The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-03-29
ALIEN LAND HOLDING.
Enormous Tracts Held by Monopolists
and Foreign Syndicates.

/ ALLEN GAtNO FlOID'tNes
Enormous Tracts Held by Monopoiists
! and Foreign syndicates.
A very extensive form of alien land
holding is in large cattle ranches. Enor-
nous tracts have thus been and are be-
ing monopolized. The great railroad
land grants, which tho railroad compan-
les were permitted todispose of to whom
and in such quantities as thcy pleased,
have furnished the means of much of
this alien land-holdiug. The State of
Texas, by the terms of her admission to
the Union, was permitted to hold and
dispose of her public domain. She has
disposed of it in a way likely to prove
most disastrous to the future agricul-
tural interests of that State. Texas
land scrip for all conceivable purposes
was issued, and went on the market,
often for fifteen and twenty cents per
acre; and now in this extravagant way
all her lands are gone, and holders of
scrip in excess are endeavoring to get
hold of a tract in the adjacent Indian
Territory to locate the remainder of
their scrip upon. Mexican, Spanish and
French land grants have also been the
hands of alien and nonresident land
holders. Mexico has rigid laws against
alien land-holding. These laws are be-
ing evaded in several ways. In the
first place, great grants have been made
to railway companies, and these roads
are nearly all constructed by foreign
capital Again, concessions are made
of large tracts, for few cents per acre.
to companies, chiefly of foreigners, with
whom are sufficient number of natives
to give color to the title, and nominal
location in Mexico of the company.
The committees of the Senate and House
of Representatives have HAD this matter
before them, but have thrown but little
light upon it, and can not be said to
have applied any remedies. Under the
homestead and pre-emption laws man
has been restricted to 100 acres, unless
he acquired title under both laws, which
he often did. In all these cases he had
either to be citizen or to declare his
intention of becoming such. In this
way it could be nominally said that an
alien could not get title to the public
domain from the United States. The
moment the title passes to the home
steader and pre-emptor as many tracts
as an alien chooses to buy may be pur-
chased from these parties. As much ex-
pense is usually incurred by settler in
building improving, and pre-empting his
land he is liable to get into debt, and
many mortgaged farms are thus sold
when they will bring s., SO or SIS per
acre, and the settler moves toward
new location. by all of the means emu
meratcd large tracts are thus set aside
to be pcrpetually burdened by arevenue
called rcnt no inconsiderable portion
going into the hands of the alien land.
holders. There are undoubtedly those
who consider all these conditions to be
advantageous. The specializing real es.
tate interest is a very strong one in the
United States, and if we shut of alien
land and lot buyers the probable result
would be to check the rapid advance If
land values. This interest will be in
floXibly opposed to all such legislation,
State or National. A common cause
will be made between those parties and
the class of Americans who wish to in.
vest their capital in that most stable OF
al lHNtStultntS, real estate, anu IN real
estate not for use, but for revenue.
Apart from the great temptation of its
rapid and inevitable increase of value in
this country, thus promising great in.
crease of fortune without effort, the time
is rapidly approaching when it will be-
come the most stable source of revenue
Railroad investments are not to be com.
pared TO it, except to the few who can
quadruplicate their fortunes by water.
ing stock. The time is coming, more
over. when landed possession will be
the basis of power and respectability.
The mischief of alien land-holding can
be better eXemplified by supposing all
the lands in the country paid a tribute.
or rent, to the people of foreign coun-
try. II would at once produce ruinous
condition of affairs which no country
could long survive. This new, aspiring
English invasion, by means of which !
our cultivators of the soil, our bread |
eaters and bread-winners are to be placed |
under perpetual tribute To the citizens
of foreign countries, only shows us that
the old method of monopolizing our re-
sources have failed, and that the more
potent machinery and combinations of
modern times are to be used for the !
purpose of placing us under foreign trib. |
ute.- VIM. A. Phillips, in Belford's !