The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-04-17
CURSE OF LAND MONOPOLY.
The Shameful Way in Which Our
Public Domain Has Been
Squandered.
Evils Of tho Land Grant System Shown
Up by Hon. William 8.
Holman.

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Holman.
During tho debate in the National
House Of Representatives ON tho Post
Office appropriation bill, tho Hon.
w. s. Holman, of Indiana, exhibited
tables, compiled from official reports,
showing that in the period embraced
between June 30, 1862, and March 4,
1876, the enormous aggregate Of nearly
two hundred million acres Of our pub
lie lands had been voted away by Con-
gross in aid Of railways, the total
length of the railroads for which the
grants were made being 2O,S03 miles.
Mr.. Holman, in discussing this matter,
spoke as follows:
What are tho conditions on which these
grants were made? what rights has tho Gov
ernment reserved In giving away the common
wealth of its peoplc2 There are some reser-
vatOns, two of them, mcager and inconsider-
able, admit, but still something. In all Of
these grants, running thu ough all these years,
these are the conditions, varied somewhat in
terms but still substantially the same:
'And the said railroad SHALL be and remain
public highway for the use of tho Govern
ment OF tho United States, FREQ from all toll
or other charges upon the transportation OF
any property or troops of the United States
This Is the first right reserved to tho Gov
ernment, and even here I'm the beginning is
fraudulent purpose. Undoubtedly Congress
understood by those terms that the railroad
should transport the property and troops
Of the United States free Of charge, but you
observe slight ambiguity In the language,
and under this embignity the Supreme Court
has decided that the Government has the right
to put Its own locomotives and cars on these
railroads and by It's own employees transport
Its property and troops free (Which OF course
Is impractcable); but IL the railroad trans.
ports the Governments property and troops,
then the Government shall ray the rairoBd
company 80 per cent. OF the usual rates of
transportation. This was decided In the case
of tho Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail-
road Company VS.. The United States, and yet
the land grant to that company was made
four years after Congress had, by u joint res
olution had the honor to introduce In 1859,
declared that the meaning of the terms en-
ployed In that reservation was that the land
property and troops of tho United States free
| of charge"
The other right reserved In all these grants
| is in less ambiguous language and In all the
| same In substance;
1.-THE SAID railroad shall transport the mails
grcss shall by Mw Direct
| Now, these two provisions cover all the
| rights reserved to the United States In con-
sideration of these imperial grants. Con-
trary to the manifest intention Of Congress-,
| these corporations have under the cxtrnordi-
| nary decision have named received millions
| of dollars from your Treasury for transport.
| Ing your property and troops" hnd are
1 still annually receiving large sums and will
1 FOR all time. But, as have shown you, We
i hn ha ,SH fins,s frht -,
1 Ak the rate at which these land-grant roads
/ shall transport our mails. Is not 30 per cent.
OF the amount you pay 10 railroad companies
/ which built their own railroads a reasonable
compensation to bc paid by the Government
| to corporations whose railroads were yirtu-
ally built by the Governments / think 1t Is,
| and more than reasonable.
| There are other grants which have not
included In either OF the foregoing tables,
where not spadeful of earth has been dug
In the construction OF a railroad, yet the lands
are withdrawn from settlement and claimed
| by the corporations, although the grants
| were long since forfeited. The forfeiture of
these grants will OF course be declared. Of
all OF these grants over l0a. 100000 acres, in
| Slua.ng over 100000 this House has al.
ready declared forfeited, are beyond any rea-
sonable question forfeited, and the declar-
| alton Of that forfeiture by Congress Is de-
manded by the highest consideration of pub
lie policy, common honesty, and justice to
1 kuC pGOpiCs EySu W tuc cA4eut lIltsc iuHu-
grant railroads enumerated IN the first table
wore completed, you paid them, rs l have
shown, last year Sl,14a,32a9l for transport
ing your mails This bill would rs to these
roads, to the extent they are entitled to the
lands granted and including the Pacific sys.
TENS, save to the Treasury annually, think,
near million Of dollars, perhaps more: but
the restoration OF the forfeited grants to tho
public domain Is OF fur greater moment than
any such monetary consideration: SO tina,
this bin cautiously. declares that none OF III
provisions "shal bc construed to waive Oh
impair any right now existing In favor of the
United Statos." while these corporation
generally withhold the obtaining Of patents
for their lands to avoid loc0l taxation, and
are In the main holding their lands until the
Government lands shall be cx hausted, they still
had taken out patents, up to June 30. lss., 10,
4s,7i5,9il acres. II In tho adjustment of these
vast grants they obtain over s0,O00.000 more
1t will be because Incorporated wealth /,
stronger in controlling our affairs than tn.
sense OF Justice and public daty which con
trolls this Government I'm maintaining tho
rights OF Its people. SO patents have al
ready issued up to June 30, 1852, date of las
specific report, for 47,745,94l acres, a terri
tory In the aggregate as large as the tws
| great States Of Indiana and Ohio combined
and nearly half q million acres more. An.
this Is already done. In the last admirabi,
| report OF the Commissioner OF Public Lands
we arc told that during the last year 'twclv,
railroad patents, covering Ia RACES OF record
| were issued" Yes, sir; and instead of thes,
vast fields being covered with cheerful homes
and great multitude OF prosperous and in
pendent citizens, Il handful OF men bccam,
tho proprictors of landed estates dwarhns
tho barOnial posse eions OF Europe. Hay,
the gentlemen who defend the policy consid
cred how surely under this policy, IL its dc
vclopmcnt shall be completed, the od-tim
republican simplicity of our institutions will
| give place to splendid governments con
trollcd and supported by corporate powc
and concentrated wealth.
| But the fact must now be appai ent that n,
demands which the Government could maxi
on these corporations for the free transpor
tatton OF tho mails, property, and troops
now and for all time, could compensat
this Government and It's people for the land
1t has granted. The legislator who consider
the mere monetary value OF the land granted
enormous as II Is. takes very superfciu
view OF the subject Had the value OF thes
vast millions OF acres been granted in none
from the public Treasury or expressed i
bonds issued by the Government payable Il
money, the only evil to our free institution
would have teen the granting of great for
uncs by tho special favoritism of Govern
ment 70 portion OF Its people at the cxpens
OF thcir fellow citizens. IAN monarchie
present examples OF this policy.) The evi
great rs II might be, would not 20 beyon
this, and an honest and earnest vigilance 9
tho people would and could In the progress q
time correct It. But the giving away In var
tracts To the iavortes Of Congress OF the fel
tile lands which, on any just conception Q
| our free institutions, ought To bc tho frcs
holds Of our people, advancing the price 4
those lands beyond the reach of the lahorin
and landless men Of the present periu
aud early future, IL an evil that admits Of n
remedy except revolution. To make thes
grants on the pretensc Of progress and opei
Ing up the wilderness to the developing powt
OF labor, to give labor q chance, il to insi,
to our shores the theory of the Middle Age
baronial estates, baron and serf, the pome
| OF the one to shelter the feeblcness OF I'll
otheri Was II through imperial grants oh