The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-22

oSr TAX on TIE WEST.

Ever since the trHt ssttieNncht OF the
West Il has been called upon To pay one
sneesas az money tribute 20 the Federal
government which no Eastern state
has ever had 10 meet, and has
In this one direction alone paid
millions upon millions into the ma
tional treasury. as much. probably. In the
aggregate ms the fun amount OF the mort
cages standing today on all the Western
farm lands. This tribute. an annual out
flow OF an enormous amount Of money.
has been paid into the treasury through
the land department.
The original thirteen states owned their
own lands. and surrendered none within
their borders TO the Federal government.
Neither Vermont. Maine. Kentucky. Ten
nexsee. Texas nor West Virginia were
ever required TO part with any portion OF
their lands on admission into the Union.
with these exemptions every new
state has been required. as condition
precedent to admission. 70 dIsclaim title
To all the public lands within their bor-
ders. except such "a congress. In It's
bounty. might deIgn to permit them 10
retain.
Statistics are not readily ohtaina BILE
from which 20 determine what the West
srn states have been compelled TO pay
In this manner. But when IL Is consider
ell that the minimum price of public
lands was 81. = an acre, and that prior 10
the passage of the homestead act of 1856
there was 10 manner I'm which a settler
could obtain title to agricultural land ex-
cept by purchase at this or higher fig
IRE. and that since that time fully one
half OF the public land taken up has been
hy presumption or other forms OF pur-
chase. some idea Of the vast aggregate
amount thus paid can be realized. 1t GER
faInly. on the most conservative estimates
cannot amount 10 less than - cents an
acre on the entire amount OF land now
held In private ownership In the states
Of the West
Every dollar Of this money Was taken
away in actual cash from the relatively
poor West. II went into the national
treasury. and 70 that extent relieved the
burdens OF taxation % the original thir-
teen states and those others No have
mentioned. who thus not only retained
their own waste lands and profited by
their sale bat shared Ia the profits OF
the sale 10y the Federal government OF the
lands IN tho Western states,
And set there IS not even convenient
fiction To account for this manifest In
equality and unJustness towards the
West II Is true that the cession ~ the
Northwest territory. ana also og Mlssiss-
ippi territory. Ca the Federal government
was made by the original states on the
agreement that the public lands therein
were 10 De sold for the purpose OF rais-
ing funds TO pay the Revolutionary war
debt. but thai has long hoen extinguished.
The lands acquired by the Louisiana
purchase might be considered as burden
Il with a lien IN favor % the Federal gov
eminent Tor the purchase price. but tho
government has received already from
land sales ia that region the fau pur-
chase price over and over again. Calls
fornia has paid sato ghe treasury for tbs
purchase OF puhlic lands far more than
the total cost 90 the Mexican war by
whteh Sc was acquired
Washington ana Oregon never cost the
Federal government ga their acquisition
a cent 81 treasure or drop or blood.
They were acquired py tse at % the
American citizens who peoplsd them.
The citizens - Washington and oregon
presented thls Imperial territory 20 the
United States. and Is was with expressed
reluctance that the United States accept
ed she gifG ana proceeded 80 sell b hack
70 tire donors and their descendants ana
successors ta small tracts.
II the West Is relatively poor today. u
Il Is short 81 the mc1lem - exchange
and IN dcAt ard paving interest % East
ern bankers ani money lenders. here is
enc reason for thr existence 81 that con
dition. whh,h seems a. have been over.
looked by those discussing Western mort