The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-10-25
HON ESTEAD LAND FRAUDS,

In a recent discussion regarding the
proposed repeal Of the desert act, the
River Press took the position that the
measure is a great benefit to the west
and should remain in force, while
some other newspapers maintained
that land grabbing effected by evasion
of the requirements of the law furnish
es proper cause for its repeal. If
frauds that have been committed in
desert entries call for the repeal of the
desert act, what course is suggested
by frauds connected with homestead
filings. Would the land law reform
ers also demand the repeal of the
homestead law because its provisions
have been evaded by entrymen?
A writer in Maxwell's Talisman-a
publication which advocates the re-
peal OF the desert act-makes the start
ling declaration that not one home
stead in ten in the northwest is ac-
quired by honest compliance with the
provisions of the law. Here Is part
OF his indictment against frauds al
legged to have been practiced by home
stead entrymen:
In no other single place OF the public
land service of the United States is
the degradation OF the law to criminal
ends more clearly shown than in the
administration of the homestead act.
Vast as have been the stealings under
the cumberland, the m~ineral.land and
the desert-land acts, they become triv.
ial, almost inconsequent, when CON-
pared with the pilferings under the
homestead law.
An act Of national legislation, de-
signed t 0 conserve the public domain
, aud to secure its ultimate distribution
amongst actual settlers, for purposes
Of home-making, has been deliberately
and systematically prostituted to make
u cloak for theft; the officers Of the
law have been corrupted to act in col.
fusion with the thieves-often outright
and directly, or else what is hardly
better in principle and equal in effect
by indirection through that silence
which can be interpreted only as con.
sent.
First and last, since the year 1890,
when the systematic development OF
the big ''ranch" began, a mere hand.
full OF plotters, working under cover
Of the national homestead law, have
. segregated public lands of an area
greater than that OF any country in
Europe-larger than France. larger
than Austria-Hungary, more than
twice as large as all OF Great Britain.
And let it be kept in mind-for this
is in one sense the gist of the whole
narrative-that this huge graft has
t been made possible and has prospered
only through the connivance of land
5 Office agents and employees.
After careful personal investig alton
at land offices and in the field, in the
grazing country Of the west, and after
heart-to.hcart talks with several
< agents sent out from Washington 10
investigate conditions in a number OF
these states, | do not hesitate to say
S that not one homestead entry Out OF
n ten made within the last decade in the
ranching districts-mind this limita-
t ton, the ranchiug districts-has been
bona tide, Or made with the least pre-.
tense OF meeting the requirements OF
!, the law.
No reference is made to the trans.
!, actions of the actual settler, who, for
a one reason or another, missed strict
$ conformity with the terms Of the stat.
ute. He may be out of luck or merely
e careless: but so long as he is a verta.
BILE homesteader western ethics holds
him blameless. The man who needs rig.
o orous application of plain speech is