Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1897-01-18
PIECE OF PETTY BONCOMBE.
SECRETARY FRANCIS UNION PAc'
FIG LAND ORDER.
ostensibIy to Benefit the Owners OF
the Lands, but Really to Make
n Show at Hitting the
Railroad.

Washington. Jan. 17.-(SpeciaD Since
the Kansas members have had time TO read
and digest the different documents which
have issued from the interior department
relative to the complications created by the
Topeka land officials over the entry OF
Union Pacific lands in Kansas they have
come to the conclusion that the modifica-
tions which they supposed they had eX-
torted from that department in favor OF the
present owners of the land do not modify
to the extent they supposed The whole
business assumes an appearance as if the
interior department expected TO retire from
business with show of hitting the Union
Pacific a last blow in order to be thor
oughly in line with the anti-Pacific policy.
In his response to the Broderick reSolu-
tion, asking for Il statement why entries
are allowed to be listed by the Topeka Of
ficials, Secretary Francis calls attention
to the fact that he has so modified the
order of Hoke Smith to require the al
tdavits of two disintereSted parties con-
corning the bona fideS of the purchasers OF
the land. Just there is the hitch that raiS-
difficulties in the path of the present
owners TO prove the legality of their hold
ings- 1t is represented that many of them
will be unable to produce the affidavits OF
two disinterested parties. II was hoped
that the order would be so modified as to
reEder conclusive the proof of the owner Of
the land in connection with the affidavits
and other proof furnished by the Union
Pacific land department. 1t has been the
practice of the railroad company TO estab-
iiSll bS tIlt dHludNllS OF TWO OI ltS own
officers the bona fide sale of such lands
it desired patented. The department now
takes the exalted position that the gov
ernment must be protected against the
railway and in closing his report TO con-
gress In reply to the Broderick resolution,
the secretary says:
THE rights of settlers or of bona fide
purchasers have not been injured or jeop-
ardized, nor will they be. under the order
mentioned. Lands occupied by settlers or
by bona tide purchasers will be patented
to the railway company as rapidly
the proof required is presented: but in my
judgment the ruling that no other lands
should be patented to said railroad COM
pany Is a proper one and should be en-
forced until the indebtedness of the Union
Pacific Railway Company to the govern
ment is adjusted
That the owners of the land will be pro-
tected Is not questioned, but the obstacles
which are thus thrown in their way to
clear their titles are deemed unnecessarily
harsh and unwarranted, and subject the
interior department to severe criticism.
The policy of that department, 1t is un-
derstood. is to protect the owners ulti-
mately by having the government give
them title to their lan6s through q con-
gressional measure of relief, and to pun
ish the railway company by refusal to
patent the lands which 1t sold to settlers
through the roundabout way prescribed by
the department. 1t does not require great
mental acumen to see that the difficulties
thus thrown into the path of the present
owners of the land are made more COM
pllcated than before. and, apparently. for
no purpose other than that of making d
show at Furnishing the Union Pacific.