The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-08
ROBBED OF HIS HOMESTEAD.

ROBBED OF HIS HOMESTEAD.
Plutocratic Methods and InAuences
by Which Hard-WOrking and Hon
est Farmers Are Ousted From
Their Homesteads After Being In
Possession 30 Years.
The attention Of this association is called
to this case as outlined from the govern.
ments own brief
First-ReceiVers Office Sioux CITY iowa
Final Receivers receipt, No. ISL Applica-
ton No. 414
Received of Sylvester NJ Fairchihl the
sum OF fourteen dollars-cts.: being the
second half OF compensation of register and
receiver and balance Of payment required
by law for the entry of Lot No. 6, section
q, and NY Of NEA. and lot No. 8, Of rec
ton e. In township 90. Of range 81, contain
Ing 1876 acres. under the acts of congress
approved May 20. 1862. and March 21st 1864,
entitled an act to secure homesteads to
actual settlers on the public domain.
WIN. r. SMITH. Receiver
U. 8. Land Office. Sioux City, Iowa, Sept.
1sth 1876.
We. George H. Wright, register, and VIM.
r. Smith, receiver, of the U. g. Land Office.
at Sioux City. Iowa, do hereby certify that
July 18th. 1865. said Fairchild filed his dec
laratory statement No. 4H for lot No. 6 of
sec. q and the NY Of NEN. and lot No g.
OF soc. Is, township &c. range 81 west, as re-
Quired by law. We further certify the above
land was then offered and subject to entry
as preemption or homestead and that there
was no other claims filed against the above
described land or entries made thereon In
any manner or Of any kind, as shown by the
records of this Office.
GEO. H. WRIGHT, Register.
WIN. r. SMITH, Receiver
Third
Certincation by the government in 1871 Of
lands to the state of Iowa for the benefit OF
the DesMoines Valley Railroad Co., pre-
vtously selected as indemnity for the u. v.
River Co.. but not held by that company,
with this provision,
PROVIDED, that nothing In this act shall
be SO construed as to effect adversely any
existing legal rights or the rights Of any
party claiming title to any part Of said
lands under the provisions Of the so-called
homestead preemption laws Of the Uni
ted tates, or claiming any part thereof as
swamp lands.
had at this time lived six years on the
land, see date of my final receipt above, and
tell me how much title this provision gives
the New York millionaire who now holds
possession by the decision of a court.
Fourth-The decision of the commission
er Of the general land office and secretary Of
the interior, John W. Mobiles, in 1885, that
my patent be called back from the local
land Office and cancelled, together with my
homestead papers, was a wrongful act, and
the records showed that I was entitled to
the land, and under The adjustment act Of
congress- March 3, 1887, the railroad conf
pany was notified to release to the gov
ernment, but refused.
Fifth-Under that act W. H. H. Miller.
United States attorney general, IN 1880
brought this suit in the name Of the Unit ed
States to set aside the claim of the railroad
company. and James A. West their gran
tee.
Sixth-After 10 years occupation, $3.50
days and nights on the land. the attorney Of
the Stewart Bros, New York city, came
to our home and told us for a quit claim
deed and possession We could have $50, or
they would force rs of by suit in the
courts. Suit was brought in 1876 showed
my 10 years uninterrupted possession ard
the Iowa statutes and all prior court decls-
ions In the state that 10 years occupation
without interruption, with color Of title
held over any other claimant but Judge
Lewis broke the record, ignored the stat
utes and decided in favor of the wealthy
New Workers.. In 1856 suit was brought to
dispossess U.s. The Il jurors and the people
that filled the court room found the law
and evidence all In our favor, but Judge
Thomas took the case from the Jurors and
The affidavit Of jurors in the brief shows
that their verdict would have been in our
favor
Seventh-The records also show that the
N5,000 acres (given not granted) to the rail-
road company exceeded that amount by
1900 acres including my homestead except
ed out of the certifca1ion by the govern
ment, when In three months my patent was
due. Every government demand had been
met. The cost to US can never be COM
the evidence and tell me why the courts
should add our home TO the excess of 1850
acres to make It 1900; why did we 40.
receive a patent; why gre we not in pos
session Of our home today. See final re-
ceipt.
Eighth-The decision of the Judges of the
lower courts is that the homestead receipts
and patent from the government to me was
my defense, and that although the govern
ment had cancelled them l should have
brought suit to have them made good by
the courts. They wanted me to fight and
win, after my commander had turned all
my weapons over to the enemy and gone
with my ammunition over into their ranks
himself l now ask that the case be az
pealed to the United States supreme court.
but am denied the appeal by John W.
Griggs, whose duty 1t is as a salaried officer
and attorney general OF the United States
to take the case to the court of last re-
sort I am an American citizen free born,
loyal, but belong to that unfortunate class
known as farmers, by one United States
senator called mud stills Of society. Their
occupation is truly the foundation Of all
wealth, the life blood Of the commercial
systems Of the world, yet held up by legis-
lators and court Judges to be plundered
by corporations and money combines. The
records show that in the last q years In
questions Of title to their homes, as be-
tween the actual settler and the corpora
lions, 96 per cent Of these cases have by the
courts been decided in favor Of the cor
porations, since the adding Of the Fifteenth
amendment to the United States constitu-
ton. Farmers, white or black, seem to be-
long to the bred Scott family. having no
rights that the courts are bound to respect.
Eighth-The opinion Of the Judges being
80 at variance with the records, the evil
dence and the law governing the case, leav-
Ing me without one dollar for many years
Of toll, privation. want and exposure on the
frontier. my money still held by the gov
eminent, and the valuable improvements
on said land, the dispossessing of myself
and wife Of our home, all we had in our old
age turning It over to the heartless mill
ionaife that would not compromise with
me- but told me he would spend ten thou
sand dollars to beat me out Of nv home