The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1884-04-09

~ t0W.
SHALL We d The SLAVES OF BAIL.
Road K1NGSs
Questions in regard to city government
sink into utter insignifcance in COMPARE
son with the momentous one concerning
the titles to the surrounding farming
lands. Az important - our vast mining
resources are destined to be, Especially
the coal interest) the agricultural will for
ever, - it has been from the first, be the
predominating interest in this part of
Montana. Boseman's prosperity always
has advanced and declined with the fluc-
tuating foEtunesofthe farmer, and always
win. The Galla&in valley is the granary Of
Montana, and Bozeman is its storehouse.
Then what are mere local and temporary
questions of city government, when con-
trasted with those which will affect our
real estate titles forever? The highest
prosperity is attained in agricultural de-
velopment where the lands are parceled
into small Independent holdings, where
the body of cultivators hold perfect titles
to the soil they cultivate; and where this
IL not the case, where the ownership of
the land is controlled by the few, be soil
ever 90 fruitful, poverty is the inevitable
portion Of the masses. This is exempli-
fed in the deplorabie condition of Ire
land, of Hungary, and other parts of the
globe, where absolute and unconditional
titles are almost unknown to the working
classes. But is it possible for free Mon
rama to be brought to q condition 90 in
tolerable? Yes, unless the people rise
up in their might and destroy the great
boa ofland monopoly that is even now
fastening itself upon them, We shall have
. land system in Montana e. obnoxious
- that which curses Ireland-the groans
Of . coming generation of Montanians,
etrangling and struggling in its ever
tightening folds will ascend to heaven as
maledictions against their fathers for not
llaying the mopster Of monopoly when
they might have done 50. The Northern
Pacific Railroad Company. aided and
sbetted by those who are ever ready to
identify themselves with the influence of
wealth, has deliberately forged the fet-
ters that are to make us and our children
the slaves Of monopoly, and they are be-
ing fastened on the victims with legal
rivets that can never be severed. The
form of deed that has been prescribed
and ID actually been used by the COM
panys agents here. is not a. desirable as
q fair and liberal leasehold for term of
years. Considering that the land will go
TO the railroad - free gift (if it gets it
1t ally this deed is the most outrageous
legal instrument that las been drawn
since the date of shylock's blood-exact'
ing bond. The company's inducing poor
men to improve its (?) lands by promis-
Ing to transfer title to them for reason
able consideration, and then charging
them - high - so an acre, might be en-
dured were their deeds Of transfer abso-
lutte and unconditional. But they claim
alternate sections throughout belt 40
miles wide-going outside Of this great
some for indemnity when they cannot get
the half inside-and then refuse to give
unconditional transfers at any price.
This u . matter Of gravest political
moment. No man should be elected to
any Office of trust, honor or emolument
in any city, county, or township Of Mon
tana who is not outspoken in denouncing
the outrage. Meetings should be held
from one end of the Territory to the
other to express indignation and to petit
ton Congress for remedial legislation.
Look st the express reservations of the
deeds !-eveything nearly is reserved
upon which the poor settler could base a
hope for future enrichment. Not only
coal and iron are reserved by its terms
but mineral generally also surface rights
and all other rights necessary to mining
out the mineral also the right to take
water to, through and over the land; also
the right of way forever across the land
400 feet wide) for any railroad the North
ern Pacific Company may wish to oper-
ate, in whole or in part, now or any time
in the future. Under this last reserved
right the Company could at any time go
right through the farmers ripeninggraiu
fields; and the question of damage could
not be raised in court of law, and even
equity might be invoked in vain, for
$50 it il nominated in the bond" And
these reserved rights are subject to future
grants. Il is reasonably believed that the
coal measures Of this region extend over
. great portion of the Gallatin valley
and possibly there are other valuable
mineral deposits beneath the soil-covered
surface. The Northern Pacific Company
reserves from sale all this hidden wealth
for itself, its assigns and successors for
ever, together with all necessary mining
privileges, even to the extent Of under
mining the house the occupant 1--WE can
scarcely say owner] lives in. Down to the
latest generation these reserved rights are
property may pass by
deed from railroad monopolies to coal
and other monopolies through all time
for they are conditions running
with and binding the land. The farmer
claimant is really only on the ground to
the mining and other reserved
rights without being remunerated there
for. The government gives the land to
the railroad company without conditions,
and this il the first link in the chain of
title and then the railroad company
sells to the poor settler at exorbitant rates
ressrving from him all rights but the
poor privilege of sweating in the furrow,
and this is the second link; and the third
link may be q judicial deed decreed to
plaintiff in ejectment, who will come to
mine out coal or iron, or to hydraulic the
farmers fields away for placer gold. The