The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-04-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
BIG LAND STEAL SCHEME.

by INSCRIPTIONS and corrupt means
OF men high in power, there yet remain
about six hundred million acres of the
public domain. But the grabbers and
robbers are like the fire that is never
quenched. They never get enough.
DEEP LAID SCHEME EXPOSED.
Prominent government officials have
just opened the eyes of some people to
a deep-laid scheme by which the great
railway corporations, millionaire land
owners, and cattle kings of the West
and Northwest hope, under ''patriotic
guise" to get possession of most of the
public lands. The lands which they
hope to steal lie mainly in the States
of Kansas, Dakotas, Nevada, Arizona,
Utah, Oregon, East Washington, Okla
hOma and Indian Territories, Nebraska,
Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming,
New Mexico. California and Texas.
These are the lands which are being
studied by the government with a view
to improving and developing by means
of a system of irrigation.
OUTLINE OF THE SCHEME.
The grab scheme is about as follows :
First call conventions to meet at differ
ent points in these arid States to take
into consideration the Importance Of
practical irrigation" and "to devise
the best measns of supplying water to
these arid lands" But here is the
milk in the cocoanut: These ICON
ventions" are to petition the next
Congress to give to each State all the
lands within it's borders, with the
statement that by such a donation
from the National Government, the
general government expenses will be
lessened. They will say if the States
control these lands, "capital" can be
induced to take hold" of them as an
investment. They covertly claim that
corporations can manage State legis-
~latures and railroad commissioners
with o ease than they can manage
Congress.
HOW THEY WILL WORK 1T.
When these lands are once coded to
the States (Which really means coded
to certain individuals who have power
Overland virtually control of the States),
the corporations will put water on them
and open them up, and advertise them
for settlement, provided the States will
relinquish their title in fee; and they
will try to secure this REIMBURSEMENT
by asserting that the lands in question
are worthless as they are; but when
they fhe corporations put water on
thelands, they ~willincrease ~therevenue
of the State by bringing in settlers
who will buy the lands, and cultivate
them.
THE TWO SIDES OF THE QUESTION.
Here are the two broad sides of the
question. Settlers can now go on those
lands and enter a homestead for $1.25
per acre; and the government is trying
to devise some meteod by which the
lands may be easily and cheaply
irrigated. The cost of irrigating is
three dollars per ere
If the corporations get control Of
those lands, they will make a specula
ton of the matter, and settlers viii
not be able to get there without paying
from $40 to $5Oper acre for them. This
is the plain phase of the undertaking
and people interested may make the
most of it. The arid area embraces
529, 685, 900 acres on which there is {
population of over eight millions Of
people.
NATIONAL PRESIDENT POLK SPEAKS AT
THE CAPITAL.
President Polk, n. F. A. and [. U
made his first speech in the NatiOna
Capital last Thursday night under the
auspices of Citizens Alliance, Branch
No. 4. Hisspeech was enthusiastically
received by an attentive and thought
full audience. He dealt with the prOmi
nent financial and economical questions
of the hour in a way that made people
who had never thought on them before
begin to think in earnest. He bega1
his address by saying he desired t.
discuss principles, not parties; meas
ures, not men. Principles came from
God and were as eternal as the Throne
of Justice itself. Men were of the dust
of the earth, and were as transitory az
the dewdrop on the flower. Thespeakel
adhered strictly to this kind of dis
cussiOn.
MIGHTY FORCES BEING MARsHALED.
He said mighty forces were being
marshaled to test the virtue, of man
hood, patriotism, and love of self-gov
eminent. The march of human prog
ress was strewn with the wrecks Of