New-York tribune., 1884-10-02
THE PATTY or OPPOSIIIOy.
A LOOK AT MR.. HEYDRICKs's BOOKS.
HOW III SERVED TIE RAILROADS Wills LAND
CoMMIssGONEI.
IHY TELEGRAPH TO TIE 1RpuFEl


WASHINGTON. Oct. 1.-DemOcratlc speakers
especially i'm Indiana are dcyotng much and energy
f. dcuuncilions II the Republican party, which ihry AZ
tempt to- hold responsible for every acre OF public lana
granted to a IN the building OF railroads. wcn a~ they
know of millions Of acres were thus granted before
the Republican party came into power ana since 'ha'
time thr land grant policy has been sustained toy the votes
OF Democrats and Republicans alike democratic orators
i'm Indiana and other satc-. taking their enc from me
spcechc. oi sIr Hendricks olanorn- FOR " change
i'm order that the people may see the pooA''
when the fact is that the records of
the Government are open to- the inspection of any
respectable citizen \ few days the Democratic
newspapers terrified hy report that the books of
tAc General Land once being examined in the hope
Of unearhing something to the disadvantage IN the ol'
cal record of Mr. Hendricks % commissioner. Ills
friends made loud outcry TO arouse suspicion
that Mr. Hendricks, official career would scarcely bear
rigid investigation This suspicion was 10 some extent
confirmed hy certain passages in the published reports oil
General Land Oncc during the pcrol Of his tenure
as commissioner The passages referred to relate o the
lands granted IN May June and August. lSt, I" ana IN
the construction Of nearly forty different railroads III
his annual report for that year Commissioner Hendricks
said " A. usual. under similar laws We
lands falling within the probable limits Of the grants were
promptly Withdrawn from sale and location. The sud
den withdrawal market of such important bodies Of
land almost simultaneously seven different sateshada
tendency produce great public and private ln'"h-
Nicnccs"
That Che land. were promptly Withdrawn there can
he question Just at that time Michigan Iowa Wis
consin and Minnesota were rapidly filling up with set
tcr- and the public lands were IN brisk demand The
corporations whose benefit tine grants had been made
were moi idle They all represented IN Washington,
and they did lack influence with Commissioner Hen
drc,- ON Nny H.. -jG au act wa. approved granting
o quantity Of public lands, estimated ~ 4'5-o'V"o
aero to nyc railroad corporations 100 thc state of Iowa
mi .ouci ondfirk+ i..ucda tclcgrpir ofdrr Withdraw
ing rom sar, loc1ti"u or cni} hll ihr Phht ,""-
within Nh, probable lim- ol thr gfIut4 thus shutting
ont from Hrs lcl nui only "i "i $50" H li'u L" IS}
oa. for puhli, li.. hut aI-o actual -oilcr- VINO dr
sired Co., .r,ur' home under thr pfccupii"n .1"- ana
-oIl.rrt OF tnc wa oi l-l2 and th' No,om VIZ Mh"
ef.... Nofuft't- for ihn railroad hHd been mfac nd'
ot cour.o 90" iu'r "l io' iilon '1 been I, n' 'i,
fore tho premature aud unauthorized order Ui WIN
,r,.al s,i th, lrurni Of flr i've lovt corporations
.nlfi, n i,, OBJ, ,ci afi.rsard approved Th,nr,tr,y
and uulaWld order of tomll7-iuncl l'hdu'h7 ~''lnr
fohafr aroused storm OF oppo-Iu"n among h' pioneer
..ff,r- f I,vuud 900 June &c. modified % +o ir a- tu
allow prrrmpuou ruit'-to h' ihnlc p'hdif ll' h'l"
o m rrruItird tD-r thcr military and warrants 10 OLE
| tain uoin-- ou fhr public nud- Withdrawn ana -un-'
Wu.h r.r.,cI aud under The several act. oi lot To
t' effect uHt Dr. pfccnpii"n ply .,r5r wa .i'n , -,
pccni2i"i,i 'a ,i', ,ni;c, niii- M
on, Ilir r. H. lG m, .t w.. approved granting 90
900 acres of aud acccrlu- 90 Mr. lcudfloks- estimate,
@ Ii IN, M 0 20 ~ y ,'' ds hrr,rr the hi became a aw
rou -ilc ard location for theil benefit several million
acres of the public domain Tie act granting 4.lZNoop
acre. ~ tr public land for the bcncht OF i've railroad
co.lurtii Michigan became la" on June ., 9'
and on the aoth of My prc,c cIns Commissioner len
| bricks made order locking up several lnIiii".
/ acres more of the public domain for their dement,.
III, report dated November %. I-jG. doe, not show
that ay steps had been taken hy the cororaton' Z" de
tcimur the actual bonndarc- o Their grant. o3ih.. 49,
sourr I,udro May 81 withdrew lands for the b"nctt
OF two railroad corporations Ia Louisiana altnosh c
granting act not approved unti June Inns of.ei
of Withdrawal covered nearly 2oDoOpo Acrc.. On Au-
gust o. -J6 days before the approval oi the grant
In, ac Commissioner Hendricks. Withdrew for the bcuc
m OF railroad corporation M Mississippi more thah
I.ODO.OOO acres OF The public lands III mat state
IN view of the facts above gwen IL j. NOT
/ surprising that Commissioner HcndHck7, III
hi. report dated November 20, should remark mat
the sudden" withdrawal Of 50 much lana Almost
/ simultaneously should have produced great lupc
| and private Inconvenience" That "incouNcnichcc
moi To- -ay Injustice must have been Greatly aggriVa i
v his nagrant gard Of law ia hi- haste 10 serve me
railroad corporations. At the present tlnc, anu i"'
many years past. under Republican administrations no
Lands have been Withdrawn market Tor thr h'h'Ht
of railroad cJrpofation- under grants made hy Congress,
until after they have flied definite maps oi survey anu
/ location