THE FARMERS WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 



CHAPTER II. 



HISTORY OF THE "LAND GRAB." 



How to build Railroads at the Expense of the People The Public Domain of 

 the Union a rich Field of Operations for Railroad Managers The first Land 

 Grants How the Illinois Central Road obtained its Lands A bad Example 

 Handsome Profits Inauguration of the System of Land Grants The 

 Result The Nation robbed by Wild Cat Railroad Companies How Congress 

 aids the Roads in robbing the People Actual Workings of the Subsidy Sys- 

 tem Detailed Statement of the Amount of the Public Lands granted to 

 each Corporation Greed of the Railroads Bonds and Money demanded in 

 addition to Lands The Railroad Ring Eloquent Denunciation of these 

 Schemes of Plunder by Hon. E. B. Washburne of Illinois. 



A RECENT writer, describing the construction of a 

 railway, says : "The first step, after selecting the route, 

 is to purchase the land upon which the proposed road 

 is to be built." Many of our roads are built upon land 

 fairly purchased and paid for, but not all ; and it was 

 regarded as a great step gained in scientific railroad 

 financiering when a shrewd railway magnate of the 

 West conceived the happy idea of building a road at 

 the cost of the people of the whole country. 



Previous to 1850, the United States possessed vast 

 tracts of lands in the Western States and Territories. 

 These lands were the common property of the States, 

 and were held by the General Government for their 

 benefit. It was believed at one time that the sale of 

 these lands would produce a large revenue for the 

 Republic, which could be expended in various enter- 

 prises for the benefit of the country at large. 

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