It shall be unlawful for any officers or employe [employee] of the state land office to act as agent or attorney for any applicant for the purchase or leasing of public lands of this state or to wilfully [willfully] withhold or conceal any such application, in order to give any applicant priority or advantage over another, or to receive any money or thing of value as a gift or compensation for aiding, or conniving or conspiring to aid, in procuring priority of application or directly or indirectly to aid or conspire to aid one applicant as against another by any fraudulent means whatever, or to receive any money or thing of value as a gift, compensation or otherwise from any person applying for the lease or purchase of public lands, and upon conviction thereof the offender shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred ($100) dollars nor more than one thousand ($1,000) dollars or by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for a term of not less than six months nor more than three years or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.