The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-22
FRIENDS Of BRYAN
Gobbling Land in hebraska's
Short-Grass Country.
UNDER THE RESERVOIR ACT
Matter Almost a. Political
Issue In That State.


ervoir act In this land district. which gave
rise to the reports, were made by none
other than two former law partners and
several other present political allies Of
William Jennings Bryan.
The press Of this state has become In
volved in a heated controversy over the
question as to who originated the charges
against. the former Senator, now Judge
Allen, the charges as being intended to
injure him in his prospective candidacy
for seat on the bench OF the state SUI
preIne court. The error originated in
the installing the name of William F.
Allen, an Omaha business man, for that
of William V. Allen, the ex-senator.
Already since April II last declaratory
| statements under the reservoir act have
been fled in the Broken Bow land office
covering 59S.56O acres in this district.
The ball was set rolling on April Y,
when ]. Harley Edmiston. ex-oil inspec-
| tor, chairman of the Populist state central
| committee, and manager OF Judge Aliens
last campaign for election to the United
States Senate, in which he was defeated
| by NJ l.. Hayward, Republican. came
here with his brother-in-law, James H
! Peterson, the two making entries on
eight calims of 16O acres each, Edmiston
on Ave and Robertson on three.
They came back on April % with
Thomas Allen, former law partner Of w.
]. Bryan, but not related to ex-senator
Allen; W. F. Schwind, for a long time
-
lately clerk Of the Populist state senate;
and Cecil B. Knowles, a member of the
same political coterie.
At that time these FIVE men made en-
tries on twenty-one claims Of 16o acres
each.
The list was completed when May II
A. r. Talbot, the third member Of the old
law firm of Bryan, Talbot and Allen Of
Lincoln, made application for entry On
four claims. three being accepted.
This brought the total land entered upon
by the members Of this party, and all IN
the same locality, up to thirty-two quar-
ter sections, or 5,120 acres. Their claims
under the reservoir act lay in townships
q and g Of ranges % and 20. all in
Thomas county. At somewhat later
date entries on large tracts OF public land
under the same act of congress were
made in the O'Neil district by William F.
Allen of Omaha, who also Is not a relative
Of ex-senator Allen. Out of the filing OF
these last entries came the assertions
printed some time ago in the Nebraska
State Journal TO the effect that the bill
which was approved In January, 1897, was
sneaked through congress and that Sena-
tors Allen and Thurston were in some
measure responsible for this; that Senator
Pettlgrew was instrumental in having
what the Jouranl calls the big land
swindle law" made active. and later that
ex-senator Allen, besides being possibly
interested in the filings made by others.
had made filings himself in the Broken
Bow district
But the assertions made by the Nebras-
ka paper were nothing compared TO with
the statements printed I'm the New York
Tribune subsequently and under a Wash
ington date line. in which positive dec
larations were made that ex-senator Al
len had filed entries on 10000 acres of land
in the Broken Bow district and was stin
filing on three or four claims a day; that
the officials of the land Office here had
appraised the general land Office of the
fact. and conveying the impression that
the statements had enanated from no less
authoritative a source than the officials of
the general land office themselves.
Frank H. Young receiver. and James |
Whitehead. register Of the land Office here |
in the first place deny tina: ex-senator
Allen has filed any claims in this ONCE, |
and Land Commissioner Binger Hermann,
in Washington confirms the denial.
Moreover fuller explanation of the |
error which COMPOUNDED the ex-senator |
with the Omaha man Allen comes today |
from Lincoln. The report involving the |
name OF the ex-senator 1t appears, first |
gained currency and credence at Alliance, |
Neb., where William F. Allen made his |
largest entries. There II was heard by c. |
H. Morrill, Of Lincoln. Mr.. Morrill, was in |
terested In the report for two rasons. |
First as personal representative and !
agent in the west for c. z. Perkins presi- |
dent OF the Burlington system, Mr.. Morrill, |
is interested In all that pertains to lands. |
investments, grazing. and town sites |
along the various Burlington lines. Sec
ond. Mr.. Morrill, is a leading Republican I
and formerly was chairman OF the Repub-
lican state central committee. At any /
rate. believing the story about ex-Sena-
tor Aliens alleged land grabs to be true,
Mr.. Morrill, was not slow in speaking
OF the matter and as a result the story
got into print. first In this city and later
in the east
But the agitation concerning the matter.
though 1t has resulted IN showing that
no smirch attaches TO the one-time Sena-
torial tOga or the present judicial ermlne
OF William Vincent Allen by reason % any
land grab under the reservoir act. has
mede the act something % q political is-
sue In Nebraska. where the grazing inter
ests are 90 large as TO make the terms
and eutworkings OF importance. Scrutiny
Of the measure Itself. which has naturally
resulted from the hue and cry over Il.
has led 10 the common opinion. as IL was
passed and bare OF any rulings, Il was cal
culated 70 work harm.
Senator Pettigrew from whom even the |
most radical PopuIIsts here do not seem
10 have unmeAsared admiration. L. cred
tied with being the father Of the hIll.
But Senator Allen also IL credited with
having worked for Its passage, which Il
said 70 have been accomplished In a quite,
and almost olsndessine manner More
over. Il = common report that Judge A.
len who as senator. helped &c pass this
qnesuonSoie law. zspIres 10 SIT axzss IN |
.ae natio1S highest leSisiatfve asss~n