The morning call., 1892-03-11
THR MINORITY REPORT.
Objections Presented Against the Cession
of Public Lands To the States.

of Public Lands to the States.
The minority report signed by Congress-
men John L. Breiz of Indiana and Jerry
SEapson of Kansas. opposes the passage of
the bill ana says: The pili it will be seen
proposes to dispose of about one half CT the
remaining public domain, except Alaska,
for 1t will lie borne in mind that we have
remaining but 579. 664, ,6S3 acres, exclusive of
the Cherokee Strip aud some other Indian
lands now In dispute, and that the esti-
mated area OF arid lands is 277, $50, $40 acres,
and the extent OF the cesslon by the bill will
change entirely the heretofore satisfactory
management OF cur public lands in the
United States. IL Is true, as cOntended by
some. that In the management of our public
lands In the past by the Government some
frauds and abuses have been INDUCED in,
but will you better its management by trans
ferring 1t to the States and Territories
Will you not multiply the opportunities Of
iand-srabbers by every division you make
OF controlling the power over public lands
Arid Region Not Defined.
The report further says the arid region
has by no means been strictly defined, so
that Congress will know how much il has
given, nor will any State or Territory know
how much has been ceded to it; so that at
once there arises acomplicatiou of facts and
dispute. which to settle will require time
and vast expenditure OF money. both by
the Government and the contending State
or Territory. 1t will also be seen that the
principal exception made In the cession is
mineral lands. Now, what are mineral
lands and where are they? What are min
eral lands to-day may soon cease to be such
by reason OF the exhaustion Of their prod
uctS ana as soon as their treasures have
been exhausted they are at once abandoned,
and the State or Territory wherein these
now known mineral lands lie will have to
make an acceptance of them by the act Of
their respective Legislatures, or they will
revert back 10 the General Government
again. Some advantage may result by the
General Government maintaining uniform
system OF mining laws applicable alike 10
all the States and Territories. Forests and
timbered lands are included in this cession
and the committee here quotes from ths
memorial Of the Salt Lake convention con-
corning the relation OF forests to irrigation.
A Chance FOR Land -Grabbers.
1t will be seen that there is an attempt to
couple with glfta Limitation or restriction,
that no State or Territory accepting the
cesston shall in any case SELL lease or dis
pose Of said lands in greater quantities than
100 acres 10 any one person, corporation or
association, etc. with no kind of forfeiture
for any violation. Now, after the cession
Is made and accepted by the several States
and Territories the title TO the land passes
from Lie donor and vests in the donee, as
soon as accepted. and the Government has
NO further claim or control over it and can
not prevent the sale of every acre of land
10 one man, except In the action of Terri
torlal Legislatures. Our experience in the
past under similar grants have taught us
that such is not impossible.
Former swamp and School Grants.
Heretofore Congress has been induced by
arguments no more plausible than those
presented now TO make large land grants of
swamp lands to several of the States claim
ing that 1T was indispensable and necessary
10 make tie grants so that the land could
be reclaimed by ditchng, etc. to furnish
homes Tor the homeless, and yet no sooner
was these grants made than without q
single exception known to us almost all of
these large grants passed into the hands Of
the ever-present land-grabber, and by all
manner of frauds these men made Them
selves rich at the expense Of the very per-
sons intended 10 be benefited by the grants.
IL Is melancholy fact that not even our
scnnol lands have escaped the greed of the
land-grahber. Who knows but that this
same regime will be resorted to and repeat
with cur arid lands the same disastrous
practices? Who can give positive assurance,
such as prudent man would be safe In
acting on in this matter, that these same
lnexcusab.e frauds will not lie repeated in
this instance? Had we not better profit by
our past experience in similar cases as we'll
as 10 refrain from giving away such vast
amounts of cur public lands?
Private Irrigating Progressing.
Information has been furnished us from
a reliable source that shows that these arid
regions are being rapidly reclaimed by irri-
CATION under the present law, and by con-
sulting the records it Is very apparent that
the work OF irrigation Is now going on in al.
most every place ia these several States
and Territories where irrigation is posi-
Die. and that vested rights have been ac-
CURED which this bill does not seek to dis
turb. and could not ii it attempted go to do.
The minority oppose the passage of this
Dill ior another reason: The people of all
the other States and Territories have pur-
chased their lands, except the grants oil
swamp lands, which were q detriment in
| stead CT blessing, and paid hundreds OF
millions oil dollars into the United States
treasury, and they have the right now tl
demand that the same policy shall be pur
sued With reference TO the remainder OF oul
| public lands, instead of giving tn some OF
| the States and Territories une-half of Oul