The Washington critic., 1886-04-16
WASHINGTON. APRIL 10, 1886.
ATLANTIC & PACIFIC RAILROAD
d9,ei4,SO3 ACRES.

ATLANTIC & PACIFIC RAILROAD
d9,e44,sOa ACRES.
Twenty years ago (July 81, 1860,
the people Of the United States, acting
through their representatives in Con-
gress, agreed to give TO the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad Company 49,2H,-
sO3 acres of the public lands along the
line of It's proposed road, and declared
in section Of the law making the
grant:
That each and every grant, right aud
privilege herein are so made and given to
and accepted by said Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad Company, upon aud subject 10 the
.folioiOing conditions, namely: That the said
company shall commence the work ON said
road within two years from the approval OF
,bis act by the President, and ShaN complete
oless than .6tty miles per gear after hc
,cond gear, and shalt construct, equip tiu-
; ish aud complete The main line Of ne Wholc
load by The An Of July A. d. 1873.
Here were three conditions, compli-
ance with which was necessary to make
the grant operative.
1. To commence the construction Of
the road before July 27, 1868.
9. TO complete not less than fifty
miles a year after that time, and
3. To complete the whole line by the
4th of July, 1878.
The work was commenced before the
time required. That fulfilled the first
condition. Tie second and third con-
ditionS werG wholly diSregarded. So
far from constructing 80 miles year,
only 20 miles were constructed during
the two years and over, following the
commencement Of the work. So far
from building the whole road before
1878, only 1876 miles had been built at
that time, leaving unfinished more than
1000 miles.
Then the company broke down, and
the people became again the rightful
owners of the immense domain which
was to have gone to the company If it
had fulfilled the conditions of the grant.
But 1t had been decided in the courts
that the Land Department could not
declare the lands forfeited without an
act of Congress. Vast interests have
combined and been powerful enough
up to this time to stay the hand Of Con-
gress, and every device is being resort
ed to for the final capture of this pub
lie property which has thus been made
the sport of the plunderers outside of
Congress, assisted by their friends
within.
Between 1871 and 1882 the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad Company never
built mile of road. Then it sold out
to two other railroad companies, which
continued its nominal existence, so
that they might impudently claim the
grants it had forfeited by IL flagrant
violation of the conditions on which ii
was made.
The House of Representative has
passed bill TO declare this grant for.
feited and to restore the land to the
people to whom it belongs. The rail
way cormorants have no more right to
it than they have to the Capitol build
ing or the Washington Monument Tho
Senate will have to vote to help then
steal it or to silence their impuden
claim to it. 1t will eventually matter
great deal to each Senator how ht
votes on this question.
The land in controversy is nearly
fifty millions of acres, or 1891;
square miles. 1t exceeds in extent the
combined area of New England, New
Jersey and Delaware. There would b,
more than thousand square miles lef
Of it after setting down inside of |
the States of Pennsylvania, Maryland
New Jersey, Delaware and Massachu
sets. 1t would make strip twenty
three miles wide from New York t.
San Francisco; it would make a stril
seven miles wide from Behring' Strait
to Cape Horn; and 1t would make {
girdle around the globe at the Equatoj
more than three miles in width.
All the world is looking on to see {
dozen aldermen of New York ON tria
for taking brides from Jake Sharp TO
the right to run a street railwa,
through two miles Of Broadway. No
body believes they would have votet
such wealth into private pockets with
out receiving benefits for the audaciou
steal. But Jake Sharp's grab wa
petty larceny as compared with the al
tempted seizure of the empire abov
described; and his Doodle aldermen ar
but small fry compared with til
Doodle Senators, If any there be, VIII
would dare to aid in the robbery. Th
time has arrived when the people knov
what they are "going TO do about it.
The prompt restoration Of this Ian
to the.people at this time of popula
discontent--strikes and boycotts--w
remind them that Uncle Sam is ye
rich enough to give them all farI
under the homestead law, and that h
is not going to let it all go beyond thei
reach.
AND NOW WHAT?
1t would appear from Mr.. Pow
lprly'a latest rnanifaofo tbot No hn,,yan,