The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-05-04


OF the United States Already GObbIed
UP-HOw these Jobs arc put through
Congress.
Ofall the bills that have been and are
being introduced into Congress, there are
none at all comparable, in either number
or magnitude of the interests involved,
with that class whose main object Is to
/ obtain from the Government pecuniary
and land aid-to assist private corpora
| tions and individuals IN the construction
of so-called works of internal improve
ment"
THE NUMBER OF GRABS
During the present session nearly one
| hundred of these bills have been introdu-
ced into the House, and over sixty into
the Senate. A large number are also pen
| ding from the last session. Their authors
are principally the carpet-baggers and
representatives from the Border States
In the Senate, Mr. Upton, of Nebraska,
signs his name to seventeen bills, and in
the House, Mr.. Arnell to eleven. All the
far western Senators and members have
from two to five bills on the docket, while
the Eastern and Southern States, particu-
larly those on the gulf, alse. come in for
their share. Some idea may be had of
land bills which have already passed and
are now pending by a comparison with
the estimated area of the whole United
States and separate States
The whole area of the former, including
water surface of lakes and rivers, is near
ly equal equal to four million square miles,
embracing the Russian purchase. The
statistics of the land bureau show that
the land granted by the Government in
aid of railways and wagon roads, for
which patents have already been issued,
is nearly l86,000,000 acres, or 290, ,625
square miles. But these statistics only
cover railways and wagon roads, and have
nothing to do with the canals, lands gran
| ted for the benefit Of common schools,
| charitable institutions, &c. The common
| school grants alone cover 6S,000,000 acres
or lOO, go square miles, the agricultural
and mechanic college grant 100000
| acres or $4,000 square miles, any other
grants for similar internal alimprovements''
will not fall short of 50000,000 additional
acres. Thus the aggregate area of terri
tory granted as subsidies for which pat
ents have actually been issued up to the
beginning of the present session, will
amount in round numbers to nearly 40
600 square miles, or one-eighth of the en-
tire surface OF the United States These
figures, however, formidable as they may
appear, yet fall considerably short Of the
truth when there be added to them the
aggregated area of the tracts asked of
Congress this session in the one hundred
and fifty bills that have been introduced
1t would be. next to impossible to more
than loosely approximate the amount of
territory therein involved. The railroads,
OF course, consume the greater portion of
! it, but sufficiently accurate idea may be
derived of what Is asked from a computa-
ton Of the average lengths of the various
lines, and adding up the number of acres
IN the alternate sections on either side as
allowed by the Government. A moderate
| estimate gives an average length of 800
| miles to each railroad Some of these
roads merely ask for the right of way
| through certain lands, by which is meant
Just enough land to lay the track on and
to accommodate the Necessary switches,
stations, &c. Usually this right of way
usually allows one hundred feet on each
side OF the railway line. But the roads
| which are thus moderate in their demands
are greatly IN the minority. The North
ern Pacific, for EXAMPLE, runs into the op-
posite extreme, and is perhaps the biggest
| Job that ever. received favorable legisIa-
ton. A stretch eighty miles IN width
has been granted this company along the
whole length of the road, and by the pro-
visions of the bill the company has the
sole proprietorship of every acre of it not
included wi4hin the limit of the alternate
sections, which are reserved to the Gov
ernment
GRABS INVOLVED IN BILLS NOW PENDING.
One hundred and thirty millions oi
acres win thus hardly cover the lands in
volVed IN the bills now pending in Con-
gress. The pecuHiary value of these lands
promising that the legal stipulation COM
pelhng the sale to settlers at q price not
exceeding 50 80 per acre be honestly car
ned out, will reach $325, 100000, a sum
more than sufficient to pay over one-eighth
OF the public debt Comparing the esti-
mated area OF these lands with that of sew
eral of the larger States it will be found
to be more than twice that of the Middle
States, and equal to Maryland, Virginia
North and South Carolina and Georgia
combined. This, 1t must be understood
is asked Of the Government out of hand
without the offer of compensation of any
kind, in addition, in many instances, tc
further demands for pecuniIy aid.
The above estimate of the money value
of the lands asked for, however, is made
on the supposition that the law regula.
ting their sale is carried out in spirit a.
well as in letter But this would be toe
much to expect, and the calculation ac
cordingly grows as it is made. A railroad
company, of all others, is the last one tC
sell an acre Of land for $3.50 when II car
get more. The section usually incorpora
ted in these bills fixing the maximum
price of the land per sore can be and vii
be rendered practically imperative in sew,
eral ways. Suppose for example settler
wishes to locate on a certain section of
certain road The railroad company owl
this land, however, and equally apprecia
tive of its value, refuse the offered 81
per acre, on the ground of its previous
sale to other parties, viz, themselves o
their agents, and if necessary, can produc
papers to that effect which the law woult
have to consider valid, although, peYhap
| at the time, they do not receive dollar
and the land Is not actually sold.
HOW JOBS ARE SOUGHT TO BE CONCEALED
The manner of concealing the jobs il
some of the bills IS very clever and anu
sing For instance: The other day
lioint resolution was introduced into tn
Senate authorizing the striking out in
, certain bill of the words with the consen
Of Congress" and substituting the word
with the consent of the President" Thi
was in the case of bill authorizing ceT
= tain tribe of Indians to sell or;donate it
lands at will. Had it not been that a mem
Der of the public lands committee was o
the alert, the amendment, no doubt, wo'
J, have carried, for there were few Senator
in their seats, and the majority of ther
were either writing letters or reading tn
newspapers, and paying little attention
p what was going on.
81 object," said the committee gentle
man, ito any such amendment. If 20
transfer the approving power from Col
gress to the President, you at once ope
the door to fraud and triekery, for IN thl
7 case the President would be the Secretar
of the Interior, the Secretary of the Int
Tor would be the Commissioner of India
% Affairs, the Commissioner of Indian A
IA fairs would be the Territorial Superintel
y dent, and he would be a sub-agent, an
Z he would be the tool of some designir
corporation or individual whose only ol
ject was to cheat the Indians and enriC
themselves" This sudden touching