New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-23
WASTING PUBLIC DOMAIN,

This country offers in its abundant pubhc iauus
inducements TO the immigrant which III tiii'c i''uo'
make it the most pOpulOus and wealthy Oh h"'
All legislation therefore, having "a bearing Oh VIC
public domain must needs possess abiding lhVei', "
the country ut large. The sentiment OF tne oou""S
is now strongly adverse to further grants VI i'''
unless for national purposes, and hepr'so"'"
Julian speaks none TO soon nor too s'ronEN "s
any further alienation Of the public domain 10 sp''u
lo,os r ,,,ororolsts The vast and various schemes
broucht before Congress at the last session. ana sun
nonding furnish Mr. Julian text for foTclDe anu
corent arguments in favor OF the biu no" ooioi'
Congress prahibtiug further grants OF lahus saw
to actual settlers as provided in the Homestead law"
NJ lillian having examined the question: evident
IL, very thoroughly, reported the penang plu iaNo
III. 80 tI,e House. and has since supplemented ms
vieUsi a carefully prepared speech when eNhauStS
,h whole subject of land legislation and Will fairly
ronrosont the opinion of the country. Mr.. Julian
rt that the legislation of the last ten years has
hen in favor Of capital and against labor, for the
rich n against the poor The following are substan
tally the arguments he puts forth in proof thereof
The labor question is the logical successor Of the
Slavery question, and the opponents OF Slavery are
perhaps unwttingly arrayed as enemies of labor
OF in other words favor the rich and do not help the
poor The land legislation of the last ten years in
most cases has gone TO the benefit of monopOliSts
al accompce Of monopoly in alternating, without
restriction in favor of the actual settler OF would
be settler the lands intended originally for the peO
lie Now it is the plain duty of the Government to
AXE the public lands profitable and productive to
tual settlers-which Mr.. Julian contends cannot
done by making a few men masters of the soil IL
our public lands, not wealth and refinement
rat attract immigration TO our shores Govern
emit then, has no authority to withhold tracts Of
II L., 1,.aI4 1,o
andcss citizen may desire to convert into prosperous
bomesteads sources of national wealth and cyiliza
tlon. To secure homes to the largest number, the
Government should avoid comforting large tracts,
but parcel out instead its lands into farms of con-
vonient dimensions, thus securing homes for the
largest number and at the same time reach the
maximum Of production. This is the only way that
the waste lands of the country can be settled and
civilized
Coming down specifically TO facts Mr. Julian
argues that all these purposes are defeated III
ne land system now pursued. The vast tracts
granted to railroads and private corporations of
divers purposes and kinds are held as impenetIabe
wastes until high prices can be obtained for them;
the country meantime unsettled and the advanced
price coming from the pocket Of the poor settler
Thus the wheels Of civilization stayed, and the
acres intended for the poor turned into feudal tenures
for the rich. To the actual settler only, should be
given the title to the soil, thus making capital and
labor substantially interdependent
Since the formation of the Government, over lGo-
OG0OtI acres have been gwen. sold. or bauered By
the Government, oue-halt of winch. declares Mr.
Julian has passed into the hands of nonresident
owners and is now largely lying unredc"Wci, wait
inc Toy the profits of high prices. Worse than this
There are now before the House bills ealing lor
3NO00uO0 acres. &cudtd Oh the same loose terms rs
that already squaEdrted The land granted already
forms an empire vastly larger than France, ara is 10
all practical purposes useless t. our people. Spccu-
laOis have absolute control and exclude settlement
not, just as they choose. The new conquest begun
bv the lobby would cover greater area than that
comprised IN the original thirteen States and would
virtually cStop immigration under Tie Homestead
As instances Of blindness on the part Of the Gov
ernmcut Mr.. Julian instances the Usage ana Chcro-
ke. Jobs. wherein the Government consents 10 the
estrau cement from the people OF over le",'W aGI'N
of the finest land IN the western country inc
Usage resery alton of lCJQoo acre and TIE ,heIOkee
grant Of 100000 passed into the hands OF two mel
the first at 10 cents acre the latter al Sl-WIen AT
the lowest valuation the land Is worth >lN"FlTL
The Swamplard' act pass"d mn 1880. for the hud-
able purpose OF saving the GoveIImcut the expense
of recaimiug th" waste and and 0yeiNOWeG lands IN
she several states has been maize Use OF DN IoSutN
90 sWindc che Government Out ui some OF the richest
tracts iu the country. Lands IN tie sierra Nevada
Mountains. sou feet above the level If iue sea" and
absolutely recurring irrigation go produce wheat and
oats. have been granted under the loose 1rn' tion~
of tiis act as " ovcraowcd and swamp lands in
th- same WY. G0yr, acres or t,' choicest lands
IN the Southern and We trru S-glr haN" been lost 10
and tac work st! goes on. and "Iii continue Ln-
lands shall Dee clearly defined. The 'otdhJ acres |
gdutcd iIT educational purpose, Nlh the adpl-
truu iLtu.Ut acres conferred IN p1.uglS OF VtWD
90 each senator and Representative. Nj; Julian
classes rs among the prO.igatc land LEGISLATION of
The last ten years The country thus conferred
ruc- into the hands OF monclolists, If not private
sJccuiato tie States hold back the shares - which
tlcy are tiled and wait the IN 2her plces that
timc uliy c3r b. 4. This /, the mischief oI land
grabbing the country is held back, and settlement
discouraged. - general thing these giants cover
the best lands aud the seeker for new nome Is not
willing TO settle ou sterile soil when vast tracts Of
fertile land H. about on every hand Whch ne can
not claim, save by paying more imam he can
afford, and more than the land uIedeemed is
worth. Tine ,oNo0G1 acres APPROPRIATED after
the NcNican wal. Tor military ana naval
purpo,p, have gone the way Of all the rest spccula
tors have seized them piecemcaL Not one soldier IN
hye hundred ever saw the laid 10 winch HlS warrant
entitled hlm-sinply because congress 80 Iasihoued
The act as T. allow the soldiers claims 10 be " To-
Gated by agents. I'm this the Kindergarten Jaw his
oi4.ucr. aud improved IT. inns, AYERS NiT' Jdllan
,gi ue llo latt OF the NOlc5 Bounty Land OH now
bf1r- thr senate, as Its provisions are dehucaIWlth
Ghoae 81 Its predecessor
Nearly every item Of land legislation since the
formation Oi the Government Is thus passed IN crltl-
cal review by Mr.. Julian, and all alike meet hls
severe condemnation. Not because the legislation
itself Uil corrupt, OF uhWlSe nut silHIIy because
dishonest men changed the obvious construction OF
the laws 10 cover dishonest purposes.
Briefly stated, Mr.. Julian complains that the Gov
eminent has departed from its traditional policy in
guarding the lands exclusively for the people, and
fbe Republican party has forgotten its primal doc
frine in DENYING the claims of labor before the de-
nands 81 capital To certain extent, this argument
IL upheld 10y facts Such, for instance, as the Indian
land operations-whch are clearly wrong-and kim
dred subsidiary grants of minor Importance, which
waste and absorb without adequate return, the pub
lie domain We are convinced that no good purpose
can be subserved in parting with any more OF the pub
Tic lands save for some recognized national purpose
A 4