The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-07-09

Render Unto Caesar His Own, but Restore
to Gods Children Their Lawful
Inheritance.

Render Unto Caesar His Own, but Restore
to Gods Children Their Lawful
Inheritance.
from the Chicago Expresel
The most astounding robberies and
Legislative frauds and plumber that were
ever perpetrated upon any people have
been practiced by the Congress of the
United States in squandering the patri-
mony OF unborn generations upon rail
rond corporations of its creation. The
Constitution of the United States confers
no authority upon Congress to create
corporate body, neither is such author
ity implied by any Of the expressed OBJ
jects of the Government. The powers
of the General Government are limited
and restricted by the Constitution, be-
yond which it has no right to trespass.
In fact, the creation and endowment of
transportation and fiscal monopolies,
imposing heavy and oneroas burdens
upon the people. are expressly pro-
hibited by the declared objects OF the
General Government, viz. To estab-
ish Justice and to promote the general
welfare"
The government was established and
ordained to protect and defend human
beings and make wholesome provisions
for their sposterity instead of to create
corporate robbers and taskmasters to
Cypress the people and to absorb the
=, Il crit n ~ ~,f am, RON
Neither the power to create corpora
tions nor to appropriate the peoples
money and lands to such corporations
or individuals being found in the Con-
stitution nor implied in any Of its
granted powers, they are nsurpations
and should be declared null and void
and restitution enforced as for as posi-
BILE.
The government is the agent of the
people, acting under specific instruc-
tons and without authority to create
corporate rivals of its principal, and
such creatures, being illegitimate heirs
of the government, possess no rights or
immunltics which the people are bound
to respect If incom; atible with their in
tcrests. a private corporation is not
| public necessity, and all public neces-
sites which cannot be supplied by in
diyidual enterprise should he supplied
| by society rs whole through the
agency OF tie government.
| And power strong enough to supply
the public necessity Of transportation
and circulating medium of exchange
is too great to he exercised with safety
outside the Whole people through =
government under their control. Adj
hitting for the sake of argument that
Congress possesses the constitutional
power to create corporations, when
i created they become individuals in law
no more, 10 less. Now suppose an
| individual, Tor instance, Vim. H. Van
derbilt, should 20 to Congress and
say:
Gentlemen, propose to construct
q railroad from the Missouri River to
the Pacific coast. / want Won to give
me IDS, OOn, 800 acres Of land, not in q
body, but every alternate section, SO
that in few wears homesteaders and
entcrprising settlers will srrround each
of my sections with we'll improved
farms. OF course, III settling up the
country, taxes will necessarily be high
in constru ting bridges, and highways,
and public buildings: therefore, while
| I hold the land for ! rise Of =, TO SO
an acre, I want you to exempt it from
all taxation Let the settlers who en-
nance the value Of my lanis do tie tax
paving ;,
"Why, give me money enough to
! build aud equip Inc road"
i well, what shall we 10 with the
road after we have bniit it and given
Won three or four State oi land for the
suggeston?'
"What will you do with it? Why,
give il to me, Of course, and give me
also authority 10 tax the poor devils
who develop the country along the
line enough for its nse to pay me ten OF
fifteen per cent. per annum on the money
you put into it.
anything c!se?"
"Yes. want 10 borrow your credit
as a banking basis, so rs to cover all
the homcstcads on tho line of my road
with mortgages in order 10 rope them
in and add item to my estate after
they are we'll improved"
.What will yeu 10 with the settlers 2
/ snake farm tenants of them, thus
reducing them to their normal condi-
ton, which God intended when He
made them"
This is no fancy picture. but is OK.
actly what Congress did for that lille.
Ultimate child called tho Pacific Rail.
road Company. If III individual agen,
should thus dispose Of his principals
property would the contract stand a
moment before any judicial tribunal, OF
would the heirs of an estate thus fraud
ulently squandered rest a moment until
it was reclaimed? Years ago, in the
United States Senate, Mr.. Hoar, OF
Massachusetts, said in reference to this
Infamous job:
"When the greatest railroad of the
world, binding together the continent
and uniting the two great seas which
wash our shores, was finished, I have
seen our national triumph and exulta-
ton turned to bitterness and shame by
the unanimous report of three commit
tees Of Congress-two Of the House and
one here--that every step Of that enter
prise has been taken in fraud.
These land grants and the donations
of money should be reclaimed. Let this
be an issue III tile future. Blood re-
deemed Kansas from African slavery,
but ten. fold worse bondage is upon
her lands. Let us declare anew that
Kansas, and not only Kansas but Ne
braska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and
ell the West shall be free. their lands
restored to the people, and the despoil.
er disarmed.