Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-06-15
The Northern Pacific Job.

Judiciary Committee in the matter OF
the Northern Pacific Land grants. 1t Is
now nearly Ave months since Mr.. Tel
ler in the Senate and Mr.. Cassidy in the
House began the campaign to recover
from the Northern Pacific Railroad for
the use of the people the millions OF
acres of land which it had appropriated
without equitable right and solely
through the connivance of q complais.
ant and clumsy tool in the Department
of the Interior. Congress originally be-
slowed magnificent empire OF the fin.
est wheat growing lands in the coun'
try upon the Northern Pacific upon the
express condition that the whole road
should be constructed and equipped
by the 4th OF July, 1877, a term which,
under suhsequeut decision. was exten.
ded two years. The act of Congress,
unlike tue generality ot land grant acts,
did not provide that At the expiration nj
the time indicates the grants should
revert to the United States, but declare
that If the company should neglect to
fulfill any OF its conditions during the
space OF a twelvemonth. then in such
lease, at any time hereafter, the Uni.
"ted States, by its Congress, may do any
"and all acts and things which may be
"needful and necessary TO insure
"speedy completion ofsaid road" The
remarkable decision concocted in the
interests of the Northern Pacific by Sec.
retary Schurz and Assistant Attorney.
General Marble was published in full
in these columns on the l4th OF Jan.
aury last. BY extending the rights and
immunit'es Of the company to the full
period OF . year after the final date set
for the fulfillment Of the company's part
OF the agreement, despite the fact that
il had violated each and all of the con.
ditions on which the lands were gran.
ted to il, the Northern Pacific escaped
figuring in the list of defsulting roads
reported to Congress by the then Land
Commissioner as merting forfeiture,
unless the time allowed for the con.
struction of the road should be extend.
ed. Time being thus gained TO push
forward the work OF building the road
on the credit of the land grants which
no longer belonged to it in law or equi..
ty, the foundation WAS laid for furth
er report. judiciously submitted at
time whom IL cannot he considered for
some months, If at all during the pres.
ent COugTes-, to the effect tnat the .ole
right of Congress in the premises is to
do whatever is necessary to insure the
completion of the line. This principle
laid down, il is easy for the Judiciary
Committee to deduce therefrom the
conclusion that Congress should do
nothing whatever, but leave the work
to the corporation which has proved its
capacity and anxiety TO do the work by
neglecting IL. 1t is not contended-
that would be too much even for the
company's apologists to pretend-that
the value of the land is not far in excess
of the cost of constructing and equip.
ping the railroad line. Were Congress
TO take the needful and necessary steps
that would be taken by private indi.
vidual in similar circumstances, the re.
suit would be that the road would be
built with a moiety of the lands, and
the remaining millions upon millions Of
acres would be saved to the United
States for the use Of actual settlers
Such \ course, however, the Judiciary
Committee does not deem advisable"
and Congress is asked to help the com
pany to profit by its own laohes and
torts.
IL is not necessary to recall to the
minds OF our readers the different steps
in this rascality-the reversing of Secrs
tary Chandlers's Florida decision OF 1876,
which furnished precedent fatal to
the ring the turning and twisting Of
the route to take in a every desirable
tract Of land the preparation of deci
sions which rested upon no principle Of
law or precedent, and the restoration"
TO the conspirators Of more land than
haA -, n.sN -
we'll to note once for all the consistent
iobbery and illegality with which this
scheme has been identified from the
date Of its inception. The Northern
Pacific was not like the transcontinent
al lines which preceded It,, which we're
built in accordance with political ne.
cessity indicated during the war Of 81.
cession. ffthe Union was TO be bound
firmly together in all its parts, q speed.
Ter and more intimate connection be.
tween the Atlantic and Pacific States
was indispensable. to say nothing Of the
influence Of q Pacific railroad in bring.
ing about a solution Of the Indian and
Mormon problems, OF gifts commercial
importance as link in the trade sys.
tenn or the world. Whatever the ex.
travagance and corruption may have
been that spranR from the extension TO
those roads Of Government aid, their
construction was indispensable. and
they could not have been constructed
without that aid. There was, however,
no plea Of the sort 10 be entered in fav.
or OF the Northern Pacific. No political
necessity dictated minal populations 10
be linked together; no through trade
awaited : channel. Il was . project
that should bavs been left severely TO
private enterprise, to be constructed as
population and commerce demanded ils
facilities. There was no need to vote u
lands, since Il was 10 be built out Of the
proceeds Of It's bonds. and thus the
grant Of territory as large - and much
richer than : European empire was q
bonus from the Treasury 70 lie builders.
I.obbies and land. grabbers have fatten.
"A s.eoa "a fFoun tha dava 0f lt0ok IN