Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-05-24

erality-indeed, prodigality-t railroad /
and other corporations; and, by q laN, /
easy administration Of iniudicious laws, /
men Of wealth and companies have been /
improperly and illegally permitted to
acquire other great areas of public lands,
until now. out OF the vast empire Of ter
rit0ry we had nj its beginning, this gen
Grafton has seen ii SO reduced that less
than 1900, coo acres OF arabic agricul-
mral land-upOn which crops can be
raised without irrigation-remain forI
the settler under the general land laws
OF the United States: and about 10000,
coo Of acres only of lands susceptible OF
improvement by irrigation. These lands
are becoming more and more valuable
year by year; and tempted by the prom
Use, sure to be realized, OF immense
profits, as well as the absolute security
Of the investment, these lands by de
vious methods in many cases, have been
secured in great areas and holding by
capitalists and corporations, foreign as
wen as domestic. In the hands Of many
of these foreign owners and holders
these lands are made subject to a system
Of landlordism and conditions totally
m-American, and kindred to that exist
ING in the Old World-systems and con-
ditions that have spread ruin and misery
wherever they have existed in Europe.
besides this, out of the heritage of
the American people, the common
property of this Nauon-its public
Iands-we are at present permitting
/ the coming of immense private for
tunes in the hands of foreign nobility
and gentry at the expense of our own
people, and giving the foreigners the
control of the homes and happiness of
/ thousands of citizens or those who have
come here to identify themselves with
US. The extent Of these foreign hold
ings is Illustrated by list subjoined,
which shows total of nearly 2l,000,-
600 acres This list could be greatly
enlarged; only the more important eases
are given. Cases of like character are
| very numerous, but smaller in area, ag-
gregating over 30,000,000 Of acres.
There is no question as to the power
/ of Congress over the matter. Eng
land exercised it during all the years
of her progress, and it has only been
until very recent years that the right
to hold real estate there has been
granted to aliens.
''The question as to now cheap homes
for the poor can be best secured will
soon be upon us At the present rate
of disposition this generation will see
the last acre of public land worth TAX
ing for n home by farmer, disposed
of. The committee has DEVOTED its
best efforts and most earnest endeavors
to perfect and present to the House
for its consideration and action such
lands as had been -improyidently
granted to corporations, and to which
they are not entitled; also for the re-
peal of such laws as rendered possible
the improper acquisition of great areas
of land from the Government, and to
preserve what it had and should re-
claim of the public lands as a reservoir
to be drawn upon by the actual settler
without cost, in homesteads, IN small
allotments, for actual civilizations; be-
lieving, as we do, that not only the fos-
tering of the home sentiment and in
dividual prosperity would result, but,
in addition, that there is no greater
safeguard against public disorder, tu-
mults, and riots than a generally distrib-
uted ownership of lands and homes
''Such general condition OF affairs
would be q guarantee in favor of law
and order, and we therefore recommend
the passage of the bill. ="