SUMMARY REMEDIES. H9 



be effectually provided against, and the people would 

 still receive all the benefits to be derived from the 

 homestead laws, at the additional cost of one dollar 

 and twenty-five cents per acre, paid for the advantage 

 of possessing accessible railroad communication. 



But we have not to deal with what might have 

 been, but with what is ; and our real business is to 

 find a remedy for the evils brought upon us by the 

 past unwise legislation. Under present conditions a 

 general law making provision for the relinquishment, 

 by the railroad companies to the United States, of all 

 the lands within their grants upon the outer half 

 thereof, on both sides of their roads, so as to reduce 

 their grants to one half their present widths, and to 

 receive from the government, in return for the same, 

 other grants for the even, or present government sec- 

 tions, that would lie within the reduced breadth ot 

 their tracts, and bring all the railroad lands within 

 the provisions of the homestead laws, excepting only 

 the price, which might be fixed at two and one half 

 dollars per acre, as at present on the government sec- 

 tions, would be a most expedient and just measure to 

 both the people and the railroad companies. A meas- 

 ure of this kind would go very far towards correcting 

 some of the most unjust legislation of the past twenty 

 years, and again place the lands within reach of the 

 people, and preserve to them, for a time, at least, 

 what may yet remain. 



And, also, in addition to the above, to make pro- 

 vision for a system of railroads that shall open up all 

 the lands of the country, to be built as they may be 

 required by corporations or individuals, devoting the 



