The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-03-31
AMERICAN LAND ROBBERS.

SCI SLOUGH Power ~ Corporations
EQMalcd Only by Their AMdNClty--
Tho People ,luss Anmn1 Land saranss
amd lecc1aism tho Soll.
In pamphlet entitled "Tho Struggle Of tho
Mnsscl Slough Settlers for Their Homes" pub
lishcd at visalia, CAL, = few months since, may
be found = narrative OF facts ~ startling ~
they are important TO tho people OF the United
states. The pamphlet may bc looked upon AZ
tho first chapter In tho infAn,ies land-grant
are TO infict on FREQ people
swindled ont Of tho public domain by lcgisla-
tive corruption aud corporate thieves.
II every voter in the United States could read
the plain fActa vet forth Ia this pamphlet, and
then turn back 70 the Legislative history of tho
Pacific railroad grants; 70 the Credit Mob'licr
frauds, their legitimate offspring; to the dclib-
crate attempt Of the corporate scoundrcls to
evade every condition In anywise favorable TO
tho people, and finally bo shown the detcr-
mined aud long-contlnucd dishonesty Of these
monster corporate swindlrrs IN refusing g
pay the interest on the $70.0OO.O 900 Of United
States bonds advanced by Congress TO bulld
tho roads, no man would ever b0 voted for N
q candidate for Congress who would not pledge
his sacred honor TO reclaim every aero OF the
lands donated 10 the Pacific railroads. They
were obtained by fraud: Fraud vitiatcs every
false prctenscs- -prctcnscs No glaringly aada-
cions and 40 corraptly false - TO nullify every
idea Of legality. Ihoy were obtained ON con-
ditions plainly expressed % fundamental to
their validity, which have In nowise been
performed conditions which not cnly nullify
the duty ON Congress to declars oil right 10 the
lunda forfeited
Before noticing the facts sct forth Ia the
pamphlet, which plainly develop tho policy ~
he pursued by the land-grant monopolists, II y
proper that every reader In the land should
comprehend the extent Of thu territory covered
by these grants, and the vast Had for swin-
ding, greed and aristocratic power over which
Jay Gould, Leland stanford and their asso-
ciate Monepolists can exercise their nefarious
power. The Pacific land grants cover more
than ZOO, 700. 100 acres, or tuice ~ much m Al
England, ireland. Scotland, France, Belgium
land enough 10 support . population ot luO,-
uO0.uOO people; moro territory than il en-
braccd In Maire. Massachusetts,. New
hampsairss Vermont, Connecticut. Rhode
grab-work Of incorporated villainy 10 in the
hands Of mon "A soullcss ~ the corporations
they represent. Jay Gould. the owner u thu
IsibuNs, the Times, the Norld IL the Captain
He aud his satellites, with Vanderbilt. Dillon
Huntington. Stanford 3 Co, possessed of the
highways Of the nation. from lMget's sound u
Long island, which they control with the iron
hand Of lnsolent power, have just cemhaned the
forses Of electricity which circles the globe with
the forces uf steam which, combining mere
than $5.OOO. .0uO, Ot0 u capital gridioning the
whole land FROM ocean to oxesn with more than
$4,000 miles Of iron. links to control the pro.
ducing interests u the country.
This brief notice Of the extent Of the possess
Al. h..t.
enough show the labor il will require to curb
into reasonable limits tho graspiig greed aud
treacherous power cf the land-grant monopo-
lists.
The story Of the Massel slough settlers in
battling Tor their homes u : new phase in
American life and deserves 10 BE- carefully
noted The iirst question Arosc ~ to the title
II tho railroad under tho grant of Congrcss,
The Southern Pacific railroad had grant
starting from \ specific point in tho Hay ot
San Francisco. running through the eount;es of
Santa Clara. Monterey, San Luis Oblspo, r,.
hare. Los Angeles and San Diego n the town
u San Diego. and thence eastward Through the
county " San Diego 10 the eastern anc ~ thc
state of California, there 10 connext with y
contemplated road ~ the Mississippi. Taa,
waa the specific and only lnc Oh whleh They
were authorized TO build road. No road has
been built ON that line. The company hailt a
Mussel Slough branch, more than loo miles
IFOlu tue NuafItIeu uucs Will y nlSu I1tl>N NJ
mountains intervening.
The company attcmptedt 10 got patents for the
land ON the route of the road built. This was
opposed by the people OF Mnssel Slough. and
the question came up before q. Il. Rrowning,
SECRETARY of the Interior. who, in 1 written
opinion, dated Washington. d. e.. July IA,
lS6s. held that tho company had ne authority
10 build the road except in compliance with
their charter, that they had not built on any
hne authorized by law. and that they were not
entitled to patents on the M0ssel slough route.
open to entries for honcslcads and for prc-
eMption.
Tho monopollsts were frightened At this de-
cision. aud, through Gen. w. =. Rosecrans and
tho plea that they wished 10 present evidence
a 70 the legality Of their claim. Secretary
browning. Ang. 10, 1854 consented 10 sus-
pend the right OF entry of the lands south VI
San Jose.
This effort Of Gen. Rosecrans was only !
quihhle to secure time for rAiiroAd cornaorants
To get round the Law, IL possae'os 4 new PrUei-
Dental election was soon 10 take places ncw
Secretary Of the Interior would be AppointcSi,
and the land-grant thieves hoped that, by fraud.
money aud political influence. they eonld scc0rs
his favor. in the same manner they had sec0rsj
the original grant.
Gen. Grant was elected. ]. d. Cox. u Oh.,>
xas made hia Secretary u the Interior. The
whole swarm Of Pacific railroad eheats cons
menced their work to broweeAt. fraghten ~
bsibe him 10 decide in their favor. The cass
was submitted 10 him |, he rendered his aeclslcr
on Nov. 10 1854 After reviewing the facts he
sayss u
| BY the company. and can ccMe 10 no oths !
| conclusion than that. in the locAtien II their
road. they entirely disregard thslr charter from
| the State of California. which, in the aee ~
Congress. il given IA their authority te baald =
road in said State.
| ..The withdrawal (of the lands in question:,
1 not heinS upon the ron.c tho eemlknS wss aa'
\ thonxed to construct railread, the SusEn
\ sion of Mr.. Secretary Rrownnk.s order "a AnE
~, lS6S. l. hereby revoked. And YOU Will Issue
tho necessary orsiers fOr the rstoratsoa 81 ths
lands, ~ directed by him ON the lath cf July
lssS"
The company still claimed that the act d
Congrcss WAS omnipotent to aatsofise them Y
locate where they pleased.
raHcons iMpnscnec, aud held IN letter drct
IA IL the Hon. Joseph = Wilson, CAMa,lss,nasl
of General Land Onice, dated Nov. II. lSAs
"That il waald hc singular anomaly Il TON
gress should empower State corporation IL Y,
an act expressly forbidden hs \ law escatias il
which tho STATE had the power 70 enact,
He therefore reiterated his deeasaca that IN
\
pfs~cMptlen.
Ii wAs Also An express condition 1t tho gran
~ Congress that the rad to which their Ian
grant applied should bc constructed. eqnlps'sS
f,,rnishea and completed by tho 9Th u In's
1879, when, in fact. any portion ef tho 6cshe
branch covering the land in question. fses
Huron 10 Tres Pines aistance III lilo Msle'
has not only never hecn COMPLETED or cM
Mcnec.a. hut the corporate swandlerS KNOWN
that 4 larg. portion af the land On the lAs
named ron,e had hccn rcelaime>is that cana
had ben built 10 bring water to IL. that u
Mense labor had heen he~tawcd upon u
Mn>sel Slough division h make the lands tfai
fNl, Piled their fraudulent acvices and
bribery, false statements and leshNlng devt,
, secured through ], N. Howard, the Chs,raas
of the Committee on the Pacific Railroads 4
. passage II JOINT resolution IN the Ssnstc =
. tending tho grant ~ tho route in question. !
: order was made Withdrawing t.se lands flu
: sale until the resolution should finally ee act.
! upon by Congress
Secretary cox in making the order ''exlxes
II reserved all the rights of actual settlers, I
! gcther with the other conditions and r~stris
! a far - IN. vAsshtS ~ NJ