The Wilmingtonian., 1886-06-26
The Most Important Question.

for the people OF the United States is the
Land Question.
1t is the duty Of every citizen who has the
fut.r1 Of his country at heart to 'hurry up"
aud inform himself up IN lhe facts, and take an
though impending danger that threatens the
future stab lty of this country.
There is this fact in the first place. 1t
seems that Congress, on a,cOuut Of opposed
interests within its own body is unable to
control tile difficulty, or to give the people
of this country any guarantee that pr1 per
action will be taken for the retrooesson of
stolen public lands, or the protection from
further peculation of the small share Of tn
public domain that remains to us.
A recent al ticle in the North American
ReUieo said :-''the settlement of the country
proceeds at its own bewidering pace.
America is still presenting to the world the
phenomenon of a population that doubles it.
self in periods Of twenty-five years. Emi-
grafton is pouring in from all quarters of
Europe, and from over the Canadian border,
at a rate never before surpassed. 1t is GER
tain that at the next census the population
viii! be found to have increased III lre since
1880 than even during the preceding decade.
From figures issued from the Census Bureau
the other day it appears likely that some of
the Western States and Territories will go
near quadrupiiug their population. Dakota
has grown almost twice as populous in the
i've years since 1880, and Nebraska has in
creased from 452 4O2 in 1880 to 74O 00o in
1886.
If there were still untold millions of fertile
acres of pubic domain be given away, and
if stop were put to the gigantic frauds by
which the domain is now being swallowed
up it would be matter Of grave moment to
consider how this population is to be accom-
modated ON the land, and how it should be
protected in possession Of the nations gift
But it is no longer question of untold
millions of acres of public domain. 1t is no
longer a question Tor to morrow, it is a ques-
tion for to-day. The pressure has alrea iy
come. For all practical purposes Of bestow-
ing free farms ON its growing population, the
public domain Of the United States is now
exhausted.
According TO the reports of the Land
Office, the dimiuution Of the publiJ domain,
By all methods, fraudulent and lawful, un-
der the homestead and presumption, the tim
ber-cultnre the desert, aud other land acts,
is taking place at the rate of 90 600, 900 acres
a year. And according to the same reports
there are just 1000, 600 acres of the public
domain still left of charAcie er that makes
them available for settlers without capital.
Said the Land Commission, report of 1880:
''It was estimated, june 80, 1879, that Eek
elusive Of certain lands in the Southern
StateSJ that lands over which the survey
and disposition laws had betu extended, ly-
ing in the West, the United States did not
own, of arabic agricultural public lands,
which could be cultivated without irrigation
or other artificial appliances, more than the
area of the present State OF Ohio, namely,
25, SIC, $50 acres" o. this arabic land about
1000, 900 acres were taken up in the year en-
ding June, 1880"
1t is time something we've done by the
Federal government. We are on the verge
of condition altogether unexpected at this
early date Of our national history. But
5000, 900 acres of our ouce ndly public do
main left
or course il is understood that this 5000,-
900 refers to land in auy way acceptable to
settlers as cultivable
Wien these few niliors disappear we may
expect, according to uner,iug historical
analogy, to lie met by those Troublesome
public questions 50 difficult to be met and
disposed Of by statesmen.
The inability u plrcc tie hordcs of new
corners whn swarm Annually to our shores
upon free unnccupied lands will aggravate
popular troubles will introduce to this
country, hitherto free from such anuoyances,
the vexing agratian questions OF older ma
tions.
1t is no NE crying now why did we not
look ahead9 The mischief is already done.
But it is not altogether irIepardble if Con-
gress would only vigorously take the mat
ter in hand aud see tn it that that part OF
the public domain not legitimatey held be
without further delay forced back into pub
lie title. Additionally that some proper
oversight be used for the future that none
but bona fde settlers are allowed to take land
from the government.
| A sure proof Of the great danger that i,
menacing US is demonstrated in the r. MARI.
| able increase Of the tenant farming class
Strange that this cond N wlich is the hid,
den, nususpected cause or generations of ag
raran troubles in Ireland sh, uld be allowed
unfole IL by our statt men to creep into an6
take firm hold in this country, notwithstand
ing the remarkable example of Ireland pre-
scut before MS.
The trouble of the Irish is not really 10
ltieal or religious or purely governmental il
is realty in its atant cause laudlorism-tht
tenant question. Yet tue North American