The Detroit times., 1912-03-11
Shall Our Government Sell Gold Bricks7'

Men and women VINO are blessed
with riches and ample leisure. and
who In winter time md sporl and
pfeasure IN semftroptcHt ffortda, have
told US frequently In late years that
the most distressing conditions that
have come under their observation
have been those OF families from the
northern parts OF our country who
were lured % that alien land by false
promises.
For a long while II has seemed a
pity to think that land-shark swind'
iers, aided by newspapers so devoid
OF conscience and common honesty
as to be willing TO print the lying ad-
yertisements, should be able 10 buiy
In dismal swamps not only Lieir
hard-earned savings, but their dreams
OF an easy old age and. worse yet, al
their faith In their fellow-men.
II has been bitter to think OF what
an especial swindle that had not even
the excuse OF novelty has meant 10
the northern farmer boy who. BY un'
ceasing Industry. had laid aside Few
hundred dollars, to make real tho pic
ture OF the fiowery land where per
petual sunshine draws unenuing
riches without exacting heart-brtak-
ing toll, for the home of his dreams
with the girl of his choice In land
OF flowers.
And what OF the small merchant
and the clerk who have struggled
against ill-health. who have read boz
tween the lines the promise OF weaifn
as we'll as health. In exchange Tor
81 - all. WhnIAAOInsA
strengthening work.
But only lately has the shame been
lifted In part from the drab news
papers, whose venality made these
land swindlers possible and prontaole.
For three years We never knew that
officials Of the government OF tho
United States deliberately suppressed
their knowledge Of what was DeinS
perpetrated; punished subordinaies
who were stubborn truth-teilers. AID
forced revision and perversion OF pub
lie documents In the interest OF or {
OF the meanest examples OF gold-Drick
! industry ever devised.
We do not assert that guilty parti-
cipation in or sanction or the sSind-
ling by a United States senator, a
| member OF the cabinet and or vari-
GUS other government employees has
been proved. But the ugly charges,
to which not even a plausible answer
has been presented. as yet. are:
That government reports on FLORIDA
Evergade lands were suppressed by
officials OF the department OF aSri'
culture, at the instance OF land specu-
lators, and that department engineers
were dismissed because they refused
to connive with these SPECTATORS;
That the land men show favorable
report OF sixteen pages on the Ever
glade lands, where the swindle has
! been the greatest. purporting to come
from the government.
That government employees, re-
moved by Secretary Wilson's order
had done all In their power to sup
press favorable report on the Ever
glade lands, which had been made by
IT, o. Wright, q government surveyor
who, after his 0fficial task was com
pletsd, was hired BY the leaders In the
Evsrgiade drainage project.
/ The postoffice inspectors. who have
recently been put to work. say In
many land offices they And men wht
at other times they have found con
nected with mining stock fakes.
That the secretary OF agriculture
suppressed a circular OF Information
which has been prepared by the ofsc'
OF drainage Investigations. and de
clined to print complete report o.
the drainage work which the depart