Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1868-07-17
g.. .,; From the Chicago Tribune.
Land Grants 10 Railroads.

faff4r n, Lanu 1rdntS 10 natiro2oS. eio -
In recent speech upon this subject in
the House of Representatives, Mr. Julian,
Of Indiana. made some truly startling
statements. Speaking OF the grants in
aid of railroads. he said: The several
grants have named amount to little
short of two hundred, millions OF, acres;
aud if We add TO this the eyen.nnpbered
sections along the line of the Pacific Road
which are excluded from settlement under
a recent rulingof the Interior Department,
we shall have ao aggregate of about one
third OF the nations entire public domain
committed 70 the keeping OF railroad cor
porstions." af ,f 49,
Is il not at all surprising that Mr.. Julian
should deem those facts worthy of the
grsvest eonsiderstion-for a bad public
land policy would prove terrible disaster
TO the far West, and the far. future of the
entire country. When Michigan was FIRST
opened to settlers, the title to large pro-
portion Of It's territory became vested in
capitalists at the East; who bought it fol
speculative purpeses-and held it at ad;
vanced prices. The consequence. was
those lands we're summed BY actual set
tlers-and that STATE has to day imme SC
tracts of wild land that would long ere
this have become cultivated farms, had il
net been for the curse of speculation
Thousands of pioneers pushed through to
Illinois and Wisconsin, who would other
wise have settled in Michigan. - -,
With this warning before US, and the
startling fact already quoted, We turn to
the remedy which Mr.. Julian ipropos es,
with the inquiry, Does it meet the de-
mspds of the case? His speech was in
support of bill introduced by himself,
which provides THAT in all future grants
to aid in building railroads the odd--num- :
bered sections shall be sold soply to actual
settlers in quantities not exceeding one
hundred aud sixty acres, for a price not
exceeding the maximum of 50 30 per acre,
and that any even sections which shall re-
main undisposed of at the expiration of
ten years shall be subject to the same dis
position as all the other public lapds.2A
1t is hardly possible to emphasize too
strongly the Importance OF this provision.a
Anotber provision of this bill is. that
"any even sections which shall remain un-
oisposed-of at the expiration of ten years,
shall be subject to the same disposition as
ell other public lands The language is
ambiguous. If il means that at the end
Of ten years the lands belonging to the
road shall be sold to settlers in quantities
not exceeding l60 acres, that would be ac-
ceptable. II it means that the railroads
shalt have only ten years in which to dis
pose of their lands, the time is probably
too short The trainers of the bill seem
TO fear there would be needless delay in
selling the lands, but this is needless
fear. The landed estates of Enropean
lords furnish a seeming parallel, but it, is
only an apparent one, Railroads do not
hold lands for ornament or for ront. they
hold them to sell. There is no revenue
until they are sold. f. ssg.a reaaol 81
No intelligent person can deny that
there have been some gross frauds perpe-
Itrated in connection with Congressional
grants OF the public domain; but these
frauds have been the result OF loose legis-
latiou aud form no integral part of the sys,
fen itself Against these abuses Of The
System Congress should guard with a
watchiulness prop6rtionste to its impor
lance The lhnd grant policy Of the
Uuited States was fraDed with rare wis.
don. and ssgaeiiy. although like all good
things, it may be abused by political cor
fupiion aud raseslity. oi ssigiisE
Another thing, however, upon which
the bill was silent, but which it should
have included aud made prominent, is the
right Of the government to regulate the
freight aud passenger rites charged by
railroads accepting those grants q IS
Where there are competing lines of rail,
ways the matter WILL TO some extent, regu
late itself But where, as ia tic case Of
the Pacific Railroad, the corporation en-
Joys an undispuicd monopoly, Congress
ional authority alone can apply the need
ed remedy, aud save the public from the
most oppressive aud rapacious cxior,ion.
Discrimination, II is said, is staleman.
ship. Ii Mr. julian does not always dis.
criminate justly, some Of his positions, at
least, are right First, the bill provides
that, "in oil future grants 20 uid ia build
ing railroads, the odd numbered sections
shall be sold only 10 actual settiers"' This
is as il should be. The evils Of omtting
this provision are not over stated. Moth.
ing could be moro abhorrent to the
glorious peculiarity Of our American ia.
situations than the nassing OF lasgo tract.
OF the choicest lands in the hands OF mo
nopolisrs. Lsndlordism In the bane oI
the Old World; let il never have place IL
the New Government makes grants oI
land 10 railroad corporations. not for ih,
soke OF enriching them, nor with the de-
sign that these lands shall be sequestercc
from the public market, aud, 10 point o
fact they are not H.' sfi f'f' phf
But such grants may be made becaus,
! these roads aTe absolutely NECESSARY to the
deyelopement OF the country aud th,
multipl plication Of permanent, prosperou:
homesteads, The only Justification Q
these extensive gifts OF land is found II
I the fact as stated By a recent writer il
the North dmvicaa Rspielo, that "A ma
tipn's civilization aud prosperity may b
guogod by its facilities Tor travel and
transportation" Good roads say
John Stuart Mill, ''arc equivalent to goo,
tools. 1t is Of no consequences whethe
the economy Of labor takes place in cx,
tracing the produce Of the soil. or in con
tveying tito the place where tits to be con
sumed." II makes little diiIerance wheth
er you raise one thousand or two thousan
bushela of wheat, if you have no facili,
ties of getting IL into the market. Th