The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-05-05
Rail Read Subsidies.

have been granted by Congress to various,
| weetern railroad corporations. The prac>
ticc has grown 20 such an enormous inagui-
our entire public domain viii soon pass
froGo the consrol oE the government into the
hands of corporations and individuals, to
aid IN the construction OF so-cailed "works
| of internal improvement" II is estimated
that the quantity Of public land which has
heretofore been grapted by Congress for rail
roads and wagon roads. for common schools
and for agricultural and mechanical colleges,
and for which patents have already been
issued by the government. amount to about
three hundred millions Of acres. or one eighth
| Of the entire surface Of the United States
| During the present session nearly one hnn-
! dred bills, which propose to give away the
| public lands to as many railroads. have been
introduced into the House and about fifty
into the Senate. The grants contained in
| these bills amount to one hundred and thirty
millions Of acres-equal to the area Of Mary
! land, Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima aud Georgia cembiued-and if sold to
actual settlers at $3.50 per acre, would
amount to 1926 ,o0O, ,oOO-a sum more than
sufficient to pay off over one-sight Of the
public debt.
The most astounding land grab that has
yet been attempted, is that of the Northern
Pacific Rail Road, which starts from Duluth,
! on the extreme western shore Of Lake Supe-
rior, and, running through the State of
Minnesota, Dakota. Montana and Washing
| ton territories, terminates at Fort Vancou-
yer, on the Columbia river. The subsidy
to this road, in the bill which has recently
passed the Senate, embraces belt of land
eighty miles IN aridtt. along the whole length
of the road, covering about 47,0o0,000 Of
acres. Judge Thurman, the Democratic
| Senator from Ohio, resolu.ely and ably op-
posed this stupendous swindle, as well as
other jobs of kindred nature. He was aided
in his well directed efforts By few Repub-
lican Senators, but the Rail Road Ring had
it all their own way, and the ILL passed.
Since Judge Thurman's entrance into the
Senate, lie has acquired national rePuta-
ton. lie is unquestonably an able man
q true Statesman. What he says is always
| we'll said and fairly meets the question at
issue. His vigorous speeches remind US Of
tae better days Of the Senate, when such
men as Webster. Clay, Benton and Cass gave
| dignity aud weight to its deliberation. The
following is AZ extract from Judge Thur
mans speech in opposition to the bill:
! "Sir, wish that every Senator had before
/ him map of the United States with a broad
1 belt drawn upon It one hundred aud twenty
niles wide, which this resolution proposes shall
| be the monopoly of this company-a breadth
OF one hundred aud twenty miles, in which this
! company is TO have forty sections to the mile,
/ and out OF which it is to keep out the actual
/ settlers of the country. Think of a belt one
| hundred and twenty miles wide. and reaching
two miles in extent sufficient of itself to make
| twenty States Of the size of some of the States
/ of the Union. That is the monopoly which
| this railroad company is to have; and YET
| when that is the case, when sunh grant
! Government in the world ever made to 4 pri
| vIte corporation is pending, and when the
! whole upshot Of the business Is that the Gov
! ernment is to build the road to equip the ROAD,
! TO pay enough to build it and pay enough 20
/ equip it, and then turn it over q gracious
! gilt TO private corporation, to be the monop-
| oily OF that corporation-when that is the case,
| this measure is TO be urged through the Sen.
| ate without even a word said in its favor by
! those who ought to furnish the information, if
it exists, that would justify the passage of any
such act.
! "De Senators know that there are pending
! in the Senate and House Of Representatives,
! before The two bodies OF the committees of the
/ two bodies, railroad schemes that appropriate
/ over four hundred million acres of the public
] do, IL, in fh.a mol
| thirteen States And these schemes are TO
| be pres ed. one after another. before the Sen
| ate. Now, we are 10 decide the question what
| shall he our policy in the future. Shall these
| grants be such as they have been heretofore
without imitation. without restriction, without
one single shield of protection thrown around
| the settlers and the people of the country
shall We say that if We do give these grants in
! the future, if we do make them in the future,
| thev shall be coupled with provisions which
shall secure the right of the people TO settle on
| the lands and buy hem living price No
| greater question could occupy the Senate 1t
| ia question whe,her the people of this coun
try shall have homes. or whether the lands of
| this country shall be engrossed by corporations
and heid III mortmain, as it we're, for perha ps
half a century to come. That is the question.
! 1t is the question, whether or not this Senate
will erect itself into the great creator Of mort
! main, or whether it will protect these lands for
the benefit of the people who are iandless.
Mr.. President, it may be that | feel too
much on this subject but ! cannot help it.
! l cannot look over this country cannot con-
template what will soon be its population
cannot think of the suffering in every country
where there is dense population sI cannot
! dwell for a moment Hpon the fact that every
| day and every hour in this land makes it more
and more difficult for the poor man to get an
/ estate, and listen with becoming patience to
! propositions to grant away forty. fifty or one
huudre; millions of the public domain to Sc:
of private corporations TO see this Govern
ment build and equip a road and then give it
to so many private individuals as free gift
| may be wrong, sir ; but cannot sec that
am wrong"
AT the last Indiana County Court. the two
Associate Judges, wise beyond the law. over