The daily gazette., 1882-01-26

TEn LAND GRABnnns : WHAT Nh.
CLARKn sara Hon. Sidney Clarke,
en- OK member Of Congress from Kan
sas. has bssn talking 70 representa-.
tive Of the New York WarId In Wash
ington. and what he says with refor-
Snos 70 the great land grants passed
by Congress while member Of the
House Of Representative, il especial
ly intersstikg just now when 10 is pro-
posed that some Of the millions OF
acres Of public lands that were donated
TO railroads shall relapse back 20 the
government Mr.. Clarke says:
eyes, sir, in many respects. Most
Of the early grants were honestly
made and, a. administered BY the
railroad companies, have rapidly de-
veloped the country and largely In
creased eur wealth and population.
But the Northern Pacific grant was >
plundering scheme from the start.
An examination Of the record will
show that all the necessary safeguards
which surrounded former grants Of
land were broken down. The COM
pany deliberately tried, and to great
extent succeeded in decoiving Con-
gress. The joint resolution Of 1868,
requiring the whole line Of road TO be
completed BY the 4th day Of July, 1877,
was rushed through Congress with
indecent haste it would mot stand
the test Of public inspection. It may
mot be creditable to members Of that
Congress, but honestly believe that
. large majority Of those msmbers
who voted for it did 20 under q misap-
prehension. 1t would be more char
liable, perhaps, for me TO Say that it
was indifference on the part Of many
which made 1t possible for such q
measure to get through Congress.
But the subsequent legislation OF
! 1870 was infAmoua."
"Why do you call 1t infamous :"
81 will tell you as plainly as can.
In the nrst place, however, the joint
resolution OF 1870, authorining bonds
and extending the grant, Was rushed
through Congress under tho whip and
spur Of ~ corrupt lobby as ever
swArmed about the crridors Of the
Capitol. just at the time the resolu-
tion was pending misrepresentation
was Supreme In this class Of legisla-
ton. Plenty of members were found
upon the floors of both houses Of
Congress to give Official expression to
the deceptive statements Of the greedy
lobby.
The corrupt were bought with money,
the timld were threatened aud ailenced,
The Indifferent were deceived, debate
was refused As far as possible, and
| with All arrogance OF manner which
never saw ecnalled In the House, q vast
empire OF fertile land, larger than the
territorial area Of most Of the great ma
tions Of Europe, was handed over TO q
lot Of irresponsible speculatOrs. In the
second place, call it infamous, be-
cause the law allows the company 70 RC
sixty miles Cut ON each side OC the line
of the road TO select land TO make uE
| for deficiencies. This IN reality makes
i = X 9ANl AA<S Ahltas WAuGs tuluk YOU
/ will md by examination that IL this
robbery Is finally coDsummated it will
| take nearly q, ,O00, 900 acres of land to
satisfy the grant. see the " orld has
stated it at 10000, ,e0O..ac l do moi
think that 10 high enough. Think OF .
poor settler buying land OF this country
on the out-edge of tine grant. He
would be two days travel from tbs
road In the level country and more
than that in the mountain regions,
What legislation can be more monstrouG
and wicked than thisf The most cor
rup. and despotic period Of the Roman
Empire furnishes no parallel. The Ro
mans bought the Senatorships. assassi.
mated rivals end confiscated the estates
Of defeated chieftains bus NO man OF
combination Of men Ia Rouie ever dared
TO perpetrate 30 audaclous q swindle
upon the masses Of the people,"
sis not most Of the land poor and
comparatively worthless ?''
"NOt by any means. There are vast
quantities Of land within the limits Of
this grant a. rich as any In the United
States. It 10 worth more In capacity
for production than all the New Eng.
land States united with the State Of
New York. France is q wonderful
country in all the natural elements ei
production and wealth. But the coun
try within the limits Of the Northern
Pacific grant ls richer than France in
agricultural capacity, inexhaustible IN
coal and iron, and mere valuable thar
all Of Europe for the production OF tht
precious metals. In view of the fac
that the country is being rapidly deple-
ted of timber, the timber on the Pacifi,
slope along the line Of this grant will b.
immensely valuable Probably tn,
finest and most valuable timber in tn,
United States Is TO be found in Wash
| inptnn TnFritnrv -