, 1891-05-22
STATE ORNERSHIP OFLANDS

~ EsulNuFs
STATE OWNERSHIP OFLANDS
The question of state ownership Of
public lands was discussed in the com
mercial congress at Denver yesterday and
makes interesting reading. Senator War
ren's views on the subject were as follows:
Gentlemen" he said, after an assur-
ance that he did not expect to be called
upon, gentlemen. l an in favor of the
United States ceding to the states and
territories the arid land which belongs to
them. Some of my good friends say
that they prefer congress to appropriate
large sums OF money for the reclamation
of these lands. | would heartily supper
that view if l thought it was practicable,
because l assume that congress cannot do
too much tor the pioneers that have in
vAded this wilderness and built up these
commonwealths. I believe it is a par
~ticularly unfortunate time to ask for large
appropriations for this or other purposes.
A large amount was appropriated to pay
judgments obtained in the higher courts
against the United States, and it
is my opinion that the United
States should Immediately pay any
Judgment rendered against it after
1t has been brought to the last court
of resort. | assume if you or / did our
business as the government has been do
ing it for the last seven or eight years-it,
with an oYer1owing treasury, we declined
TO pay our decisive would be in the
p~enitentiAry and our families starving.
Every mar who wants to make his calling
sure in the next congress will oppose any
appropriation hat eau be done without.
1t is therefore useless to ask from the
United States any amount OF money Tor
the purpose uf retaining the and lands"
The speaker then commended that 1t would
be twenty years before the national gov
rnmen could be got to do anything in
the way OF irrigation if such a scheme
were suggested. Therefore" he con
Guided, give US the land and let us see
il we cannot make it bloom As the rose.
although it is now covered with the sage
brush and the cactus. II we Apply Tor
the fertilizer-water-the New Eng
land farmers will ask for guano and other
fertilizers aud our application will not be
successful On the other hand, If we ask
for the land our application wall be sue.
oessful."
Judge Bedford of Colorado opposed
stAte ownership.
such a scheme, , he declared, SIS preiu-
dicial to the best interests Of the whole
nation. The government Of the United
States is the land owner, and
it ives the same duty to the land it owns
as the individual land owner owes to the
land he owns. 1t is the duty of this ma
ton to make this large tract-larger than
a number of European kingdoms a ft,
ting and habitable home for the genera
tons who are to come after us. To
adopt a policy Of simply combining our
selves to the ccssion Of this land to the re-
spective states and territories is, in my
opinion, to absolve the nation from the
performance of a duty which it owes to
the people. | am surprised that in this
congress anyone should como forward to
say that the demand for the reclamation
of the lands would not be received With
favor by the national congress- | believe
the cession of these lands would form a
fountain of political corruption and
iobbery. l Am opposed to the scheme
because | believe 1t means the servitude
Of our children aud our children's child.
~ ,,,ar.l o.. - a.v,-.
aRement OF these lands will be placed in
the custody and guardianship of the most
formidable corporate power that has here
toiore or will hereafter exceed the rights
and liberties OF the coming generation.
If the lands are ceded to the states vast
corporations will be organized within the
different states and territories. A propo-
sition will be made that the state shall re-
tain one-half Of the LANDS. What legisla.
ture has tissues of such vlgor that it viii
Withstand the temptation. l am opposed
to the scheme for another reason. These
arid lands are within the limits oil
four or FIVE states and t%erritor
les. The object of the govern
men, should be to reclaim it. Its reclama.
ton will involve the consideration Of work
not bound by state lines, not limited by
local interests, but reaching out like a vast
net work through all the states aud all the
territories. A system 30 broad, so ex.
p%eusiye, 80 comprehensive as that i,
worthy of the consideration Of the
national government.
know l am Antagonizing a good many
people who belong to my state, but ]
stand here as much interested as any
other citizen, and think that this landJi,
the patrimouy Of this great nation, that
it is the heritage of the people, and thaI
the government should never release it,
hold upon it except TO turn it over To il
own citizens as the basis Of splendid
beautiful and peaceful homes"
THE minority report OF the committe,