Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-12-20
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.

A few days ago Senator Morgan offered
resolution to take from the various railroad
and telegraph lines of tho country that have
not complied with their charter, public lands
which were donated by the government to
aid in their construction. He presented with
tho resolution list Of the companies in de-
fault, included in which We notice the North
ern Pacific Railroad company. In an inter-
view on the subject the Senator said he
could see no good reason why millions Of
acres of public lands should be kept from
presumption by actual settlers by lines Of
railway who have no right to their control ;
and, as proposed in his resolution, would At
once declare their charter rights forfeited
for noncompliance, and open the lands for
actual settlement.
Theoretically Senator Morgan is right.
We believe that in nine cases out of ten a
company which has accepted grants from
| the government and has failed to comply
with the conditions prescribed in the grant,
promptly. But there are exceptions to the
| rule, and one of these is the Northern Pa
cifio company. 1t was chartered long before
the panic of 1873, and the grant of lands
was accepted in good faith. The road was
being built with great rapidity whom the
crash came, and Jay Cooke, its chief pro.
moter, was engulfed in ruin. The work
came to . stand-still, and during all the yeart
of business depression that followed nc
progress was made. But the moment there
were signs of renewed prosperity the work
was taken in hand, and for the past year
| and half tracklaying has progressed from
both ends with rapdity seldom equalled in
the history of railroad construction. The
grant has expired, it is true, but tho com.
pany is giving every evidence of its good
faith by endeavoring to comply with it,
conditions as early as possible. A banke,
will not refuse to renew = note given
by business man if he shows evidences
of a desire and ability to pay it soon
and We see no reason why the government
| should depart from 40 good custom tina
governs tue commercial world.
Senator Morgan is evidently laborinl
under misrepresentation as to the effect O.
| the land grant system as far as the Northern
Pacific is concerned. He would find, b,
taking trip over the line, that as fast as i
is constructed ceaseleas tide of emigration
flows in to occupy and improve the land
Thousands upon thousands of acres of lant
have been put under cultivation all along
the line, and iunumerable thriving villages
have sprung up, each teeming with life ant
enterprise. Hundreds of families, antici
pating tho extension of the road, have gon,
in advance of the graders and settled upo1
farms and constructed homes for themselve
where they expect to live and die. 1t is 6
grave mistake to suppose that the grant t.
this railroad in any way interferes with tn
settlement of the country. In fact it stimu
lates it as never was settlement stimulate,
before.
We repeat that it would be unfair to re
woke the grant to this company. Its laps
has only been technical one. The road i
being constructed from the proceeds of tn
land sales, and to deprive it of this source O
revenue would seriously retard if it dis
not wholly prevent the completion of thi
great natural highway from the Pacif
ocean to the great lakes.