Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-09-09
CHAPTER Nv.
SPECIAL AND SHAMEFUL ABUSES THE PUB
Lie LAND LAWS.


Lie LAND LAWS.
One Of tbs greatest abuses Of the land
grant system was The swamp land act.
which has already been mentioned in
this article. By that act 6 .000, 900 acres
Of the public domain have been sst
asi4etu Ne difiereut States 10 be proved
upon by the corrupt officials, Who have
from time 70 timo picked oif some of
the best and dricst lands In their LOCAL..
ttes Tor sale ~ svamp land. Forty.
eight million acres Of the 90 called
stamp lands have already been pa.
tented. 1888.
Another devices 10 place large blocks
Of land In the hands Of spectators was
The Agricultural college act. Thu Law
pessed Tor the ostcnsisle purpose OF pro
vidinR fund for the encouragement OF
agricultural colleges. II was passed
through In the name OF agriculture and
edneatioa. THIS act provided that 500.
coo acres should be set aside for each
senator and each member in the States,
10 b told for The benefit OF the instita
lions Just named. The result Of this
"a 70 throw the scrip 81 These lands on
the MARKET IN such enormous quantities
thAt tbs pstce for the same vent down
70 . very Low SUM- The colleges real.
issd but very litsle money Wits the
epecalators bouQht ap The scrip, and
have held On 20 10 until they have been
able TO realize large sums. Il vas not
long AGO that certain ring Of speoula.
tors IN Cleveland and Wall ssssst adver-
tned tAat they had in their posuession
he entire amount oil the Agricultural
college scrip for nine States, which
oevsfed land 10 the amount Of 2,&s2, 600
sefvs.
In the same way ell OF the grants Of
oseefe9 have been sabjscted 30 the
erueeeetof abusss- Tbs vasrauts issued
10 soldiers have rarely resulted In any
benens 70 the soiaisrs tAsmselv<e. on
Account OF the loose construction OF the
laws. The epidiers voaid be given serip
fnr tnetr srrviccs. and they Ia turn vosd
NJ 70 the spsculatofa. Not over 10 per
cent Of the original holders Of this
scrip h.vs aetoaily settled UPON the pub
Ito lands.
Ihroaehost al Of The DEMONSTRATION
OF the Land Once ssuce the land grant
system vaa essahiishsd shs railroads
have had parAmsnns control. Thew
have manipulated the officials IN the
Land Orhce By hoidins out 20 them
tempting hrsbee IN the var Of fstare
enpioymcnt; and whenever the rights
OF settler and the railroads have soue
In conntet. the settior has AWAY, eonr
10 TIE vail. There have been any mum.
her Of Indian reservations that hay.
been etcicn through COLLISION hetvesn
tire railroads and the land ofieiAls. Ia
10 Que Of the ell-essablishcd sscss Of
the land lac that the Indiana cannos
cenvxy . tain 10 any % their LANDS en-
eept 10 The United States. Yea their
rveexvatsous have fren time % time
been captured By railroads withoas Anv
reference ts tho rights Of the initial
StAtes- In ISL the Delsvafcs we're per-
mitted by the Interior Department.
through . iobbicd bill In Congress. 10
seli "a. 900 acres Of their reservation 10
the Leavenvcrth, PAwnee and Western
Railroad. In fsS9 the Sac and fox In
diana scid 1880 acres Of thesr land
rvsarvAsion 10 ~ purchasers. In isS
~ Klchaposa. hy speelal E,ssmissios 81
the Interior Dcpafsnsna and Ceagrssa,
Asehtsou and Pixies PsAk Railroad. TIE
0rvAs and Little Ossge Indiana sold in
the ause manner ~. Nc acres 10 the
hsehe1k hsddsr. oss ef the gssAsess
oefrekp 20 IN permineion in isx Of
IL sAis 81 The CoeroAee Neutral Lands
IN kAnsas 70 JaDes y. Joy fog the Han.
sas and Neosho Valley Railroad "a 81
m asrN Thts vaa Snip Of lAad ffty
milss long and twenty -av miles vide.
omesasfne $4,000 HcfesI There vers
iooe ssetiers With fAniiiss already upou
sAem landA Ths railroad snmpany
pefmit1ed thees ssstIsn 10 remain "
PAYING spsa n average Is IN ssssI Ths