New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-12
land GRANTS TO RAILRO1DS.

To the Editor Of the Tribune.
SIR: ThecOurse of your journal for the last few
months in reference TO the granting OF Public Lands to
Railroads has greyed many of the lifelong opponents
Of Land Monopoly, myself among the number We were
always led to look to THE TRIBUNE as our advocate
and defender but OF late several articles have either
crept or stepped into your columns advocating Grants OF
Land to Railroads with arguments and cOmmenda-
tons. The earnest Land Reformers, who have
fought the monster Land Monopoly for the past thirty
years. with TIE TRIBUNE their organ and the Editor
as their able advocate naturally feel aggeyed ut what
we term blacksliding While understand your argu-
mens acknowledge their force to railroads open
ing up the wilderness TO TIE settler we dissent from that
part Of the theory which should give them the right to
entail themselves upon and pOserity az giant Land
corporations. We maintain that the object sought
BY legislation in aiding railroads could he far
better accomplished and with entire justice to
the People, by refusing to vest the title to Land
in the Roads, but stipuating the part OF tine Govern
men to give these corporations the proceeds Of The sale
Of these Lands instead Would 1t not be wiser and more
Just for the Government to be the almoner OF its own
bounty, than ~ intrust millions OF acres OF our
Public Domain to irresponsible corporations, to be gam
bed about Wall-s in few years by men like Wander
bilt and Fskl Please give your own views of this
important subject. Yours, truly, JOHN ii. KEYsER
Reply.
The first point in discussion is to agree
upon terms. For want of this, people often dis
pute when they mean the same thing.
l. Mr.. Keyser speaks of the Governments
"bOunty" to Railroads. | emphatically dis
sent. A LandGrant to help build Railroad
through wild and vacant Public Lands is either
an exchange of benefits or it should not be
made at all. SO far as know, the Government
that is, the American People-has been the
gamer by every such bargain.
III. Mr.. Keyscr suggests that the Govern
ment should retain tho Lands and only give
the Railroads the proceeds of those Lands,
when they shall have been disposed of to ac-
tual settlers. Considering that each actual
settler is entitled by law to take 100 acres
without paying for it, and that settlers always
squat thiclly and rapidly on lands through
which Railroad route has been laid, this
amounts to saying that the Railroads should
have nothing at all
III. l differ from Mr.. Kcyser fundamcn-
tally. He cOnccives that the Government gives
| lands to Railroads. l., on the other hand, hold
that the Railroads substantially and practically
give lands to the Government, by making
| them accessible and desirable. If Mr. X. were
offered his choice of 100000 acres in Alaska or
| 1000 in Kansas, / am sure that he
would prefer the latter. Now, suppose
company, by running q railroad through
the heart of Alaska, would mako 10000 900
acres of her lands equal in average
value and attractiveness to the public lands
in Kansas, and should receive 100000 of those
acres therefor, Mr.. X. would hold that the
Government had given 100000 acres IA n
"bountY" TO tho Company while | should