The Opelousas courier., 1885-03-21
The Backbone Land Grant.

not GLlG VI q dUuUU LAds
the issue, by Secretary Teller.
of the patents for over 100000
acres Of land to the Texas Pa.
ciic railroad, claimed from the
old Backbone Company, was g
scandalously corrupt job. Fur.
ther than this, it shows that Mr.
Arthur, and every member OF
his Cabinet, were parties to this
gigantic land grab.
If the railroad company had a
legal. claim to this land there
was no necessity for the indie
cent haste in which these pa
tents were issued in the last
days of the late administration.
There was no reason TO assume
that MI. Cleveland's admins
trafion would attempt to de-
fraud the company, or seek to
impair any Of its legally &C
CURED rights. There was every
reason, however, to know that
that administration would in
duire into this and other land
grabs, and prevent the consum-
nation of any scandalous trans
action to defrand the govern
ment and the settlers upon the
nublic domain of their rights
and property. Hence, the flu
rious haste with which these
patents were issued by Teller
stamps this land grant as an
outrageous grab. by which the
country has been robbed of vast
areas of valuable lands, and
many thousands of persons, who
trusting in the business of the
government, settled upon these
lands, have been subjected TO
the mercy of a soulless and
monster corporation.
But this transaction was a
fitting one for the Republican
narty to terminate its long re-
gime with. Under the patron
age of that party great corpora
tons, monepelies and rings
Aourished as they never -four
ished III the worst days of the
Roman empire, and the people
have had no rights that rings
and combinations of capitalists
we're held to respect. MI. Ar
thurs administration has heen
paraded as at least a clean one,
and yet III its expiring moments
each and every member of it
united In stealing a million
acres of land from the Govern
ment, and placing in jeopardy
the rights of many thousands
of poor citizens for the benefit
Of d railroad company.
But as Mr.. Arthur closed bis
administration by an act in ac-
cord with the whole history of
his party, so has Mr.. Cleveland
opened his by a fitting counter
move lii the interest OF the
Government, and these same
people. So soon as the facts OF
this scandalousjob were brought
to the attention of the Demo
cratic administration, the new
Secretary of the Interior. Mr..
Lamar, promptly ordered the
suspension of the further issue
of patents in this case. and has
III least secured from the grip Of
Gould and his confederates $780,
900 acres of the one million it
vas attempted to gobble. This
places the two Presidents and
The two Secretaries and the two
parties iii their proper light.
The retiring administration is
passing into history with its
hands soiled with a dirty job,
it's garments bedraggled in cor
rnption, while the Democratic
administration begins its aus
picious career by crushing what
ever Of 8 great job has not been
c~0nsummated, securing 60 the
Government d large amount OF
property, and, as far as possible,
protecting The rights and inter-
ests of q large number OF citi-
zens.
MRS. j.. Lucas, of Philadelphia,
has been appointed hy Commits
sioner Loring superintendent OF
The Silk Experimenting Station
alta salary of 500 per month.
She ID also authorized to expend
s2500 upon vouchers certified
by herself. Mrs. Lucas, at a
meeting Of the association IL
Philadelphia, Thursday, added
her salary to the government
donation, thus making the
am0unt $1,000. The association
has 1000 pounds of silk on hand,
md will have ii prepared for