The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-27
Total 5000. .......,....,..'''''zv'S' A'SSo'V2
Since the Republican party came into
power, grants for similar purposes have
been made as follows: lI W.

| QCGII 10 ASlAO"S'
st.tes. u -- Acres.
Arl;anSSs. 1884. 9,665 O8Q.00
WiES0uri. i688. $50, 100
Iowa. fe6f, 3, 1853, $40. 62
MichicGn, is69 to 1885. ............. 6G4, 5000
Wisconsin, 1850 to 1855. 90 .00
Minnesota. 1864 to 1866. ...........4,7e3,40 W
KRnSSS. IBB9 10 1886 4 To3, 900. 90
TaIif0rnla, $780,. g. 40 O0O 90
Minnesota, July IS, 1900. ............. 900000.00
Oregon, March 5, 1864.......l........ I5,o00.W
Oregon, May4, 1870. .ltS1VVVo.uV
| 90 Gao sEe E9
Total ...,.......... ,ooo'oS
But the policy Of granting lands in aid
Of public improveme in States had been
adopted long before the era Of railways.
In 1927, nearly q million and o half acres
were granted to the State of Indiana in
trust for tho Wabash and Erie Canal-a
work which had q vast deal to do with
the settlement and development o. that
State, but which Is now, by reason Of the
changed condition ofattairs, Of but little
value, save for the purposes Of water.
power, 10 which 1t ought to BIO devoted.
Similar grants were made to Ohio. 1lll-
nois, Wisconsin, and Michigan, there .hav-
ing been 3,705, O88 acres thus granted be-
fore the Republican party came into pow
or, and 100000 since. There have also
been grants to wagon roads, amounting TO
something over two and quarter million
acres. -,
The different bills granting these lands
were none Of them carried by partisan
votes. Thus the Illinois Central grant
was supported in the Senate by 18 Demo
Gratis and Wings, Z Democrats and the
same number Of Wings voting against It.
In the House, It was supported by 90
Wigs and Al Democrats, 43 Democrats
and Sc Wings voting against it. BE who.
did the most to plan the measure and en-
gineerit through Congress, was Stephen
a. Douglas. The policy thus inaugurated
In respect to railway grants, has since
been constantly carried out. That 1t has
been Of the greatest value in the settle
mGnt and development Of tho country, no
one pretends 10 dispute, .'
It was, doubtless, In view Of the vast
benefits that had been conferred upon the
country through this policy, tllat the M.
tional conventions OF 1860 all demanded
the construction Of a railway to the Pa
citic. Thefourth resolution of the Doug
Ias platform declared in favor Of govern
mental aid to such Il road, saying it was
zone Of tho necessities Of the aye" The
seventh resolution Of the Breckenridge
platform declared for the building Of the
road "at the earliest practical moment"
The sixteenth resolution Of the Republic
can platform declared that such road was
imperatlvely demanded by the interests Of
the whole country. Upon this point all
the people were united. .,.mt....
There being no Suites to which to grant
land in trust for Pacific railways, they
were granted, under certain. conditions, to
the corporations themselves. LII respect
to the disposal Of tho lands, there Is no
difference between the plans. The rail-
ways get them in any event The grants
to railway corporntlons-o which there
have been no party divisions ut all-havc
been us follows: ,.ta
To the Union aud Central Pacific
| Railroads, estimated. ............... $780, 600
To tho Northern Pacific Railroad and
| Branch, estimated. .......,....... b8,OOO,OOO
To the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad,
cstlm&ted..... ...,............"... 41'OOo'SOO
Total estimated acres. ......... 49,, 100000
We thus perceive that the land grant
policy, inauguratcd in 1897, has resulted
In tie transfer to corporations OF 201,-
$50, 40 acres Of land-enough for an en-
pire, representing immense wealth, and
immense commercial and political power.
The question to be decided now Is,
whether this immense landed power
should be increased. And this Is answer
ed by the people Of both parties with an
emphatic ''NoW There may be u few OK.
ceptional cases, in which further grants
may be wisely made, But in these cases
there should be provisions whereby large
parts Of the lands must be sold to actual
settlers at minimum government rates;
other parts left to settlement under the
Homestead Law; and all sales, except in
small quantities, to parties not settlers,
prohibited. Land spectators have done
more harm thHn railway landed m0nopo-
lies. Afcw railways may yet be aided on
this plan, but none on the old system.
That has had its day. This is cOnclu-
siyely proved by the emphatic manner In
which the present House Of Representa-
tives killed numberlesS subsidy bills at the
last session. Uul7 a.a
The Newport and Cincinnati Bridge.
CINCINNATI, Sept o.
1