New-York tribune., 1872-02-15
POLITICAL MISCELLANY Y
TIE LAND QUESTION IN CONGRESS.

TIE LAND QUESIlON IN CONUh"'"'
TO the Edttorof The Trtou"e &c
SIR: hope yei VIII aiiow me 'no 20 M,
vorr .a,,rr, for brief notice OF Mr.. Pomeroys Dill
vn,.h rocertiv posyd the Senate creating tho fen""
-. nj, ona AFR Hoar's bill, which has Just pa8Se'
, uouso ap,,yu; the proceeds Of tho public inhuS if
educational purposes. These measures naIuIa'i, Fo
,o criticism AM tbls scarcely he doomed nht'oy
nec each Of nes remains to bo acted on by ono
Of Congress. -
Tho former-measure sets apart us perre'l"' r''.
vaton tract Of country about By a. miles 10 eA'on'
,ssr tIe Ic, waters OF the Yellow Tone R'ef'
m sged mud mountainous rogon some 1909 ie'' "'''
udc-wator, and aboundag IN scenery o. rare p''"''
beauty curiosity, AMI ma1'iiccnce. Ihe'0ec'''- "
tho Interior Is have the charge oft aud cnpo"cc
10 execute leases OF po.ons OF IT, TO remove tf'-p''
&e. Tho avowcd object of the bin IA 10 protec, 'his
region from settlers, "a Senator Poney calls '"o'
"s1uatters :" but declared In urging tho passage
Of the bill, that the proposed reservation - u'-
inhablble. Why, then, exclude settlerSf 1T y 'ho
law of physical geography protects these hig a'ouos
and rugged formations from "sGuai;ers,' WIZ laen'cV
III Why authorize tho Secretary Of the Interior 10
execute leases when there bo no csscesi Ana no'
let me ASK could tho hand OF mar the mlrVcious
physical beauty and grandeur OF the proposed hi''
park "sqatcrs" could neither batter de"n u, noun
tans cork up Ire G3ysers H. In tict there are snh
strips spots In it which are nt for ullse "ny s'oli
not settlers bc allowed accept The terms o. to Pre-
and fields would soften and beauty the landscape ana
could harm no one
Mr. Truubu in the debate this bil urged its pas
81 &c on the ground that settlers otherwise msh, SOLICIT
their homes in sIch localities 10 Oh'racS sue pijc
travel over wonderful regions. The Senate seems
to forgotten that this coud not be- done. Thc Coy
ornmrn course would not orlsg tho survey Of Iands
which are inhlbi,ac and the Supreme Court Of tho
United States has decided that set:lr on the unsur-
vcyed public lands more tenants-atwii who may he
disposecssad by the Government at any moment. AL
though invited by the PrcCmpton law TO go
upon such lands and offered q nome on pre-
soribed conditions which accepted, Tho Government
s not bound 10 keep faith with the settler but may turn
him adr any time before ho has completed his pay
ment and appropriate lis Improvement nadc in good
fab II IL deeply to he regretted that this decision has
been made but such is the Jaw; ana refer TO y as an
why Senator POmcroy should have bron@ht o"atd tis
lie reasons for lis pass &C. hut thoro notnrS in
the debate on IL Which discIo5es them; anJ " ,is
Lands vii carefully consider tie tuC ion btio.a
acting upon it. IL has somethnca happened net
laws have been passed and tre iiic7 Sic e5s'Gl,y
manpulaed!n tn ntcreSto Of private inGir na{ outside
OF Congress In the res r Caso Ul"Ic ay pe irt rests
connected with some scheme oihUicbcepng ~ tbs = o
posed park with OF the lra7"q o)ncmpat"4 NY
the BILL undeyclopel mining cntolIr.aes, witch
about which IL" rad no iulosnltiln. Tne li, q,
almost certainly ead 70 ioob'ry snd fraud wfe mvolV-
ing the Government in gIcat and ncedless expense
Let me say w0rI respecting the other measure re-
The purpose cf the hl j. most CONT, udahic No ono
DOUBT that cdlcaol should be fostrod aud cher
i.hed the life Of Institutions, ard that universal
suffrage, 10 thc utmost practical le .ent. should ~
supported Dy universal cnlic teumcht What Strongly
60 no question Is the policy OF maxi The support OF
national educlticn dcn"Hd upon ti.o procee IS 10
backward Ee cid policy CT king 20 the safe o those
lands source II re- onUc and dtic.hS ne ioc'e4
among the States. We have orte!p"H thl' l'c' f'r
mc past the soier sense al tn country ll looked
10 the population and agc ~ Our lands aud not their
sale, the true source q: revenue, and at The same Time
the means Cf ind triq development aNd national
wealth. The Homestead law OF 1902 emphatic
expression OF this feeling which has constantly
needs, aud the people deilcnd, q stiD fur
thel rcfoln o. our land policy N the same direction IN
guarded land srin ~ en- g .oMb'0dc c tne urt"er
sale Of the public domain In great bodiCs 30 noH-rc5l-
dcnis for speculative pur 'es arg ire rajlo o. re
whole VI II which Il t for agriculture 10 actual settle
ment IN limited portions. nndet te I!o' ion. oI me
PreGrptiOn and Homestead la"s Tnb GQcsuon
other il The polnics Of the pre,ent md near
future. IL should not be brought nto AZ uIn'tut con
fIct with the cause or natin1Hl cdI'a'iJ' hut e.
this bill hcC9 law. il viii eug"uA Aff VfPrt L "n-
tagcn'sr between tlc interests of ctuca'ou ani fLe
have Indicated. Tho ClpsD vote Mr.. iIplmaps amend
ment Mr. Hoar's hl Is IN nhultrndOn Of the divl-
fire to aid Of education. and t te same time
10 lessen the fund which supports II, by emeuci-
would be thrown upon tOn.tss- ~ eac1 Scs.JI 20 r.
ducing the educ iOr fund IL 0iier 10 ping about an
imprfa clynccdCd reform of orr land policy, or 81
handing over the public domain 10 tie eontli ned greed
If spectators and monOpo5is, ~ order 10 stNe Ie
interests Of education ConTes shout not pace lisri,
in such dilemma Ine real iitnus oi education shouu
desire to place their great Gu in such cDDaId
mont and peril; while the cneInFs OF land monopoly
and the friends Of pioneer settlers should not ainW
This unnatural marriage OF TWO great questions - be
solemnZcd IL they can prevent IL. GEO. ". JULIAN
Ncr lOTL, Feb. Il, 1872