New-York tribune., 1868-06-30
the % grand total which, in few weeks /. n -
ward the labors of the husbandman ~
MAGNITUDE OF TIE nsAnn


MAGNiTUDE OF THE OsAGE swfyn,.
The lands obtained from the OsaUe 1-1Lk
Tor the benefit OF the Leavenwortb Ia
and Galveston Railroad Companv noe
eight millions OF acres of the best aericu,,nS
lands of the State, running from east 10 ~
25O miles, and from north TO soutL ko ,u" s~
They include territory nearly twice AZ @ l'.
as Massachusetts, and almost as large IS N,.
sachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware en~
bined. Ii distributed under the Uoma.,.-,
laws, they would furnish $1,000 homestead. :,
160 acres each, and would therefore susta;.
population of 100000 persons by aericul,n.'
alone. If sold under the Preemption La
they would, beside the above resn'
bring into the Treasury. at the regular ,ri.'
(Sl % per acre., twelve millions of doll,,.
For this immense region of country sturvis.
Galveston Railroad Company agreed to paw oOI.
81 100000, while another company ofey.a
$2,0O0,0O0. Of this price they pay SlOO00 !.
cash and the balance in annual installmen,.
extending over fifteen years. AS the lands vii,
sell far more rapidly than these installmer,.
come due, the railroad company really nav,
100000 for q monopoly of lands worth Sts
100000. No provision is made for proteetns
settlers, for protecting the State of Kansas n
the right, guaranteed to her by the act admittD,
her into the Union, to every sixteenth ana
thirty-sixth section of the public lands A
the State for the benefit Of common school.
The State of Kansas thus loses from its scbo,I
funds the value of 694 sections, or 445,16O acres
of land. By similar previous treaties the Stat.
had been robbed of 76,16O acres of its school
lands, 80 that, should this nefarious and nm.
considerable swindle pass the Senate, u.
State of Kansas would have been despoiled Of
521, 800 acres of school lands, which would.
with ordinary management, have yielded A
an acre, being total of $1,561,9 800. The bid,
of rival companies offered to secure the school
lands to the State, protect half breeds and actual
settlers, and pay 50 per cent more, but they wer,
rejected Whyf The State officers of Kansss
have denounced and protested against
this sublime land steal, and ben
representative, Sidney Clarke, is making
gallant stand for the people against
the mOnopOlists and corruptionists. But a
yet the Kansas Senators have been silent, and
we therefore fear that they have fallen into
the tolls of this prOdigiOus snare Ii so, their
fate at the hands OF the people of Kansas mar
be predicted without the gift of prophecy.
The grant is rendered specially absurd from
the fact that the Railroad Company propose to
build in the State of Kansas only $50 miles Of
road, the cost of which at $25,0c0 per mls
(the actual cost should not exceed $4,000 pea
mile) would amount to only $9,75O,0OO, or about
a third of the value of the Usage lands. Toward
defraying this cost they have already received
from the General Government 100000 acres Of
lands, lying on the line of the road, and worth
S75OOO0; from the State, 125,00G acres, worth
So an acre, or S375,OOO; and from the counties
through which it passes they receive bonds TO
the value of $9O0,OO8, making an aggregate Of
aid amounting to S2,O25,OOO or about two
thirds the cost of the road in Kansas. But
should the Usage grant add, in addition TO
their present franchises, lands worth sl2,00,00
more, they will have achieved net pro6t
over the entire cost of their road Of slO,27je9
before laying a single rail. Letters, petitions
protests and resolutions of indignation meet.
ings, are pouring in upon us from the people Of
Kansas denouncing this gigantic swindle. Evep
consideration of humanity to the Indians and
to the settlers, as well as of regard for The
rights of the State Government, especially In
its educational lands, and that prudent forecast
which would oppose the monopoly of our pubha
lands by great corporations, all combine 10
point out the clear duty of the Senate to de.
feat this measureless wickedness. 1t is full II
future oppression and disaster to the people Of
young and heroic State.