Rocky Ford enterprise., 1916-08-25
A MATTER OF RECORD
utterly Unfit"

utterly Unfit"
When Volney T. Hoggatt, one-time
register of the state land board, father
now of the so-called Herd Law" that
has been denounced by the farmers
and business organizations of the
state as threatening the agricultural
life of Colorado, was a candidate for
commissioner of property of Denver,
after he had failed of reappointment
to his land office sinecure, the fore
going characterization of him was
given by the Civic League of Denver
1t was issued by the league in explana.
tion of the organizations refusal to
recommend his name to the voters. 1t
was based on, as it was explained, the
following among numerous reasons:
"He is an adventurer."
"He has been connected with shady
transactions in mining deals"
"He has been connected with ques
tionable deals in Grand county lands. v
And now Hoggatt, as editor of the
Great Divide, weekly auxiliary to the
Denver Post, is crying loudly of q
consuming passion for the welfare OF
the farmers of Colorado. He is plead
ing tearfully for support for his so
called Herd Law on the grounds ii
will end summarily the iniquitous
reign of the cattle baron, and protect
the struggling settler from those
predatory enemies of the tillers of the
soil. His avowed hatred of the cattle
men, the land grabber, is soul stirring
in its intensity. He likens himself to
Horace Greeley. He terms himself a
Liberator, a Mr.. Moses. modernized
who seeks to lead the downtrodden
and struggling small farmer out OF
his wilderness into green lands OF
pi osperity.
But-his record! In the files at the
state land office. open to any one who
wishes to read, It is in black on white
that Mr.. Hoggatt as register of the
state land board, in fifteen months OF
his incumbency. had sold under his
direction 15,757 acres of school land
to twenty-seven persons! The laws
provide explicitly that one person
shall not be sold more than 800 acres.
One man-he is reputed to be the
owner of ca 900 acres of Eastern Colo.
RADIO land and is one of the few re-
naming big ,cattlemen of the state
purchased 1,040 acres of school lands.
And he bought all but 160 acres at s5
per acres, or s2.35 an acre less than
the poor farmer could purchase It for,
And when Mr.. Hoggatt visited this re;
cipient of his generosity he was feted
and feasted in regal style. Other in
dividuals and corporations. notably n
Wyoming cattle firm, profited in like
manner thru the overwhelming desire
of Mr. Hoggatt to aid the struggling
farmer and settler.
OF the 532 parcels of land sold un'
der the Hoggatt regime, the long list
discloses only eleven nonresident
purchasers. An investigation showed
not all of the eleven came to Colorado
to dwell-and yet he boasts of bring
ing settlers to the state and aiding
the small farmers by selling them land
in small quantities.
And for these reasons, If not for the
reason that the so-called Herd Law
is filled with danger to the states
prosperity, If not for the reason that
IL threatens the very life of the small
farmers existence, thousands viii
vote against Hoggatt's measure II
November. His record and his seem
ing solicitrde for the struggling set
tier and small farmer do not stanf
scrutinv and comp'rison.