Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-30

knew of fragrant violations OF the law
IN other sections. II frauds were be-
ulS perpetrated IN the acquisition OF
public land, tho settlers of every To-
esllty IN the west desired them stopped
ana the perpetrators punished. AS
TO their several neighborhoods resi-
dents generally knew tho charges wero
wrong, whereas all the people outside
OF the public lard states believed the
charges were well founded and SO
believing. applauded the secretary as
engaged in q righteous crusade against
crime.
FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION.
The fact that every fraudulent
transaction complained OF was iuiii-
ated and consutumated under the adj
ininistration of the political secretary
was not given publicity. Few have
stopped 10 consider the slender basis OF
the charges made unfortunately
against 100000 OF people inhahitng
ia states and three territories.
Notwithstanding the expenditure
of an excessive amount of money by
the secretary, the truth remains TO be
told that the percentage Of fraudulent
public land entries for the last eight
years disclosed by investigation bears
about the same annual proportion TO
the whole number OF entries as obtained
during each OF the preceding 40 years
the secretary has been less efficient
during his term IN challenging errone-
GUS, improper or fraudulent land en-
tries than Were his four Immediate
predecessors. Even the abuses under
the so-called timber and stone law,
which the secretary might have stopped
any day, are shown by the records To
have been shamefully exaggerated.
SECRETARY'S ALARM REPORTS.
II realize that the president of the
United States has been deceived and
alarmed by the secretarys oft-repeated
and uncontradicted reports The presi-
dent has not been able 10 go through
the records and into the details OF the
interior department and its opera tons.
Burdened with more work than any one
OF his predecessors have undertaken,
the president must accept the state~
ments OF his subordinates as true. He
cannot check and countercheck them
all. He has relied on the reports of
the secretary of the interior as have
the people generally, outside the states
TO which his accusations apply. The
president and all others misled by the
crusade of misrepresentation are clear
" free from responsibility, except TO
hear the truth as told by the govern
ment records and then to do justice
to an outraged people,
In the name OF Justice In behalf of
more than 0,000 entrymen on the pub
lie domain, In the name OF the families
dependent on them and of their dis
credited neighbors, who may he witt
nesses in their behalf. aggregating sub
stantially 100000 people accused and
injured, | ask for a hearing from the
senate, from the president and the
country, on the cold and silent facts as
disclosed by the government records"
WORKINGS OF HOMESTEAD LAWS
Mr.. Carter described in detail the
workings of the homestead and other
land laws and gave court decisions in
harmony with the contention of his res
olution. He defended the character for
veracity and other honorable qualities
of the settlers on the public lands.
Honor" he exclaimed, is not con-
fined TO cabinets. nor do special agents
at Washington monopolize that sent-
ment.
Measuring my words with care. I
| say that the order of The honora BILE
secretary of Dec. is last is both unjust
and oppressive, and that the records of
the interior department do not furnish
Justification for the order. but on tho
contrary these records demonstrate that
the order IS not only unjustiied, but
clearly indefensibe as TO homestead
settlers"
ANALYSIS OF ENTRIES.
Mr.. Garter presented and analysed
the records OF entries and patents issued
under the various land laws, which lie
summed up by saying:
1T will appear from a critical ana
lysis OF the figures and facts that not
to exceed one-half of one per cent OF
the final homestead entries, less than
one per cent of the final desert land en-
tries. less than one-half of one per cent
OF the final timber and stone entries,
and less than one per cent OF the maj
coal entries are found 10 be fraudu-
lent, and the percentage of mineral on
tries tainted with fraud is small indeed.
Taking the whole aggregate Of per
centages the average. we Will find that
less than one final entry of public land
out OF every hundred has been fonnd in
in all the years 10 be subject TO cancel
lation on account Of fraud, default or
delinquency OF any kind. AS TO the
homestead settlers, there is but one de-
linquent substantially in every 300 final
entrymen.
HONEST HoMESEEKERS DRIVEN
AWAY.
suspected at every turn in the
road of evil design harassed by spe-
cial agents and exasperating require
ments of the Interior department, II
IS not surprising that two honest
homeseekers left the United States 10
locate IN 1Hnhua curing ihd Scdl
1905 to one that Med "a homestead
entry on the public domain of the
United states While We are pinch
ing, suspectins and harassing our
homestead settlers, the Canadian gov
eminent apprecinting this class OF
people. as they were appreciated In
this country in tho days gone by, ex-
tends cordial welcome to American
homeseekers entering the Dominion.
The Canadian law requires only three
years residence on q homestead.
whereas our law requires i've. and
the order of the secretary viii add
from one TO % years more 70 the time
limit fixed by our statute.
EFFECTS OF ORDER
"As 20 Ill fnal entrynen Of public
land. the secretary OF the interior yio-
lates the law by refusing to execute II.
He has violated the law by adding to
II conditions oppressvoly extending
time limits, thereby essentially chang
ing It's letter and lntcnt. He has vio-
lated the spirit OF the lGw by prescribe
ing odious methods OF procedure nei-
Their contemplated nor sanctioned by
law. His order would humiliate, ana II
possible degrade q very large and re-
spectacle body OF worthy citizens by
dlscrediting their sworn testimony and
IA