon him the odium Of
their own iniquity, is a piece OF bold
mendacity never before equalled Dy
even Democratic campaign commit
tee. =. =. 1ous,