Whereas public policy demands that the public domain shall be reserved
for the occupancy of actual settlers in good faith, and that our people
who seek homes upon such domain shall in no wise be prevented by any
wrongful interference from the safe and free entry thereon to which they
may be entitled; and
Whereas, to secure and maintain this beneficent policy, a statute was
passed by the Congress of the United States on the 25th day of February,
in the year 1885, which declared to be unlawful all inclosures of any
public lands in any State or Territory to any of which land included
within said inclosure the person, party, association, or corporation
making or controlling such inclosure had no claim or color of title made
or acquired in good faith, or an asserted right thereto by or under
claim made in good faith with a view to entry thereof at the proper land
office; and which statute also prohibited any person, by force, threats,
intimidation, or by any fencing or inclosure or other unlawful means,
from preventing or obstructing any person from peaceably entering upon
or establishing a settlement or residence on any tract of public land
subject to settlement or entry under the public-land laws of the United
States, and from preventing or obstructing free passage and transit over
or through the public lands; and
Whereas it is by the fifth section of said act provided as follows:
That the President is hereby authorized to take such means as shall
be necessary to remove and destroy any unlawful inclosure of any of
said lands, and to employ civil or military force as may be necessary
for that purpose.
And whereas it has been brought to my knowledge that unlawful
inclosures, and such as are prohibited by the terms of the aforesaid
statute, exist upon the public domain, and that actual legal settlement
thereon is prevented and obstructed by such inclosures and by force,
threats, and intimidation:
Now, therefore, I, Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, do
hereby order and direct that any and every unlawful inclosure of the
public lands maintained by any person, association, or corporation be
immediately removed; and I do hereby forbid any person, association, or
corporation from preventing or obstructing by means of such inclosures,
or by force, threats, or intimidation, any person entitled thereto from
peaceably entering upon and establishing a settlement or residence on
any part of such public land which is subject to entry and settlement
under the laws of the United States.
And I command and require each and every officer of the United States
upon whom the duty is legally devolved to cause this order to be obeyed
and all the provisions of the act of Congress herein mentioned to be
faithfully enforced.
In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
[SEAL.]
Done at the city of Washington, this 7th day of August, 1885, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and tenth.