The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-21

the were not entitled to the same. How
within the past few years the railroad
company had set up a new claim, laying
stress upon the fact that unless mineral
was known to exist in these lands at the
time of the grant { as they concluded af-
forwards, unless mineral was discovered
therein prior to 1882 they were entitled
to the lands. He told of the valuable
discoveries of mlnera made in the lands
claimed by the Northern Pacific and of
the suit now pending in the United
States supreme court. This suit will
possibly be settled next winter. The
people are ably represented and the
great corporation claiming the lands had
the best counsel they could obtain.
Last winter the speaker had intro
ducad into the house of representatives
what was known as the mineral land
bill. This measure met with the APP
proval of the people of Montana. AS the
matter now stands but a small portion
of the country in the land grant is sur
veyed. The agricultural sections are
surveyed, but the mountainous portions
where mineral bearing veins are found
are not. When a %prospector makes a
discovery he cannot tell whether he is
upon an odd section or not. The bill
authorized the appointment of commits
| sioners to segregate the lands and define
what should be called mineral lands. If
the railroad company objected to the
commissioners decision as to what por-
ton of the land was mineral the bill
gave them the right to contest.
The republicans ask why the bill was
not passed in the house and why it
failed in the senate. With equal pro-
priety he might ask why had the bill in
troduced by Carter failed to 60 through?
The bill introduced by Mr.. Dixon was
referred to the committee on public
lands, consisting of nine democrats and
four republicans. The democrats re-
ported in favor of the bill and recon
mended its passage. The republicans
favored a compromise. This compromise
gave them an equal area in even sections
for the lands taken from them in odd
sections. Under the compromise the
railroad company would own immense
solid bodies of land. This compromise
he did not favor. The Northern Pacific
has got all the land it ever should have
and he would not give his consent to any
railroad company ever getting another
acre of land belonging to the people of
the United States.
The matter came up in the house for
consideration when Just five minutes
time could be given it under the rules
unless by unanimous consent. Mr..
Dixon stated briefly the objects of the
bill. Gov. McCurry. of Kentucky, a
good friend of Montana. moved that an
additional five minutes be given the
measure and had this been granted il
would have passed, but j. &. Burrows, a
republican, objected and defeated the
passage of the bill. This same Julius
Caesar Burrows is the republican who
made the motion to lay the Band bill on
the able and Is the man who killed the
Bland bill.
Mr.. Dixon said he would try to get the
bill through this winter, and t. get il
through in its present state-tha com
promise would be the last resort.
The speaker then gave attention tc
the silver question. He told of the de
monetization of the metal in 1873 by the
passage of an act by IA republican house
of representatives and republican senate
which WAS signed by a republican prcsi
dent.
Immediately after the decentralization
of silver the democratic party began
making efforts to have 1t restored. There
is not a single case be recalled which uI
since 1873, when the question of free
coinage came up. but that IA large ma
jority of democrats have voted in its ia
vor and the republicans against it. In
1876 the democrats passed a free coinage
bill in the house: it went to the senate
and was lost; in 1877 another free coin.
age measure was voted by the demo
cratic house and went to the senate
where it WAS changed into the Bland.
Allison bill. which was in force until
1890, when it was succeeded by the
Sherman bill. In 1879 another free
coinage bill passed the house. 1t went
to the senate and was never heard OF
again. In the Fifty-first congress the
republicans had a majority of 10 in the
house and a majority in the senate OF
from II to 20.
The Sherman bill passed congress in
1890. Two years ago the republican
press and republican orators told of the
the Bland Allison bill silver never
went below % cents; under the Sher
man bill it went as low as ~ cents
Bland is the champion of free silver and
he has said that if the people desire free
coinage they should stand by the demo.
cratic party for it was their only hope
III llIC i NY S'NoII' NolSlNcHs tlIN lltt
silver coinage bill came up and Burrows
motion to lay on the table was lost by a
tie vote, and the iilibustering which fol
lowed defeated the measure.
Mr.. Dixon then quoted statistics show
ing the figures of every vote in recent
years ON the free coinage measures and
they prove that the free coinage of silver
had been defeated by republican votes.
He challenged anyone to deny the cor.
rectness of his figures and in concluding
a dignitied. able and attentively listened
to speech he urged his hearers to stand
by the party which would legislatH for
their best interests and was their best
friend the democratic party,
Mr.. j. G. Mahoney. the demo ratio
candidate for superintendent of public
instruction. followed Mr.. Dixon in a
10 " Ala IL