The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-02-01
T. O. Hart on Equity Suit No. 1s.

The last issue of the Pollock Progress
News has communication from Mr..
T. o. Hart in which he has something
to say about U. S. Equity Suit No. l6,
as follows:
Old men, women and their heirs have
waited patiently for the action by dear
Uncle Samuel to take action and de-
liver to them patent to lands promised
to them in compromise thirty-one
years ago. This compromise and agree
ment made between the New Orleans
Pacific Railway Co., and the Congress
men from Louisiana, and signed on the
above date, whereby the Hon. N. c.
Blanchard and Mr.. Robinson, Congress
men, withdrew their objections to the
issuance of patents to the railway COM
pany on the specified agreement that
| all actual settlers should have the land
they occupied. This was the basis of
patent issued in 1885 and up to later
iates, with the agreement inserted in
sacn patent so issued to the railway
company, as follows: Provided this
does not conflict with the rights of
actual settlers"
Uncle Sam filed Equity Suit No. 16,
on the docket in the Federal Court for
the Western District of Louisiana.
This suit was filed so we have been in
formed in the interest of about $50 diff
serent settlers for the purpose of de-
livering to them the patents to lands
which the Secretary of the Interior had
decided they were entitled by the fact
that they had complied with all the re-
quirements and conditions of law, and
the further facts that the railway COM
pany was not entitled to said lands, ii
having been proved to the satisfaction
of the land department that the rail-
road company had claimed lands it was
not entitled to, and had caused by false
representation patents to be issued
thereto in its favor.
Notwithstanding the above mention
ed facts, this suit has remained on the
docket for twelve years and the set
tlers have not been able to get any
relief through the land department, or
the court, and in cases where the set
tiers have gone into court in defense of
their right, only in a few cases have
they received any relief, because of
the fact the government has not pros
ecuted the suit it has filed against the
railway company.
Congress has been petitioned to in
vestigate this matter and we now have
a petition filed with Congress asking
that it give the Secretary of the In
terror power to cancel those patents
issued through error on which he has
rendered his decision.
Our Legislature has passed resolu-
ton memorializing Congress to pass an
act giving the Secretary of the Interior
the above named power, and it seems
that some progress has been made.
However, it appears that the balance
remains on the left hand side and there
is something lacking that should be
done, and that something is action. 1
am quite sure that when Congressman
elect Aswel takes his place in Con-
gress he will do all that he has prom
ised, but it must be remembered that
no one man can expect to accomplish
alone as much as he could if he has the
proper assistance, and if we expect to
sit still and wait until this comes to us
by the work of any one man, we will
not live to realize our expectations.
So, with the new year and the anniver-
sary of the thirty-irst year of the
agreement signed on Jan. 4, 1882 let
US all make pledge that we will end
this long standing injustice to our citi-
zens by uniting our efforts and using
our influence in assisting financially
and politically to bring results in the
year 1913. There is no use for. argu-
ment. We know all about this matter.
We know that thousands of dollars are
going away from our State to great
financial centers like New York that
should remain here in our midst. This
money justly belongs to our citizens.
Our State is losing money because of
these shady titles to lands covered by
this entire grant, because of the fact
the patent is only conditional one''
and the title remains shady and our
lands must stay idle. and the price re-
mains low. Nses
We have struck the key note in seven