Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-06-10
Robbery to Build mp Railroad Monop-
OIiPs.

Il is time that little sagacity was exercised
by the people OF the United States in regard to
the rank development being given by the legis.
lation of Congress t0 mammoth Railruad inter-
ests and combinations. The North Pacific Rail-
road cUmes meekly before Congress with a mod
est reques. for an additional grant of between
sixty and one hundred millions of acres of pub
lie lands, and that request is freely granted.
This subsidy is voted through the corporation
Of members Of Congress who are each one inter
esed 10 other gigantic schemes Of like nature.
The aggregate of these requests for land subsi-
dies for One and another amounts to over four
hundred millions If acres. The member who ex-
poets to get his project through must Of necessity
vote for each Of the others To get votes in return
There are also steamboat steamship, ship build
ing, evee constructions aud other bounty
schemes which each give help for help. 1t is
time we pondered seriuusly the question where
is all this tO end?
Let us hook. at this North Pacific Railroad
grant. Congress votes 10 give itOveT twenty
| five hundred acres 10 the mile Of railroad built,
out of the public lands, aud gives the company
| the privilege of taking its pick out Of belt one
hundred and twenty miles broad along the line
| Of the road. IL has the right u take timber and
other materials for the road off the public lands.
Il has the right to all the land it chOoses to take
! for buildings and other appurtenances. And
not only this, but it has the right to mortgage
the whole of the lands thus donated before a
I
in the scheme beyond what II has taken 10 log
roll this bill through Congress.
Is il not a serious question: Whittier does
all this tend After this extravagsnce, with
| what consistency can we close the national do
main the land which Ough to be held sacred FIR
the homes of future generations. against the de-
signs and invasiOns Of similar combinations in
the futurOg Having said yea TO this swindle
with what consistency can we say nay to them
| Having set up one huge, all controlling moueyed
we resist the grasping aggressions aud imposi-
tiOns Of any nth.r?
But there is a more serious side TO this ques-
ti0n yet to be considered, and that is the ddng;I
Ia be apprehended from powerful railroad cur
pOrations. Already this project comminds a
majority Of Congress and the assent Of tee Pres
ident to its demands. IL It can d0 this in the
green trre, what will il do in the dryf II in is
conception and infancy il is 50 gigantic, wha
will il be in political influence when II takes
rank with the great completed railway corpora
tons Of the cOuutryY The Over-shad0wlng evi
| of Europe was an arisocraey based ON lands
which were inalienable. In this country great
er dangers 10 political purity and popular liberty
are Threatened from great mOneyed corporations
To which We are bliudly yielding up the precious
inheritance OF our children and our children :
children In a mOst blind ana reckless manner
II may turn oitt that this is 10 be the great strug
gle Of the free spirit against the demon Of aris
tncracy in the future, not with slavery, nor a
landed OligaTchy, nor with hereditary rulership
but with oyerProWn and rapaciOus corporations
That is tho point of greatest danger 10 our irsti
tu,i'ns IN The futurS - Ts'edV Bfric.