The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-11
THE CRowNING INFAMY OF REPUB-
LICANISM


We are gradually getting more light on
the last act of infamy of the Republican
party, perpetrated as it was stepping down
and out of power. The ruling passion
strcng in death has had one more dazzling
and brilliant illustration. We refer to the
last land steal of 100000 acres of
Government land. The Washington COR
respondents are gradually getting at the
true inwardne.s O: this big S.. 600 0o0 swim
die. We published dispatch last Saturday
from the Chicago Tribune, which gave out
the impression that the matter was all right:
quite innocent, in fact; the usual thing ex-
pected OF coure, from party that had
piled up mon uments of big and
infamous swindles. The New York
Worlds correspondent has been looking
the affair mp, and he uncovers some very in
teIesting details. According to this account,
it seems that several weeks ago large addi-
tional force of clerks was put on for the pur-
pose of Masking out thess patents, 30 that
they could all be signed and issued before
the change Of the administration. These
patents we're al signed. There never has
been, in the history of the Department, any
patents issued for lands where Congress had
assumed Jurisdiction to raise the question
OF the propriety of the title. This backbone
grant has been one of the most notorious OF
all the isolated grants. 1t was passed by
Congress in 1871, and was originally made to
the New Orleans, Nicksburg and Baton
Rouge Railroad. The condition was that
this losd should be completed within five
years. This company never turned over a
spoonful of dirt and never did ANYTHING be-
yond the issuing of some bonds, which were
palmed off on a conidiDg republic.
This railroad on paper transferred the
grant TO the New Orleans and Pacific Road,
and here now is where Jay Gould comes
10, IS we suspected and charged in
Friday ard Saturdays Sentinel. This road
then sold its charter rights to the Texas Pa
cifc, bat reserved the assigned grant and
transferred it 10 'the American Improve
ment Company" Gould and others owned
nearly all this stock, which was . sort of
Credit Mobilier affair. The Worlds CORE.
spondent concludes his investigation as fol-
lows:
The Backbone grant is upon exactly the same
footing the Texas Pacific which was forfeited
by the Senate the other day. For number Of
years the people who held this Backbone grant
have trteo 10 get Congress to condrm IL. The
grant has been rejected a numb OF times and no
secretary OF the Interior before Teller would ever
consider what Was particularly proposition to
help steal these lands for the benefit of the rail
road lobby Whetoer there is an investigation of
this or not, Mr. Teller will be called upon to eX
plain the floor of the Senate his extraordinary
course in this matter. There is not much doubt
that this Gould and Huntington conspiracy also
contemplated the theft of the Texas Pacific lands.
If it had not been for the Senate action the other
day in FORGETTING this unearned grant there is rea
son TO suppose that the Interior Department
would have Issued patents for The fifteen millions
of acres OF these lands
This outrage was perpetrated By the last
Republican administration the day before
Cleveland's Inauguration. 1t was the cul-
mination of a giant conspiracy and q colos-
sal swindle all along the line. Whist an ap.
propriate cap stone to the monumental in
famies of the Republican party And they
hope to get back into power at the end of
four years. Not if the American people are
awake.