The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-08-24
and settlers over vast region uf coiintry enter
upon their lomesteads At t4et peril.

Anu 60 MI. CHhlfmnU even nv Iklb GRITTY Ony
tho fruits OF this land grant railroad system
b gin to ripcn in all their bitterness. Citizens,
after years or labor ON their homesteads nnd,r
shelter Of your homestead laws, driven out Of
their once cheerful homes apd from fields
fcrtilizeI by the sweat OF their patient labor
soldiers who upheld the banncr Of tho Union
on many field Of death, by craft and subtlety
millions Of acres OF fertile lanl, by fscic,
adroit decisions secured to these corporations,
even In excess Of their grants, Mt the expense OF
bona file scttlcrs--miltions Of acres Of land by
heart.css monopoly placed forever tcyond tho
reach OF landless and lsboring men, the entire
grants tho laws creating which are
full Of subtle and dlsingenuous provisions
framed for dishonest advantage,
while the combined power Of these
corporations, with more than kingly wealth.
with lands sufficient to form more than eight
great States within their grasp, mum ficcnt
gift OF Congress from the rightful inheritance
OF labor, IL molding tho policy which will &C.
cure obedience to their commands, while the
unshorn fields which once invited the labor u
the landless now have written upon them the
accursed word monopoly-not free lands for
freemcn, with the pillow In the hands OF the
owner, but landlords and tenants, great estates
and shivering poverty. No man who feels a.
man II wont to feel can contemplate the fruits
OF this system, its disingenuous methods. its
corruptinY PRACTICES it, arrogant and unbush-
ing assertion OF dishonest claims a. against the
Just rights OF the feeble, aud the tubscryicncy
Of official authority to its demands without
blushng for his country.
And here, Mr.. Chairman, we stand at the
close OF this prolonged session. Matters OF
trivial concern have occupied this great body.
The greatest question before the American
people cannot even obtain hearing. Has the
shadow OF these great corporations fallen also
upon this Capitol2 Does the spirit that rem
dcrcd these grants possible still stand IN the
way Of abrogating them to the full extent Of
tho right2
But what other results could have been hoped
for2 The great party which organized these
corporations and gave them tho lands which
belonged to the people have learned TO lean
upon them for support. A party whose main
support IL corporate power IL not likely to
speak in the interest Of labor. II these for
fcited lands are ever brought within the
reach OF the landless II will not be by the
party which made these grants. II the people
Of this country wish to assert their rights
against tho domination OF corporate power,
they must change the administration Of their
Affairs. The continuance OF the lscpnhl can
party IN tho ascendency means the ascend.ncy
Of powerful monopolics and that this genera
ton shall see the utter anl complete exhaustion
OF the public lands, and with the public dom ain,
cir, gots the last hope OF labor and the strong
cat pillar upon which this republic rests.
Sir, IL there any parallel to this record? Thir-
ty years ago, in the first gathering Of its clo-
ments at Pittsburgh, the party IN power re-
solved that the luole lands should not be sold
to individuals or granted to corporations, but
should be Ii. ID as .sacred trust to secure
homes for "laudless Settlers
Twenty years ago the same party, on its first
advent into power, passed the Homestead law
and dedicated these public lands 10 the land
less for free homes for freemcn, yet within 4
period Of fuult,ca wears the same party gave 10
corporations 49, 0Sl l55 50 acres OF tie ,c lands,
authorized them 10 select the most fertile OF
these lands almost without limit, and have 30
administered the laws making these grants that
bv artful interpretations these grants arc so
enlarged that the agricultural lands are almost
exhausted, and in very few years the monop-
oily OF lands BY great corporations will be conf
plete.
have, after repeated extension OF the time for
completing their railroads, finally forfeited .
large portion OF their grants. and only an act OF
Congress, the justice OF which no Han can ques-
tion 10 necessary to restore 81, 600 900 OF acres
OF these lands to the people, : territory larger
than the great States Of Ohio. Indiana and llli-
nois combined, that act cannot he obtained.
And. more than that, in this House as organ
ized even the poor privilege Of considering the
subject cannot be secured.
And why were not these railroad completed
within the time named in the respective grants
The answer is obvious. These corporations
have waited until our ever-growins population,
pouring in teeming multitudes westward and
Southwestward into the new States and Terri
tories, have by their labor in countless
fields developed the value Of these great
grants reserved from settlement and made them
the foundation for the bonds which are 10 con-
struct the roads. The time for the completion
of the Northern Pacific road was twice cx-
tended before it forfeited its grant on the 4th
day OF July, 1879. The cost Of constructing
this road Of 2,270 miles, ~ reported Ivy the
Auditor OF Railroad Accounts, will be s75, 600, :
000, and this corporation holds its land grant
Of 215, 040 acres ia the fairest portion OF tue
great West-land enough to complete it, i'm.
perial railroad estate and leave princeiy estates
to the railroad kings beside
And vet in due course of time this road
would have been built and paid for by the meu
who would have owned II. and the cure OF
land monopoly would not have been written on
the face OF these fair fields. 1t il said that the
gentleman from Kentucky mir. knott) and
his associates, the minority OF the Judiciary
Committee, will report in favor OF restoring to
the people the nnearned and forfeited millions
Of this grant, but il they do they viii get no
hearing in this House.
And 40 sir. the party which passed the Home
stead law has not only granted to these corpora
tons this vast body OF the public lands, but
has invested these corporations with such inn
penal powers that they defy your Government
and hold these forfeited lands In defiance OF
the public will : and vet these lands, to the ex-
tent Of more than 81. 0Oo, 900 acres, in equity,
justice, law and common honesty, belong to
the rcople Of the United States.
In this state OF affairs IL II all surprising that
the leading public journal Of the Pacific coast
shonll Indignantly say that
There il nothing in the history OF any civil
izcd nation so mon.trous, 30 stupid, so in.
famous as the legislation which has turned
over these mere than imperial gifts OF land to
the absolute ownership OF = few bloodess,
sonlless, aspiring and brutal corporations. II
il dircc, bid for the establishment and per-
ptuatioI OF landed aristocracv in the United
States az much more powerful than that Of
Ireland ~ France il larger than Belgium. and
~ more able to defy the Government A. an
American Congress. restricted by written
constitution, Ia less able to cope with such .
conf iration ~ the British Parliament, which
may make and mend tho unwritten
constitution OF the empire at III
will II Congress fails to restore this
So AIS acres OF ciearlv forfeited land
to the public domain. il win he guilty. OF q
NEGLECT OF duty that must plant the seed and q
some future day-not 30 far on, e,ther-beal
the fruits OF social aud political revolution conn.,
pared with which the late civil war was but .
trAnc episode. San Francisco Chronicle, Mag
| 10. 1851"
The San Francisco Chronicle puts the num-
her OF acres forfeited lower than do. but ! an
| confident nv figures are not above the aetna
1 amount. This systcm IL not only monopolizinc
the pnblic land, organizing an intolerable land
ed aristocracy, robhing the laboring man wht
| settles in good faith on the public land.
OF the fruits Of his labor fostering cor
porations which invade all departments o.
government and decide their own claims. bu
now. az natural result. compel resort to the
public treasury to remedy countless wrone
! which their Unsuitable cupidity and cxtortion
create. To illustrate this danger call atten
ton 10 Senate hill No. 1.492. which has passet
the Senate and now lies ON the Speakers tahl
ready for action. The Senase report states tina
on the 23i day OF July. 1896 there were grant
cd lands TO the Denver ana St Joseph R...roa,
Company IA alternate sections 10 q width q
twenty miles and indemnity lands. Tho cor,
PAW remained gniet from 1866 to March q
1870. and then filed msp o! the Location o
their road On the 18th Of Anril. 1870. tn
Secretary OF the Interior withdrew the land
from settlement for the twenty miles width
Int In the meantime and up to Anr,l Is. 1871
the country had rapidlv filled with settlers eT
tries had been made and patents issued nv tn
United States to the settlers. In the languag
of the repOrt