Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-03-10
0be Cailtaster 1ntelligei,fer.
LANCASTER, MARCH 10, 1885.
Teller's Backbone.

fends his action as secretary of the interior
in issuing the land grants Of the Backbone"
railway. This was an ancient grant by
Congress to road which was never built
or even surveyed, but which executed an
assignment of the grant to another road
which has been built. 1t seems quite
clear that it was scheme to transfer the
unearned land grant of an unbuilt road,
which had this grant as its only asset, to u
company which built railroad upon an
entirely different line, in different
direction and between different points
from those contemplated in the original
grant. The issue of the patents to these
lands was made by the interior department
in the last days of the late administration,
the clerks being kept at work upon the
preparation of the papers at night and on
Sunday to get them completed before
March 4.
Senator Van Wyck, of Nebraska, has
called the attention of the Senate to this
thing, and offered resolution of inquiry
into the apparent crookedness. Secretary
Teller comes up smiling in declared
confidence that everything he has done
in the matter is as straight as a
string" and boldly takes the bull by the
horns in declaring that the land grant was
one fit to be issued and he did no more nor
less than his duty in issuing the patent.
Intrepidity is a good thing in good
cause - cpd often counts powerfully in bad
oho. ~ ID anyhow more creditable to be a
ooiu than tlmid rascal. Secretary and
Senator Teller il is,siftI one & the bold kind He
nIfy did deliberately what he did in
4gard to this grant and is ready to be slain
BY it, if it has any Staying power.
His defense is simple. He admits that
the railroad was not built by the origina
company within the time limited in the act
giving the land grant; but neither, he says
were other railroads, that have received
land grants, built within the time limited
Asto his issuing the patent at the end Of
his term of Office, he says that he waitet
patiently for Congress to act upon the pro
position before it to forfeit the grant ant
that he only determined to issue the paten
when the forfeiture bill failed i'm the House
Manifestly Mr.. Teller's answer
He fails to explain why it wa
his duty to issue a patent for lam
grant that Congress had right to forfei
for failure of its conditions, before he re
ceived the instruction of Congress to issu
it. He had received full notice that ther
was strong objection in Congress to tn
granting of this land, and there was Gel
IN, fhp 1ny 1x-hi oh ra
him to issue the patent, Congress object
ing. The fact that the road had not bee
built in the time limited was sufficient
excuse him from action until Congress ha
declared its intention to confirm the grant
and not only excused but required him
refrain from action. 1t matters not at a
that other grants to other railroads ma
have been issued to them after the tim
limited for building the roads had expired
That wrong would not justify anothel
This one was perpetrated deliberately b
Secretary Teller, with knowledge that Coz
gress contemplated cancelling the grant.
And the haste with which he Eresse
the preparation of the papers tsran issu
before his term expired teSffied that /
was not willing to>leave the propriety
their issue tothe judgment of his successo
Hew SO sure he was right, or SO dete
Y6ined for some other reason, that he woul
not withhold his hand from the dee,
though the 4th of March was at hand
relieve him of responsibility.
Evidently there was nothing left fC
Senator Teller but to maintain the virtu
and wisdom of an act of which he so eagerl
sought the responsibility that he kel
his clerks working day and night and Su
days to complete it within his term
office.