The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-08-26
Gigantic FYaud-Democratic
g 0Windle.
INDIANAPoLIs, August IL

OAAoS AOkuSS ~.
Everysfew weeks additional owl
dence oeths infamy of the last
democratic legislature developers
itself. The last exhibition of this
character is in the development OF
the designs of the parties who en-
gineered the Kankakee drainage
law through the last legislature.
Under the forms OF the law a most
gigantic land scheme is put in op-
Grafton that threatens 10 take from
the land owners of Newton county,
S513,956; in lake county, 1897. 794;
in Jasper county, 6l9 66l; in.
Stark county. SS64,278; in P rter
county, s5SO.674; in Laporse coun-
ty, 81 ,099,674; in st. Joseph coun
ty, $780,, O34 making grand total
OF SA,637,l22 which, by Law, be-
comes a first lien upon GA .872
acres Of land in said counties, equal
to $742 per acre; and all of this is
proposed to be done under the pre-
tense Of draining the land by the
Kankakee valley drainage compa-
ny, an organization under tie law,
with the following corporators:
George w Cass, of Pit'sburg, who
does NOT own one ac"a of land in
these counties; George W. Nc
Connell, OF Angola, Indiana, who
has no land there; w. D. Wright,
Of Cincinnati. who owns eighty
acres, and eight other persons,
seven Of whom are residents of
Indiana, and profess to own forty
acres each, up to 800, and one
Mr.. N. D. Howell, of South Char
lesion, Ohio-whc says he owns
$500 acres; and the entire land
owned by these corporators lying
I in these counties amounts to 5000
acres. Now, the owners of 5000
acres, not worth to exceed $40, 900,
propose to assess 81 687, 122 upon
624. 872 acres Of land owned by
citizens OF Indiana, many OF whom
live in counties remote from the
district ard owned by non residents
and to issue $4,000, 900 in bonds,
bearing interest at 10 per cent.
due in twenty years, principal and
interest payable in United States
gold coin, in the city OF New York,
free from United States govern
ment taxes, and secured by first
lien on GA 72 acres of land stu
ated in the seven northwestern
counties Of Indiana. This com
pany can not drain the Kankakee
without destroying q great natural
dam Of stone some sixteen miles in
extent at Momence, Illinois, eight
miles from the Indiana line; and
as it is valuable water power
whose proprietors have a perpetual
charter from the state OF Illinois
and paid up capital Of 81, $50 ,00C
it is not likely that the waters OF
the Kankakee will be reduced one
inch by this company. The whole
thing is stnpendous fraud upon
the public, and as it is being man.
aged by leading democratic pol
itlcian. who was instrumental in
fleeing the state out of her swamp
lands, donated by congress fol
school purposes, it seems likely
the same game is being play ed here
The people of the counties whose
land is to be thus taxed sold, are
greatly excited, and are holding
immense Indignation meetings an,
resolving to defend their rights te
the last extremi =. An attorney
arrived in this city to-day to gel
out an injunction against the COM
parties disposing of am of the and
As said bonds in hands OF limo
ent holders void be held as liens
against these lands, the swindlers
would reap their harvest.