The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-04-17

Iosai.... ~, ,14I,eoo
Twenty million seven hundred and forty
seven thousand acres! And tho land-grant
system was to enable the bona a,le setter to
reach the public land! l admit the railroad
land grants are not respons bic for two OF
the purchases set forth III the above list. but,
emitting those, here Is territory which in
the aggregate is nearly IA large as the great
Etate of Indiana, held by foreign corpora
tions, lords, and capitalists, every acre OF
which, the two tracts omitted, am assured,
is within the land-grant regions, and entered
unquestionably through the aid Of that in
famous system. i have before me a list of
land purchases by thirty American capital-
lists In the land-grant sections, ranging from
Us COO to 2,0O0, 900 acres, aggrcrAtng s,42s,-
0oo acres. For what purpose did the North
ern Pacific corporation invite the nobility of
Europe to tho recent festivities attending
the pretended completion OF that railroad
except to invite attention to the princcly
possessions 1t could place within their rcachs
hut why enter into detail? Did any member
Of senate or House who supported those
grants, making grant after grant until
they pcrMeAtcd every fertile region
of the public domain, and until tho pub.
lie voice changed the political sentiment Of
this House, except any other result? Thus,
sir, magnificent public possession, the
gfandest ON the face Of the globe, which, un-
der the statemanshp of any of the great po-
litical parties which controlled the destinics
of this republic prior to 1SG1, would have
furnished safe retreat and shelter for 10
hor, happy and prosperous homes for inde-
PENDENT freemen for generations to come,
has been turned over to an accursed moh-
opoly within 90 brief a period as twenty-five
years. Tho homestead law, the wisest and
most humahe act of legislation since Moses
pronounced the law that nourishcd into man
hood tho most masculine fragment OF the
human races sYe shall divide the land by
lcA n iy,l, tNv 1tSHs.
TO the more ye shall give the more inherit
ancc, and to the fewer We shall give the less
inheritance." The homestead law. What 4
mockcry of human hopes! Before tho hour
for Its real triumph had come Congress, In
the recklessness Of absolute power, yielding
to the sordid motive Of coming the common
wealth of the people into private fortunes
had granted to monopoly the wealth In homes
and human happiness the homestead law was
intended to diffusc. The Indian reservations
and forfeited grants are about all that is left,
DO gentlemen who defend this land-gran,
railroad system and complain so bitterly tina,
we are seeking to impose unjust burdens or
tho men who have obtained tho benefit oi
these grants forget, In estimating the value
of those grants, that in q government lik,
ours homes and intelligence are not only nee
cssary to the well-bcing OF tho whole people
but Indispensable 10 the peace and order oi
society and tho stability of government. Ht
they think that system can DO inauguraies
BY Congress by which a few skillful and in
penious gentlemen may monOpOlize imperia
wealth out of the common inheritance OF thu
people and open up opportunity by which IN.
greater portion of the lands OF the republi'
adapted to agriculture and the blessings o.
homes and of independent frceholds can am,
will, with absolute certainty, be seized upo,
by foreign and domestic capitalists, and tn,
price thus advanced beyond the reach OF tn,
greater portion OF our people, without infiict
ing deadly wound ON our free institution
and the rights of laborinR mcn2
Toes any intelligent man believe that on
system af government can be maintaiEe,
without the great body of our people bcinl
independent frccho.dcrsf And yet this land
grant railroad system, by It's own dircc
monopoly OF the pubic lands ana by tn
opportunities II has opened up for capitalist
and corporations, European as wcll ~ Amer
| can, to monopolize them. has even no,
| almost exhausted that portion OF the publ
domain adapted to agriculture, rendering
| absolutely certain that throughout vas
region tho pillow win not be Tin the hand o
| Its owner" hut landlord and tenant, grea
| estates and saualid poverty, viii curse tn
/ land. Nothing but forces and currents nov
| hid from our view can prevent this. so tn
/ rigid Iars simony of our fathers In boarding IA
| these public lands for their posterit
/ becomes the dishonor OF their children: fo
II must be remembered that up 10 ls62, whe
this fatal ani senal system was entere
/ upon, tho entire grants for internal improy,
menis from the lsth day Of September, LIS;
| 10 the ith OF March, 1861, made exclusiyel
/ 10 States, not an acre TO corporations, wa
but III coos acres, including tho grant /
| tho Illinois Central, 50 often mentioned, q
| three and one quarter millions of acres-iarg
for that period; how trivial tor the perio
| fl om lshI To 1875.
| With the public land cxhau usied. disposed O
| In immense grants, or ut nominal prices /
foreign and domestic capitalists, then, an
not till then, the period Of peril 10 this Z,
| public viii begin.
Have gentlemen considered tho cxtraoi
dinary, yet silent. inlinenee these uushorI
/ fertile, and virgin lands have exercise
| through all the years of our history over ou