Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-06-06


Another decision of the Secretary of
the Interior in favor of a land grant
railroad recalls the words of Mr.. Hen
ny George some years ago, that "the
government must own the railroads
or the railroads will own the govern
ment." The people are going to find
out one of these days that this is true.
The case just decided by Secretary
Teller is upon the application of the
Central Pacific railway for patents to
certain lands belonging to the original
grant, but forfeited by the failure of
the company to complete its line within
the time specified. In similar case
the Supreme court decided that tho
provisions for the completion Of the
road within a certain time was u con-
dition subsequent, that although the
time for building the road had expired,
the grant remained unimpaired, and
the land did not and could, not revert
without the intervention Of legislative
or judicial action, and without such
action no effect whatever could be Civ
en- TO the forfeiture clause. The Sec
rotary says that, in view of this de-
cision, which was made more than
eight years ago, and has often been re-
affirmed, and Of the further fact that,
although the attention of Congress has
been repeatedly called to the effect of
the decision and no action has been
taken by that body, it must be pre-
sumed that Congress intends that the
land grant companies shall have the
benefit of the decision, that at all
events his action as the executive Off
Ger must be controlled by the decisions
of the Supreme court. So far as the
Secretary is concerned his position is
sound and the court has doubtless en-
unciated good law also. The respon-
sibility rests with Congress, which has
neglected or refused to take the neces-
sary action pointed out by the court to
give effect to the law regarding forfeit
ure. And why has Congress failed to
act? Is it the railroad lobby that
stands in the way!
In this connection, the statements of
Mr.. Goo. W. Julian, in recent arti-
Gle in the North American Reyiew
have new interest, even if not now re-
ierred to for the first time. The in
huences which Mr.. Julian refers to in
the government land office are still
more potent i'll Congress, where the
power Of the people ought to be felt
and their rights protected. 1t was in
1880, for the construction of the Hi
nois Central railway, that the first
grants of public lands were made. So
loose was legislation, so grasping the
demands of the projectors of the vari-
Gus lines, that in some instances the
grants were given with "no lateral
limits This waste of public property
became so extensive that at last the
people were alarmed and about eleven
years ago halt was called, shut it
was not until more than 100000, 900
acres of the peoples patrimony had
been appropriated-an area as large as
that of the thirteen original states"
Since these rights were given by the
nation, of conrsc here is no use in dis
putting these claims, but it would be
interesting to note by what means the
railroads have been unheld in many
cases in litigations with private parties
as to the ownership of lands to which
the railroads had no possible claim.
In some special cases it seems evident
that decisions of the Supreme court
have been oyerridden by the railroad
companies. The simple printing of
certified lists have been considered
equivalent to patents, and that in this
way companies shave had awarded to
them an illegal excess of indemnity
lands amounting to more than 10,000,-
900 acres, or enough to make 62,500
farms of 100 acres. These lanes
might have been opened to settlers at
government prices, instead of becom-
ing the spoil of corporate monopolies
and sold at rates imposed by them
selves. PHoNo.
A Roundout, N. Y, gravestone man
uoS 1irocta1 IN coryn q monument wit n