The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1870-11-25
The Land Csrabbers.

Inc manner IN WnlCn tne hauIcalS III
Congress have voted away the public
lands is sufficient to condemn them and
ought to hurl them out of power. Be
fore last winter, and within the last ten
years, the Radicsl party gave away to
huge corporations 1900, 900 acres. To
II single company--thc Northern Pacific
Al, 100000 acres were given prior to
last session and, at the last session, g.
600, 900 acres more were added, making
SO, 100000 acres. This railroad with its
branches has 1000 miles Of line. 1t gets
$500 acres for every mile of line that
1t has.
No,c, this land belongs to the people.
And when Congress votes it away, they
commit a crime against the people AS
heinous as IL would be to reach into the
peoples pockets and take therefrom the
value of these lands in money.
These railroad co, porations, to whom
these lands are given, are made up of
few wealthy capitalists from the New
England States and New York. They
are to realize the benefits which will
accrue and from the construction Of these
railroads from the proceeds of these
public lands. Why should this be done
for the benefit of few wealthy indi-
viduals? Simply because the Radicals
have become So corrupt that men of i'm
mense wealth and enterprise do not
hesitate moment to attempt the pas
sage of any huge job through Congress.
They know that all that is required is
sufficient money and the 'roosters' will
perform any dirty work that may be
required at their hands. So frightful
was this effort to get hold of the public
lands, that at one time last session, one
hundred and seventy bills giving away
these lands were upon the Clerks desk.
1t has been the policy of the Govern
ment heretofore to grant alternate sec.
tions Of the lands, lying along these
railroads, calculating that the increase
in the several sections, owing to the con
struction of the railroad, would more
than pay for the lands given away. But
the sharks who are seeking to 'gObble
up" the whole Of the public domain are
not satisfied with this. Last winter,
they succeeded in p3s5inga bill through
the Senate granting an immense num-
Der of these reserved sections to one of
these mammoth corporations, 50 that
it would thereby own all tie iaad 0iony
the line Of It's rOad. Fortunately this
bill did not get through the House, but
if the people endorse the conduct Of the
Radical members of Congress by elect
ing majority of Radicals to the next
Congress, they can expect to see this in-
iquitous swindle perpetrated.
Take Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio
and Michigan. Throw them all into
not have an area as great as that which
Congress has given to these corporations
of the public lands. Is it not time that
this profligacy were checked?
Now these public lands ought t. be
held for actual settlers. The working
men of the country who desire to settle
in the West ought to have the choice of
these lands. It is their labor and in
dustry which must improve the soil.
Then, too, the foreigners who flee
from the thraldom of kingly power and
the curse of land monopolies on the
European continent and who, coming
here, seek home in the West, and by
their frugality and industry soon ac-
quire comfortable homes and build
towns ana cities, ought to be encour-
aged in preference to these corporations
which think of nothing but their own
interests. The President of the State
Labor Union III Kansas, says that the
result of granting large bodies of land
to corporations is the curse Of Kansas
to-day. The lands are held beyond the
reach of the poor, and the laboring
man is compelled to work upon the
railroads to procure food for his family,
while the company holds the legal title
to the lands on which it was his right to
settle and make for himself home.
The poor rant homes, and will seek
them upon the public domain--if the
land is given to them to cultivate and
produce thereon the means to support
themselves and families, and add some
thing to the wealth of the country"
Citizens Of Pennsylvania, it is high
time that you take into your own hands
tine protection of your material inter.
ests. 1t is time for you to protect your
interest in the public lands from these
Radical 'rooster5' who are selling you
out in Congress continually. Stop this
voting away of the public lands by
electing Democrats to Congress.-J Jdi,
leg Spirit.