The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-09
Mr., oHALMBRs' Plan.

sl,slppi, reported bill W tbs House of kep'
rosonAtIye', entitled "An at u complete
tho Pacific railway system, and for other Puf'
poses" This bill proposes m absolute de-
parlure from Nil former methods OF rallropa
lgl'lallon by Congress and oslonslhy mas
for ih Object the completion OF
tho roada specified, and u MD
IN other projects Of ls'ernal Improve
mont without burIhenlog the people
with tax or involving tho goyornmonlby the
endorsement Of railroad bondr, There can
be- no objection urged against lraslblo plan
really having these oblo'ts in view Any
measure that will relieve the people of taxa
ton, that will remove responsibility from
tho government, and NJ tho same time ne
oompllsh such desirable results ~ tho COM
ploton Of the Pacific railway sy'tO now
tondlng toward full development and
aid In other enterprises OF pub
lio improvement, ls certainly ono to
cllnhlNnn Hanll I" w" '"N'' ''"'''}
A1d 10 be- hailed with delight from end 10 end
OF the Union, i tho bill In question utcpion
In la nature, or of practical utility In " con-
coptlon' This Ia tho Oll important query.
The bill propoies 10 restore H. tho govern
menl the l0G5OO,00O acres Of land heretofore
granted To tho Southern Pacific, Northern
Pacific and Atlantic n Pacific railways and
10 soil thom nj an average Of two dollars
pOr acre, 40 Ms TO realize S2la.0OOOOO,
viii h Ia 10 DO constituted n
public Improvement fund, from which
loans aro to bo made to these railroads
upon prescribed conditions Provision Is
also made in the bill not to interfere with the
homo,tcad cntry, and ut tho same time to
doal cquitobly and justly with those compa-
MOS which lost their loyal claims TO land
grants by reason of thogroat financial crisis
IT tho plan be- practicable, II Is very proper
that tho homestead entry bo not interlcred
with aud II 10 ominently proper to make al
lowanccs for those companies affected by the
financial crisis But many questions arise.
In the first place can Congress, having once
given 10 tho Southern Pacific, North
ORR Pac 40 and Atlantic Il Pacific railroads,
06,500000 acres of land, take that lind
back without the consent of those railroads
If those roads should be ever so willing to
acccdc TO the proposition, are those lands all
unencumbcrodl Have no bonds boon issu
by either of these roads based upon tie
lands or any other part of thsmy If so,
can Congress stop in and destroy the value of
such bonds BY reposscssiug the Government
with these lands? Furthermore, If none Of tho
difficulties suggested should bo in tue way,
and the government again comes in posses
sion of the lands, can they be sold Mt nm
average Of two dollars per acre' Can they
be sold at all in n length Of time to make the
money available for tho purpocs proposed
If they can be sold ut M average Of two dol
lars per acre, and that so speedily as to
make the money available, cannot The Soutli-
era Pacific, Northern Pacific and Atlantic
& Pacific railroads eQutably say "r' these
lands were originally granted TO US, the en- ,'ro
amount of money realized on their snlo
should bo loaned to US, We want IL ALL"
And lift is all loaned to these three roat s
how are other projects of public improv
mont to be aided out of this fund.- Tho bill
doesn't seem to olfor any inducements to tho
Southern Pacific and Atlantic Il Pacific roads
TO consent to release their claims
to the lands granted to them, ond is il re- =
enable to suppose that they Will willingly
give up that which has b m given 10 them
without quid pro quoH Railroad companies
arc not in tho habit of relinquishing that
which belongs to them any moro readily than
individuals are, and in this age OF make all
you can and keep all you make, il would be
very difficult TO find three individuals who
would give away lO6500G00 acres of land
TO be sold for u sum of money which they
would have the privilege of borrowing. Ii
this land can be sold for $2lS,000,0)J
why can't the railroad companies to whom
it has been granted soil it and put the mon
ey in their Golfers They wouldn't have to
borrow it thou, would they? We do not
wish TO DO understood as opposing the bill,
because we are not yet prepared to say
whether the bill is feasible one or not.
but have presented some of the thoughts
thata perusal ofthe bill suggested. Mr.. Ohal-
msrs is gentleman of information, is clear
headed and generally knows what he is do
ing, and with his understanding of all facts,
it may be that the bill is entirely unobjec,
tionabc 1t certainly is unobjcctionablc lift
can accomp sh whstit proposes.
|
MR. SwINToN is entirely two considerate.
He was nominated for the Presidency by
Dennis Kearney and declines on the ground
that he is not eligible because he is not u native
of this country. 1t Is true that the Constitu-
ton of these United States says man must
DO "natvean 10 the manner born" to be
President, but what of that? The Constitu-
ton is only the writtea fundamental law OF
the land, and there is an uuwrt.en lundamen-
tai law as morally binding us lis, which says