Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-15

rs. +. Chropicls.l

Commissioner Sparks's report on the
pablo domain forsshsdovs q concerted
enort TO be made this winter TO recover
from railroad companies public lands
held By them under grants liable to for
feitare, or grabbed by them in excess Of
the area to which they we're legally en.
titled under grants which have been
earned. 1t has been for years . matter
OF notoriety that the leading railroad
companies Of the west are in possession
OF or have sold lands which they had
usurped, bas every effort to recover these
lands for the benefit Of settlers has met
With such opposition from the depart
meuts. from the senate, and in some
eases from the Supreme Court. that the
Instances Of recovery are few. Ii is no
secret that the Lend Department has
generally been administered In the in
,erese OF the comp .sies and against the
interest Of the public. In the Senate
leading men OF both political parties
have cssspired to defeat forfeiture bills
by indirectioo and postponements; and
the decision of the Supreme Court.
which vas delivered nearly three years
ago by Judge Field, to the effect that
patent is q finsiity. and that dne
regard for the security Of titles reqnires
that IL should not be disturbed except
on unqaestiouable evidence of fraud,
has placed Barrier in the vsv Of Lac
proceedings by the Attorney General
20 search the titis of companies TO
lands which. by the favor of complai-
sant officials, they had succeeded In
patentina.
The result Of this abuse h,s been
tvofold. IL has enriched q number OF
individuals, and it has impoverished
the mass of the people. The area OF
fertile land open to settlement within
easy distance Of Q railway has been so
reduced that the people no longer enjoy
the safety valve of moving vet from
the great cities OF the east in periods of
depression. IL In not easy at the present
dsy to find quarter section on which
citizen can settle with the prospect Of
raising q family by industrious labor.
The best lands are all Rons-partly to
syndicates Of foreigners and largely 10
railway corporations, which set such a
price on their lands and charge so much
foe transporting its produce that q set
tier who buys of them merely becomes
their serf. How much Of the present
depression in wages arises from this
fact it were difficult to deternine. Bot
10 Is plan that its influence has been
considerable. IL 10 not riskipg mach to
say that IL one half the lands which
have iu the past twenty years been
reckiessly donated to railroads could
be rsstored 10 the public domain and
thrown open 10 settlement, the posi-
ton Of she lsborers throughout the
country would brighten as IL by en-
ohsntmeut.
These are propositions which will not
readily be disputed. And nov the quss
ton arises. What 10 the proper remedy !?
Il 10 vital that the champions Of the
people should 10 the right way to work
10 cure the evil. and not strengthen the
hands Of the enemy by making blum.
dsrs. So far as the forfeiture OF IN.
earned land grants is concerned, the
gay 10 clear; q brief act declaring the
forfeiture will accomplish the desired
end. Bot this will not reach the suorm-
ous areas Of land Which are held by
foreign syndieafes and By companits
which have earned their grants; and
yet thess areas. held for speculative
purposes. are q menace 10 sur institu-
tions and an injustice TO the rising
generation. How can they be dealt
With? The knights Of Labor call for
the forfeiture OF laads held BY sypdi-
Gates. Bat IL the syndicates ebtainsd
tbs land without fraud and patented u
according 10 Law. it 10 beyond the power
Of Oosersss 20 disturb their title. they
mast Be reached in another way. Henry
osonee seems 10 us to point oot the only
fsAsihls plan Of striking as land moucp-
oily. and that b By using the power Of
taxation.