The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-04-19
TIE PUBIC LANDS.
Mr.. WiIIey's Bill TO Devote them to
Purposes Of Education.

Wiley, to appropriate the proceeds Of the
sales Of the Public Lands of the United
States for educational purposes, is n meas
urc Of importance.
The bill proposes that after the present
year the net proceeds Of the sales Of oil
public lan'is thereafter sold shall De divid'
cdamong Ihc States, according to pOpula'
ton, rs nsCerlaincd by the census Of this
year, to be applied by the several lcgisla'
lures 10 such objects Of education Us they
may scvcHlly designate and organize; but
the following guards arc thrown around
the disposition of the funds thus acCrlihg
IN the States:
Each State Is forbidden, in the appIiCa
ton and Use Of these funds, 10 make any
discrimination against any citizen Of TIT
State on account Of his race, color, o.
previous condition Of sGrYitudc, II being
required that every such citizen shall bt
equally entitled to avail himself Of tho
use and benefit Of whatever disposition
the State shall make Of such funds for tho
purpose authorized.
Each State is also required ut the end
of each year to submit to Congress II re-
port exhibiting the application made Of
funds 20 received.
Itisalso provided that nothing in this
act shall I've construed to the prejudice Of
future applications for IL reduction Of tho
price Of public lands or applications for
their transfer on reasonable terms to the
States wherein they lie, nor To impair the
power of Congress to make such other
disposition Of public lands in future us il
may deem fit. The right is also reserved
to make an equitable opportIonmcnt to
new States hereafter to he admitted.
This measure cOmmpnds itself To It's US
one of merit, MS fur as il goes. II makes
provision for the most vital want Of the
nation. But for few years past the pub
lie lands have been sQuandcrcd with great
rccklcssncss Under cover Of aiding the
development Of the Far WCst,vast schemes
Of plumber have been carried through
Congress, till enough Of the best public
territory has been given away TO u few
great corporations to make an empire. Al
the same rate Of absorption, II few years
more would sec all the eligible public to
main in the hands Of these sOullcss mo
nOpOlicS, while the homeless millions
thereafter seeking homes between the
Mississippi anil the Rocky Mountains
could have them only by submitting to
such cxactions us these monopOlists might
find themselves in n condition TO demand
This act docs not reach fur enough
1t affords no protection against these
great railroad swindIcs in future. In only
provides that the money received for lands
sold shall go to the States for school pur'
poses instead of going into the United
States treasury. Congress may still go on
and givcawa the public lands to rNilroad
corporations, till there will he none to sell
nor any lett for settlers under the home
stead law. Not one rood more Of the
public domain ought TO he given to any
corporation. The power Of corporations
in this country now Is 50 colossal that it
threatens To override every 0tlIcr-loes III
fact seem TO control the legislation Of Con
grcss and most Of the executive depart
mcnis; and the struggle in Congress over
the public lands does not appear to be
between the Government and tho COrpo'
raliOns, about which shall have them, hui
between rival corporations and other
grabbcrs and Swiudlcrs.
The thing TO do, MS We conceive, Is tic
refuse absolutely and finally to make any
more land giRs to corporations. Let moi
another acre Of the national domain "a
except rs under the present homestead
law to actual settlers, or nj II fur prtcepcr
acre in limited quantities TO bona .f'lc pur'
chascrs. Then tho public lands would he
easily NttainablG by Nll who want them for
actlml settlement, while monopoly antl
speculation in them would lG much re.
strictrl. Then the proceeds nt sales
would cnlOw and support for hNlra cen
tury magnificent system of national c'lu'
cation.
Let the present system Orplundcr goo
ten years more and the government will
be bankrupt in public lands; and instead
orhaving the people educated with the
proceeds, n few hundred railroad kings
will Ike miIllOnAircs, holding third o.
tho territory Of the nation, and the pDoI
men Of the United States, and those com
ing hithcr from the old world, wanting
western farms, will hc ut the mercy d
their CxaclionS The landlcSs citizen wllC
iAwilling tn become MI actual settler llns
natural right to n portion Of the public
territory; but the landIcss citizen ten years
hence will find that his rights have hCrn
given away tOthOSc whose only purpose
is to combine against him and speculate
III his necessities.
We believe no better application could
he niadc of money received from public
land sales than to apply it unhcr proper
guards to the education Of the people
Mr.. WlLLEY's bill seems TO cover the
ground necessary tnt this purpose; hui
the precedent md fur more important
IL A.. L. L. A., an, .l.nA mn, hn,... ,,,,lN;,