The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-03
A BAD FAILURE.

We notice that the Hon Fisher Hnr-
ris, former member Of the State Land
Board, makes formal announcement
that that Board was not guilty of any
infraction Of the law, of morals, or of
ethics, in It's dealings with the public
lands in its charge Necessarily this
clearance is an arrnigument of the Fed
cral officials who have fled suit in the
United States court here making that
Land Board defendant. among others
against charges formally filed, And it is
unbecoming in that il undertakes TO
forestall the public judgment on
matter under progress Of judicial in
vestigation.
IT is no doubt a satisfaction to Mr..
Harris TO make this announcement and
clear himself and his associates Of the
old Land Board in the manner that he
does At the same time he can hardly
expect his findings to be conclusive.
Without undertaking TO pronounce in
the least upon the guilt or the inno-
ccnce Of any one, we cite the fact that
a plea Of guilty is very rare, especially
in such cases, and Mr.. Harris s findings
at the best can amount TO little else
than a plea of not guilty. But this is
precisely what is expected; and prac-
tically no new light is shed upon the
case by this plea or by any other plea
of not guilty.
The fact is, and this is well known
and understood by every discerning
person in the State, that the lands do
mated by Congress for various pur-
poses in the State Of Utah have fallen
very short of yielding the provision for
those funds that could and should have
been made, and that Congress no doubt
intended. In few cases have the maxi
mum results been attained. In great
many cases the results as attained seem
really to be away below any reasonably
expected minimum. In all this. Of course,
we do not charge any criminality; nor
do we undertake TO pass upon the case
which is filed in the court here, which
the court will deal with in its own good
time and in n judicial manner, so as TO
get al the facts involved in the action.
II is bad ethics for any one to publicly
discuss the merits of the case pending
found trespassng on this point.
What we should hope from the suits,
however, is that something might be re-
NbNfi'b VI lnt lduhS WDSIelUllN OF
wrongfully taken, at less than fair
price, from the funds TO which they
were devoted All Of the land trust
funds for educational purposes, for
building purposes, for reclamation pur-
poses, all have yielded amounts so far
below expectations that the results
seem to be very largely an aggrava-
tion rather than a satisfaction, The
Federal Government made princely pro-
vision for all Of the trust beuefciaries
of this State. That princely provision
has not been realized, and so far as
present indications go, is not likely to
be realized upon.
1t is very likely that the suit now
pending viii in some degree explain to
the public why its expectations with
respect to these funds have in fact so
far fallen short. If the suits shall have
that effect they will not have been
brought in vain. If they shall result
in the turning back into the trust lands
substantial tracts that can be sold at
n good price, it will be so much the
better for the trust funds.