Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-02-01
EXCELLENT
SELECTION
That Is What tho People Of Pscos Valley Call
Tho Rsppointmsnt Of Governor 0tsro.
BEAL'S LAND GRANT FRAUD
They Cleared the Hunbus In tho United States Supreme
Court Once But Again Sought TO bs Taksa Up 10
tho Dstrlmsnt Of Eastern New Mexico.

tho Dotrlment OF Eastern New Mexico.
Special Correspondence New Mexican.
| Carlsbad. N. M, Jan. 29.-The peopl
of the Pecos valley country are wei
pleased over the confirmation of Cover
nor Otero. They gave him every pos
slble assistance in his candidacy, ant
while having had no fear as to his ul
| innate success, have viewed with dis
pleasure and disgust the bitter ant
personal fight waged against him b!
| few men who believe themselves tt
be personally aggrieved. A hot polit
ical combat Is good elixir. but com.
bat of venemous personalities Is not tc
the liking of Pecos valleylte. Cover
nor Otero has been a stanch friend OF
this section of the territory Over and
above his excellent conduct of affairs
for the whole territory he has never
failed to give aid and assistance to the
men and interests of the two Pacos val
ley counties, and 1t is due and proper
that he should know the people are ap-
preciative.
Were 1t not for the great distance in
tervening and the circuitous route nec-
essary to reach Santa Fe, there would
be large delegation present to wit
ness the inaugural ceremonies on Sat
urday. but until more direct railway
communication is established between
Eddy county and the northerly points
of the territory, the people here will
have to content themselves. and the
people up there be satisfied with mes
sages of friendship and good cheer.
And now the Pecos valley country is
asking assistance from the rest of New
Mexico. Assistance to combat the eff
forts Of certain men who are seeking to
fasten upon its broad and rich acres a
blighting, progress-crushing land
grant AS the New Mexican has alrea-
dy stated, bill has been introduced in
congress by that dear good friend Of
New Mexico, Representative Curtis OF
Kansas, to permit claimants Of the
Beales grant. lying principally in Eddy
and Chaves counties, to institute pro-
ceedings in the court Of private land
claims to prove their title.
Briefly, the facts and status of the
case are as follows: .iss as'sse's : court
Of the United States in 1891 passed upon
the claims of the men protesting to own
the rights conferred by this grant. and
declared most positively and emphati-
cally that there was no valid title. The
grant people know this; and have no
hope that they will ever be able to es-
tablish sufficient title. Their sole
hope, and the result for which they are
working, Is to get the matter into
court, and there hold 1t, delaying set
tlement. or any action whatever. by
every possible means.
On April Of this year. all drift
fences on the public domain must be
the year Of grace granted
the cattlemen by the interior depart
ment expiring on that date. The cat
tlemen are averse to taking down these
fences and have entered into a combi-
nation with these grant claimants to
aid the latter in pushing the present
bill through congress-, which If success
full, will put them in a position to go
to the interior department and say:
Now the title to this land Is in con-
troversy; is being investigated by the
court Of private land claims; until 1t
Is determined whether the title is in the
government or in us. present conditions
and fences should not be disturbed"
and in all probability the department
would acquiesce. The longer, then, the
combination could delay
matters In court the longer could 1t
drift. or more correctly, pas
ture fences.
The bill Is very ingenlously drawn.
The grant people ask for nothing-but
an opportunity to get into court. Ger
tainly shaped as 1t is the average con-
yressman would say they were asking
nothing unreasonable, and his natural
impulse would be to accede to the re-
quest. For this reason the people of
New Mexico must be energetic in point
ing out the sinister features of the bill.
The bill in one of Its provisions. pro-
vides for an appeal from the decision
If the court Of private land claims to
he United States supreme court. 1t
leglects to state that an appeal has al
'eady been enjoyed by the grant peo-
pie, in the year cited. 1891, and the de-
,ision Of the court was to the effect
hat they had no title. How many
lines is the supreme court expected to
pass upon this point? Should not this
,oint alone cast suspicion on the bill?
The grant people may have some-
hing up their sleeve in the provision
II the bill which provides that in the
Of this suit the courts
hall be governed by the treaty Of
Guadalupe Hidalgo. the law Of ma
Ions, the laws. usages and customs of
he government from which the claim
8 derived. and the principles of equi-
"" Evidently the men who drew the
ill know what the laws and customs
# the Republic of Mexico are, and ev-
too, they are not unfrfendly to
he claims which these men are putting |
orth.