The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-08-21
,.oRAsBERs SCORED.
~- Reasons, Plainly stated, why
Ma and Other Monopoiics, and
An Il UJThIeves Generally, DO Not Like
ministratiOn.


'reWi,1y Judge Lewis Jordan. of In
n dpolis, in an earnest and able
--cch lately delivered at Lebanon.
Utter referring to the fact that the
-iavy contractors, steamship compan-
les, Pacific railroads, land and timber
thieves ct AL were all opposed to the
present Administration he proceeded
TO show the reasons for some of this
opposition:
The conquest of our vast public domain by
Che laiil-grabDcr5 has no parallel IN history,
aud IL was ull accomplished under the rule OF
party which IN It's infancy said in its Chi
cago platform TINT lands should not bc grant.
ed 10 corporations. but reserved FOR actual
settlers. No wayward boy ever so soon dc.
parted from the good resolves of youth BE.
fore the Republican party had reached mau-
hood, in fourteen years, IT had given away 10
corporations lGOSl ,155 acres OF your land
Future generations VIII be amazed when they
read of these princely gifts and VIII compare
made by conquerng Kings to their Generals
and favoritc followers The people OF this
country, be they Republicans, Democrats
Grecnbackers Or Mugwumps, have not yet
had their eyes fully opened as to how lavishly
the Republican party has made gifts OF the
public domain TO favoritc friends. This 49,,
0SI 100 acres would make nine states the size
of Indiana II is twice the amount OF land in
Great Britain and more than in France orGcr.
i
Prior to 1861 not foot of public land nd
been given to corporations, and Il was only
when the Democratic party in 1874 elected II
majority of the lower house of Congress
that II halt was called in these princely gifts.
So scandalous did these gifts become that
even IL leading Republican newspaper OF the
West, in lucid moment of honesty, de-
nounccd Congress for making gift enter.
prise OF the public domain, and compli-
mentcd distinguished Democratic member
of Congress from Indiana Tor never having
failed to oppose vigorously every one of
these measures of public, plunder The rail
roads have been selling these lands Mt an av-
eragc price of si.3D per acre, and you can
make the calculation yourself aud determine
the enormous pile they Will receive II allowed
To keep them all.
But since the books have been opened it
has been discovered that the railroad COM
panies were not satisfied with the strict terms
OF the act of Congress and the amount al.
by the General Land Office that gave them
millions of acres not contemplated by the
acts. Every demand made upon that Office
was promptly honored, and because they can
not control the present Commissioner-Nl Mr..
sparks-the whole brood have been bounding
YiIm down, and their allies, the Republican
press, have joined in the cry.
The grant to the Union and Central Pacific
railroads, forty miles wide from the Missouri
river to the bay of san Francisco. and that to
the Atchison, Topeka Santa Fe Is also forty
miles wide. The Atlantic and Pacific is eigh hty
miles wide. and that to the Northern Pacific
is one hundred and twenty miles wide In the
TERRITORIES But these swaths were not wide
enough for the 2raspng sharks, SO they go to
the General Land Office aud are allowed to
select what they call indemnity lands outside
iof these limits. In many cases these lands
had been entered, patented and settled and
IA. the command OF the sharks the owners were
driven of and made beggarS.
H. during the coming canvass. you hear
some whcezy Republican speaker ask: when
are you going to open the booksy' tell him
the books nave been opened and disclosed the
iinhumnn aud brutal treatment OF the West.
orders through the General Land Office
while 1t was administered by Republican
officials.
Wc need not go to ireland to witness the
despotic and cruel rulc of landlordism. Right
here IN our own land have been practiced
outragcs on the Western pioneer that have
no parallel in tho Green Isle. They have been
robGed oil their homes bv great Govern.
this done in the interest of the great railroad
corporations. Thanks to Il Democratic Ad-
ministraton, this has all been stopped.
hut the railroad companies tu'daj are hold
ing on to 9j,OOD.O00 acres more than they
entitled to, being territory large enough to
and Illinois. They have not earned these
lands, but are holding on to them with
denth.lke grip. The struggle is now going
people are turned to Washington. The big
night is over the Northern Pacinc grant The
Democratic House says this bloatcd corpora
ton has 100000 acres more than they have
any right TO, whie the Senate. looking
through Republican glasses. says tho amount
is only 6,OJO,OOo acres. 1t is some consolat on
to have the Senate acknowledge even this
last number. Justice travels with leaden
heel but strikes with an iron hand. and
hope the DAY is not far distant when all these
lands will be reclaimed and opened to private
entry.
But the railroads are not alone in their
midable rivals in the land monopoly COM
panies which are organized all over the Terri
tories. These companies have carried on
their stealing of the public lands with perfect
system Their mode of operation has been to
employ Wild irresponsible scoundrels to
mount their horses and galiop over toe prai
rics. and then return and file claims for all the
land they have passed over These claims are
then transferred to the land companies.
which are composed largely of foreigners
by such outrageous frauds Scotch and
English landlords have obtained estates
in our country which s,urpass in extent and l
gish syndicate holds 3.0J0.000 acres in Texas,
and the Holland Land Company 4,5D0, 900 acres
find the Marquis OF Tweedaie owns l,75O.OOO
acres, the Duke of Sutherland $4,000 acres,
Lord Houghton $4,000 acres, and Lord Dun
raven, in Colorado, $4,000 acres. Special agents
have found that IN English firm has obtained
aOD,0OO acres OF the, choicest redwood
lands in California. The books have not
been fully opened and read, but 80 far it has
been found that foreigners own 9,T4,,0 900
acres of our public domains. The fOunda.
Irelands in our own country. These startling
figures confirm the plea that il was time - to
open the books" discharge the book.keeper
aud place an honest man in charge of the Gen
eral Land Office. Should your local Republican
newspaper ask: "When are you going to open
tbs books?" give hi i'm some of the facts have
furnished you, and, my word for it, his organ
will cease TO grind out the question. 1t is the
examination of these fraudulent entries tina,
has raised such a howl all along the Rcpub
lean line. In one year, ending March 81. 1885
2,223 of these entries were Cancelled or held uI
for further hearing and more than 300, ,O0I
acres reclaimed for bona tide settlers This
does not include the large number of entrie.
which have been cnnceied for fraud which
has been developed by Individual contests
and the books are beng opened every day
The great reform goes on, and Mr.. Sparks Ii
making the sparks hy wherever his hand:
reach
The cattle kings have had regular picnic
and have taken possession OF the remainder
of the public lands not gobbled up by the
railroad corporations. the land com panios ant
the English lords. Criminal and civil suits il
htty-siX cases were brought the first year O
the Administration against these robbers, anC
possession of l,GG3s5 acres recovered. Ii
forty Other cases fences were reno we'd frou
around 56G, $50 acres. The cattle kings arr
about MS lawless rs their bulls, and the strons
arm OF the Government had to be evoked tC
drive them out OF the Indian reservations.
The railroad companies, the land companies
the English lords and the cattle kings Oper
ated in the open country and left the forest
for the timber thieves. During the first yea
20 civil cases were commenced against thes'
fimber thieves, The amount involved in tn,
civil suits was 81, 5000, and thus you SCI
how extensive the depredations were. o
books, nd are also opposed to opening thu
doors of the penitentiary.
iwould like to refer in detail to the fraud
sanctioned by the Republican Adminstrn
Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. The histOr!
reads like romance, but unfortunately th
romance Is founded on facts. The Spanisl
and Mexican land claims are the foundation
-.sIl . Al.la ri.