The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1916-09-09


when the eHacting but wholesome
work Of the farmers Of the middle
west fell to the lot Of the boy. II
was in the public school that he re-
oeived his general education, after
which the law department OF the
University Of Missouri gave him
his professional training, and from
that institution he received the de-
gree OF L.L. u. in 1899.
He first located in Montgomery,
Missouri, to practice law, and while
there, was city attorney, prosecut-
ing attorney Of county, and captain
of the Missouri National Guards.
Here he secured the FIRST conriciioHs
fer bucket shop gambling ersr sus-
tanned in ue 81. LOUIS Court Of Ap-
peGls. and under a statute that had
remained a dead letter on The stat
ute books " tie state for forty
gears.
In 1905 he was sent 10 Oregon
as special agent Of the General Land
Office, reported 10 Washington that
Il was not the poor homeSteaders
that were stealing government land,
but the big timber barons and the
railroads. This rep, t naturally
aroused the antagonism of the
great timber thieves and the rich
railroad corporations that were fat
tening on wealth that should be the
heritage of the people.
Distinguished Record
To Mr.. LaTerty belongs the high
distinction Of starting the first suits
ever brought to enforce the terms
of the now famous Oregon and CAL
ifornia Railroad Land Grant. That
was done in 1907 as a private attor-
ney. lie has never charged any fee
for work done ON this great piece
OF litigation.
The case was carried to the Su-
preme Court Of the United States
where that tribunal on june 80,
1915, held that the original "actual
settler clause" in he grant 10 The
company Tds an enforceable core
Hdnt and must be lived up 10 by The
company.
Congress has recently passed a
law opening part Of these lands to
settlers, but providing that the bulk
Of the lands shall be classified as
timber lands and sold to the timber
barons. Mr.. LafTcrty opposes this
late attempt to again rob the poor
people Of the United States Of OPP
portunities 10 get homes in the
green hills Of western Oregon, and
il elected will propose an amend
ment TO the law that will open all
the lands TO American citizens, in
small tracts, and under a drawing
system giving TO all an equal OPP
portunity to get a home.
The amount OF land involved is
100000 acres Of vacant green hills
in the Willimette, Umpqua and
Rouge River valleys. 1t is un-
fenced and unimproved. The orig
inal grant to the railroad company
provided expressly that every acre
of the land should be sold by the
company TO actual settlers only, in
quantities not greater than 100
acres to any one settler. and for a
price not TO exceed $3.50 per acre.
II was to enforce that covenant that
Mr.. Latferty has fought the case
without fee for nearly ten years.
In 1914 the Oregonidn and the
railroads succeeded in defeating Mr.,
Lafferty for denomination TO con-
gress. They nominated c. n. Nc
Arthur. incumbent. McARTHUR
RECENTLY VOTED FOR THE
NEFARIOUS KIDNAPPING JU,
VENILE COURT BILL AND HE
VOTED AND SPOKE AGAINST
PHILIPPINE INDEPEND
ENCE.
In the late primary the patriot:
did not endorse any candidate fol-
congress. They were quite friend,
ly, however, to Macarthur as he had
posed as a strong American advo.
cate. Since their primary il hat
come to light that Macarthur voted
for the kidnapping bill and against
Philippine independents, and il