The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-16


An Opportunity tor President Grant.
That the Hobbies in Congress cannot have
their vile way when honesty s at the front to
oppose them was never moro strikingly In
stanced than In the annihilation yesterday
in the House Of the Bayfield, and
st. Croix land JOB The miserable
beings, like vampire bats, cannot
move in the face of day. The HERALDs shaft
of sunlight pierced them through and in the
trumphai adoption Of General Ketcham's sub
sttute we mark the success Of our policy.
The situation had changed wonderfully from
the day before. On that day the vermin
OF the lobby seemed to crawl over the
ieries, the corridors. the ante-cham-
bsrs, the Speakers room. the rooms
of the committees ths lobbyists were in
aggressive aud urgent strength. They
seemed to nfest the very dome
and swarm around the tawny statue
of Freedom that deccrates the summit Of the
Capitol. A few days since We called attention
to The high carnival which the demagogues
headed by Schurz, Trumbull and Tiptoa, were
holding in the Senate, arrestng all public
business aud striving TO bring dshonor upon
the country aud embarrass our relations with
foreign Powers, simply TO make capital against
President Graai. That WAS a dishonorable
and unmanly experiment. We have
now to call attention to the fact
that the House has been surrendered
to combination of plunaerers and adven-
turers, who are scheming to take the money
and property of the people from the Treasury.
Nearly twenty years ago bill was passed
givIag a land grant to a company which pre-
! pared to build railway in Wisconsin. The
company agreed to finish the road within ten
years. The time passed and not a rail was
laid. The projectors returned to Congress
and found the members in generous
humor. They seemed to have a land
grant moaia. II was about the time when
priucpalities were voted to endow the Pacific
Railway The grant was renewed, with the
provision that unless the road was built within
five years the subsidy would cease aud the
lands revert to the government. This term
expired and not rail was laid although the
number Of acres granted when the bill first
passed had been increased. IL was pro-
posed to renew the subsidy The company
had done nothing. The purpose for which
the bill was passed had not been accomplished
In the meantime the lands have advanced in
value. A subsidy which would have been
worth two or thvee millions when first granted,
is now valued at from ten to fifteen millions.
The net cost Of the road should not be moro
than Onc-third of this sum, but the protectors
of road which has never been built have
seen the liberaii!y Of Congress to the Pacific
raitways-the granting of subsidies two or
three times more than was required, and they
naturally follow The profitable precedent. So
we had the lobby swarmiug over Congress,
and professionally honest newspapers endors-
scheme from defeat.
Another scheme which excites the lobby is
what is called the Yerba Buena grant. This
may be briefly explained. There is an island
near San Francisco owned by the government;
1t is enormously valuable. The Central Pa
cifc Railway is anxious to have this island as
Pacific terminus so its representatives ask
island is Of great value. The road which
Graves it was one of the first endowed by the
government. Its protector received money
and lands enough to have built it
twice over. They became very rich out of the
construction, gradually absorbed the railway
system of California aud are now powerful
corporation. Having fed upon the bounty of
the government in the beginning, they renew
their solicitations and ask for an island which
stands to San Francisco as Governors Island
to New York. No reason is advanced in
favor Of this grant. The owners of the road
are men Of large resources. They are rich
with money given to them by the United
States. They have money enough to buy all
the land required for their depots. They have
as much right to this island as Commodore
Vanderbilt has to Governors Island. Instead
OF buying it in fair, prompt, honest way,
they propose that Congress shall give it to
them. Not satisfied with the millions-the
unnecessary millions-bestowed upon them
by the government they summon the lobby,
and insist that millions more shall be added
to their wealth.
We cite these two measures as an evidence
Of that shameless spirit Of corruption which
reigns over Washington. We have been &C.
customed 10 dwell upon the crimes Of Tam
many and the astounding frauds upon the city
treasury. We have had investigation after
Investigation upon trivial matters in Washing
ton and Albany, but here is q lobby strong
enough and q Congress corrupt enough to
seriously consider for days the pro-
priety Of bestowng millions of the
public property upon private corporations.
". leal L.. 4