Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-07-15
Land to Railroads.

The Legislature of Iowa, at its recent
session, passed a resolution requesting our
Senators and Representatives in Congress
to use their best efforts to secure from the
general government a grant Of public lands
in aid of a project to construct an addi.
tional road to the Pacific, starting at or
near Sioux City, the said grant to be equal
in quantity per mile to that heretofore
granted to the Northern Pacific Railroad
When our readers are told that the grant
to the latter company is $4,000 acres per
mile, they viii very readily perceive the
enormous dimensions OF the land grab asked
for by our Legislature.
Senator Howell, whose hostility to these
predatory raids upon the public domain is
well-known, and who signalized his advent
into the Senate by the advocacy of policy
of restriction in regard to land grants to
railroads, seems, with some show of justice
to have regarded the resolution by the Gen.
eral Assembly as rebuke to his course in
the Senate. He has accordingly written a
letter ITO the People of Iowa" in which he
justiies himself by showing up the reckless
and inconsiderate action Of the Legislature
in making so extravaganza demand. He
says:
l am requested by the resolution to use
boat If, r Al
land, considerably larger than the area OF
the State Of Iowa. The grant is to be forty
sections, or $4,000 acres to the mile, from
the eastern boundary of Dacotah, on the
route described, to the Pacific Ocean, a dis
lance which may be roughly estimated by
the line Of the road at sixteen hundred
miles, which in the aggregate would com
prise 40,000,000 acres. When it is remem.
bered that there are but about $4,000, 600
acres in the State Of Iowa, we may form
some adequate idea of the immense monop-
oily of land which it is proposed to put into
the hands of single company, to be held
in fee simple forever, if they choose, or to
be disposed of at such times, and at such
prices as may best suit them, and put the
largest amount Of noney into their pockets.
The Joint Resolution insists expressly Cup
on the terms and conditions extended to
the Northern Pacific Railroad" which terms
were without limitation of price, or time,
and a con:empla'ess perpettua! monopoly. .
"The only change demanded in the sys-
tenn under which the Iowa roads were built,
is to provide that lands be subject to pur-
chase by actual settlers at an average price
Of 500 an acre in order to secure the in,
terests of Iowa and all the Western States
and territories, as well as that of the masses
of the people elsewhere throughout the
country.
"Ien sections would give 6,400 acres to
the mile which at $3.50 an acre would
amount TO $4,000 mile, ana would fur
nish ample aid toward building railroad
through sparsely settled country, and twice
that amount is quite as much as should be
granted to carry road through an unset
tied prairie or wilderness, under any cir
cumstances in my judgment"
He, therefore, refuses to comply with the
request Of the Legislature that he favor de-
mands upon the government which, if re.
sponded to favorably, would exhaust the
public lands in single session of Congress
and "appeals from the official behest Of the
Legislature, to the sober and serious iudg.
ment of the people," an appeal in which
he is very likely to be sustained by the
power behind the throne.
The Burlington Hawkcye the editor OF
which was a member of that body, seeks to
excuse the unconscionable demand Of the
Legislature, on the score of ignorance. I,
says;
In voting for the resolution it is quite
probable the members Of the Legislature
did not give them the consideration which
they ought to have received, and were not
generally aware that the grant 10 the North
ern Pacific was nearly so large as it is.
Had the question been discussed and this
fact brought out, the resolution could hardly
have passed.
1t would be ilhuman 10 indulge in severe
criticism in view Of so humiliating confess
sion as the above, but We would really like
to have our respected contemporary tell US,
If ignorance does form a sufficient palliation
for unwise legislation, how it would excuse
the Ignorance