Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-17
on Congress and the people

OF Oregon.
To state the proposition in plain
terms, the company obtains the grant
OF land frem Congress upon the express
terms that IL would open a highway
through the wilderness from the Viii
iamette valley to Astoria; but after the
land mad ben granted, it not only re-
fused 10 build the road itself, but SO
used the trust property as to deter other
eofporatioas and individual capital from
undertaking the enterprise.
Such Is the unequiv g Il declaration of
tue people of Astoria, of Mr.. G4ston,
he former president of the road, and
'hs thousands of memorislists VITO are
on the lands. and whose views have been
expressed IN their demands for the
revocation of the grant. They unit
ediy ask that all the land. shall he
forfeited.
With modesty peculiar to corpora
tions, the company claims to have earned
the lands along the completed portions
OF ITS road, while disreg arding every
condition of the trust.
The peopie for whose immediate ben
enf tue grant was made are a unit in
demanding that the forfeiture all be
thorough ami complete. The corpora
Ftion stsnds alone in its demand for the
land it claims to have earned. and with
singular assurance asks il as the reward
I for violating Its trust.
Well may il be characterized as the
frontier line of corporate assurance.
| The demand of the people of Oregon
for the forfeiture of this grant mas been
enphaslzed by the whole people of the
United States.
In nothing is public sentiment so de-
cided as in the demand that the public
land shall be taken away from the cor-
porations which either have not used or
have abused the grants.
| In the last thirty-four years Congress
has given lands with princely liberaIity
to States and corporations for railroad
purposs
These grants aggregate 10000 square
miles, or over 10000, 600 acres of land
an Area so vast that great empires dwarf |
In the contrast. Out of this vast domain |
you could carve two hundred and forty |
States of the extent Of Rhode Island, |
With her l2JO square niles; one hundred |
and fifty States of the size of Dala ware, |
with her 20O0 square miles; seven States |
like Pennsylvania, with her II, ,2l5 square |
miles; four and one half times as large |
rs all the New England State,-Maine,
S 040 square miles; New Hampshire. |
sos square miles; Vermont, 1865 square |
miles; Massachusetts, 1915 square miles;
Rhode Island, l250 square miles; Con- /
necticut, 1890 square mIles-three times I
as large as the great States of New York, |
49. l70 square miles: Pennsylvania, A. |
2l5 square miles; and New Jersey, 1915 |
square miles; one and a half times IA /
large AS the great German Empire. with /
2OS, ,624 square miles; nearly three times /
a. large as Great Britain and Ireland. |
which hsve l2l ,57l square miles; and |
nearly equal in extent to the thirteen
original States, which only contain
325,065 square miles These gifts vary
ali the way from 10000 to 47,000, 900
acres. aH1
1t is not, therefore. a subject of won
der that public sentiment crystalized in
opposition TO these enormous donations,
and that fer more than ten years NO fur
ther grants have been made.
In the last decade public attention has
been especially directed to the use made |
of these land grants by the respective
Q operations and States. The people |
are thoroughly aroused and demand /
that no halt shall be made until the |
Government has her Own back again.
Tbe people of Yakima City, w. T., have |
so clearly expressed this sentiment in |
respect to the Northern Pacific Rail
road, one of the largest beneficiaries of |
these land gifts, that incorporate their /
declarations today In these remarks. |
They are extracted frona the colImns of |
the Seattle DAILY Posr-INrELILaENoER,
published in Seattle, W. r.:
Here follows a repors of the Yakima |
meeting, published in these columns |
April oath last
The Committee on Public Lands of |
this House has simply voiced public |
sentiment in the several bills reported |
by it-forfeiting every grant which has |
not been used for the purposes named in |
the original gifts. In this way Is is be- |
i'eved over 100000, 900 acres of land now |
tied up IN corporate hands will be open |
cd up to homestead, pre- emption and |
| development.
I am not insensible to the fact that |
these grants have aided in some cases |
ia building roads and developing re- |
gions of coontry more speedily than |
otherwise would have occurred; that |
under such stimulus the 9O2l miles of |
| railroad in 1850 grew to 1l4 900 in 1888; |
that transcontinental lines have crossed |
| the continent from east to west and |
stretched out branches Co the north and |
suuth, among the mountains and over |
the prairies; that along these lines
| have sprung mp, like magic, towns and |
cities teemine with hardy pioneers and |
abounding in the vigorous life and |
wealth of great and prosperous peo-
pie.
IL must, however. be borne in mind
that these grants have developed some |
Of the most disRrsceful and gigantic
| frauds Of modern times, smirching many |
honored names and bringing under pub |
lie obloquy men who would otherwise |
have been useful and hoDofed servants |
of our great commonwealth. Through |
their instrumentality the pablo treasury |
has been robbed Of millions of dollars, |
and great railroad magnates have 40
quirsd fortunes 50 colossal as to rival
the richest princes of the Old World. /
A chosen few control the stocks and
bonds of the great railroads of the land. |
At their will such securities fuc!uate 50
that the financial panics, contractions
or infiations are practically az the
few decree. while the many small
holders are left in helplessness. often
in ruin.
| These great corporations. donees of
| Government bounty In the gift OF mil
lions of acres of our richest lsnds, have
developed feverish tendency Ia others
to acquire vast tracts in our limits for
speculative purposes, to the great detri-
ment of the masses.
Following this example, foreign capi-
talists have bought up within q few years
more than 5000, 600 acres OF our public
lands ia tracts varying from 5000 to
100000 acres each, and in some cases
have inelssed and appropriated vast
tracts without right a. leviathan squat
ters.
In the absorption of land in large
| tracts and the growth of large landed
estates the unaided settler has been
crowded to the frontier and finds his
sineie efforts q desperate struggle
| against corporate and combined for
eion capitai. Every day the small
| farmer finds il more difficult to live and
meet bis necessary expcnsrs. IL is q
startling fact thas in tho decade from
1870 30 isoo small farms in the United
Sta, es under 6ft. acres In extent have
decreased in number l4o,65a, while
large farms have increased IN number
s9s, ,k66.
The most marked increase was In the
number Of farms containing over l00o
i aor.u aant, ,whtek ~srN eutv a-gH IN Is71