THE QUESTION OF LAND TITLES

Franklin McCray
Indianapolis

All the territory west of Mississippi river was acquired by the Government by three means, purchase, conquest, and treaty. This territory, having been obtained by the diplomacy and blood and treasure of our common country, belonged to the people of the whole country, and was held in trust by the Federal Government for them. It was subject only to their call for settlement.

The charge is made that practically all the looting of the public domain is in the Louisiana purchase, the territory wrested from Mexico, that acquired from Great Britain by the Ashburton-Webster treaty in the settlement of our northern boundary line, and that purchased from Russia. This land, being held in trust by the Federal Government for the people and being subject only to their call for actual settlement, it is charged, has been plundered through fraud and corruption of the trustee, the Government of the United States, in collusion with the grantees, who have obtained vast tracts and withdrawn the same from settlement by floating them into a different channel than that for which the Government held them in trust. By this corrupt and fraudulent method, it is charged that these vast estates have been monopolized by corporate greed and accumulated wealth, and that no less than 6,000,000 acres are now being held by two individuals alone within the State of California.

If this be true, then, under a well-settled principle of law, the Government has conferred no title upon such grantees, because fraud vitiates all contracts, and courts of equity have complete power under proper proceedings to follow this property, thus fraudulently obtained, in its labyrinthian processes and seize it by judicial decree, lay its stern hand upon it and restore it to its rightful owners, the people of the United States, and float it anew into the channel of settlement where it rested prior to its spoliation. I suggest that this Congress petition the United States Congress to investigate the titles of these grantees and, if found to be fraudulent, the Department of Justice should be instructed to institute proceedings calculated to restore the land to its rightful owners.


FOOTNOTES:

[1] The full report by Mrs Wilkinson appears on later pages.

[2] The members of the Resolution Committee were chosen by their respective State Delegations, and met at the call of a Temporary Chairman (and member-at-large), Ex-Governor George C. Pardee, of California, who was afterward chosen by the committee as Permanent Chairman. The full personnel of the committee follows:

ALABAMA, John L. Kaul, Birmingham
ARIZONA, B. A. Fowler, Phenix
ARKANSAS, John A. Fox, Blytheville
CALIFORNIA, Frank H. Short, Fresno
COLORADO, P. T. Coolidge, Colorado Spgs.
COLUMBIA (District of), W J McGee, Washington
CONNECTICUT, A. Fletcher Marsh, New Haven
FLORIDA, Cromwell Gibbons, Jacksonville
GEORGIA, C. L. Worsham, Atlanta
IDAHO, Jerome J. Day, Moscow
ILLINOIS, Alfred L. Baker, Chicago
INDIANA, William Holton Dye, Indianapolis
IOWA, Robert Hunter, Sioux City
KANSAS, Governor William R. Stubbs, Lawrence
KENTUCKY, C. C. Grassham, Paducah
LOUISIANA, Robert Roberts, Jr., Minden
MAINE, Cyrus C. Babb, Augusta
MARYLAND, Lynn R. Meekins, Baltimore
MASSACHUSETTS, C. A. Start, Boston
MICHIGAN, Francis King, Alma
MINNESOTA, E. W. Robinson, Minneapolis
MISSISSIPPI, H. L. Whitfield, Columbus
MISSOURI, George B. Logan, Saint Louis
MONTANA, F. L. Newman, Havre
Rudolph Van Tolbel, Lewistown
NEBRASKA, Woodruff Ball, Valentine
NEW HAMPSHIRE, Geo. B. Leighton
NEW JERSEY, Frederick W. Kelsey, Orange
NEW MEXICO, W. A. Fleming Jones, Las Cruces
NEW YORK, J. S. Whipple, Salamanca
NORTH DAKOTA, James E. Boyle, Grand Forks
OHIO, Charles Lathrop Pack, Cleveland
OKLAHOMA, Benjamin Martin, Jr., Muskogee
OREGON, M. A. Moody, The Dalles
PENNSYLVANIA, M. I. McCreight, Dubois
RHODE ISLAND, H. A. Barker, Providence
SOUTH CAROLINA, E. W. Durant, Jr., Charleston
SOUTH DAKOTA, P. H. O'Neill, Faulkton
TEXAS, S. H. Cowan, Fort Worth
UTAH, Harden Bennion, Salt Lake City
VERMONT, George Aitkin, Woodstock
WASHINGTON, George H. Emerson, Hoquiam
WEST VIRGINIA, I. C. White, Morgantown
WISCONSIN, William Irvine, Chippewa Falls
WYOMING, E. H. Fourt, Lander

[3] The corrected list appears elsewhere (page [iv]).

[4] The reports submitted by States as mentioned in the responses to the Call of States are printed in the Supplementary Proceedings, beginning on page [327], and are entered in the Contents and Index of the volume.

[5] The formal report for Ohio appears in the Supplementary Proceedings.

[6] In the opinion he held that the plaintiff was entitled to judgment, declaring the Brooklyn Cooperage Company and Cornell University contract void, and directed the University to convey to the State of New York the 30,000 acres constituting the College Forest.

[7] The relative prices of forest lands sixty years ago and now may be judged from the fact that in 1850 a Law (Chapter 250) was passed providing that the State should not sell public land on Raquette river for less than 15 cents an acre. The State is now paying over $7.00 an acre for the same kind of land.

[8] Declaration of Colonel David McClure in the Constitutional Convention of 1894.


INDEX


J. H. BERKSHIRE, President
O. W. FISHER, Vice-Pres.
J. B. WHITE, Sec'y-Treas. and Gen'l Mgr.

Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

MISSOURI SOFT PINE
LONG LEAF YELLOW PINE
SHORT LEAF YELLOW PINE
OAK FLOORING

LOUISIANA MILLS:

LOUISIANA LONG LEAF LUMBER CO., FISHER, LA.
1 Pine and 1 Oak Flooring Mill
LOUISIANA LONG LEAF LUMBER CO., VICTORIA, LA.
1 Pine Mill
LOUISIANA CENTRAL LUMBER CO., CLARKS, LA.
2 Pine Mills
LOUISIANA CENTRAL LUMBER CO., STANDARD, LA.
1 Pine Mill

MISSOURI MILLS:

MISSOURI LUMBER & MINING CO., WEST EMINENCE, MO.
1 Pine Mill
OZARK LAND & LUMBER CO., WINONA, MO.
1 Pine and 1 Oak Mill
Annual Capacity 250,000,000 Feet

High Grades Quick Shipments

MAIN OFFICE 1111 LONG BUILDING
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI


Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

SHIPMENTS

We ship stock of our own manufacture exclusively. We carry large, well assorted stocks and quote only when we are sure of being able to comply with grade and time requirements. As our mills are located on four (4) different railroads we can always ship orders without delay.

FINISHING LUMBER

We specialize on FINISHING lumber and every care is exercised to make it THE BEST. By separating all widths and lengths, we are in a position to quote on any particular width or length desired. We carry in stock Finish as wide as 26 inches, in 4-4, 5-4, 6-4 and 8-4 thicknesses. Our MISSOURI FINISH, owing to its flexibility, lightness, softness and figure, is peculiarly adapted to all finishing work. We also carry all grades of Finish in 4, 6 and 8 feet lengths.

If You want GOOD GRADES and PROMPT SERVICE, write the "EXCHANGE"


Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

PINE YARD AND SHED STOCK

We carry a large stock of all yard and shed material, which is piled scientifically to avoid sap-staining and bluing and to insure dryness

Our upper grades are all
STEAM KILN DRIED
and a large percentage of our lower grades are either
STEAM KILN DRIED
or
SODA DIPPED

Either process precludes the possibility of sap-staining

If You want GOOD GRADES and PROMPT SERVICE, write the "EXCHANGE"


Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

OAK FLOORING

In the manufacture of our "DIAMOND BRAND" Oak Flooring the greatest possible care is taken in every department. Our Oak Flooring, owing to our method of drying and working, gives COMPLETE SATISFACTION in all climates. Due to the fact that our mill is located at the same point where we operate a pine plant we can ship Oak Flooring and Pine in the same car

Oak Timbers, Factory Stock, Etc.

We manufacture Oak Timbers, Ties, Car Framing, Grain Doors, Factory Stock, Etc. We can ship Oak, rough or dressed, in mixed cars with Yellow Pine

If You want GOOD GRADES and PROMPT SERVICE, write the "EXCHANGE"


Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

RAILROAD MATERIAL

We manufacture large quantities of Bridge Timbers, Cross Ties (Both Oak and Pine), Braces, Etc., with or without heart specifications, shipping same rough or surfaced as may be desired.

CAR MATERIAL

By specializing on car material we are in a position to handle satisfactorily orders for Sills, Framing (both Oak and Pine), Lining, Roofing, Siding, Insulation, Grain Doors, Etc.

If You want GOOD GRADES and PROMPT SERVICE, write the "EXCHANGE"


Missouri Lumber & Land Exchange Company

SHORTS

We carry in stock 4, 6 and 8 foot lengths, in all grades from No. 3 Common to "A," in both 4-4 and 8-4 stock. All widths and lengths are stacked separately. We will work these "shorts" to any pattern desired or ship rough, trimming to any length specified

SPECIAL MATERIAL

We manufacture any special items desired, in Oak and Pine, such as Spreader Slats, Step-Ladder Material, Pulley Stiles, Crating Stock, Etc. If you use anything in "shorts," regardless of grade, length, width or pattern, send us your inquiry.

If You want GOOD GRADES and PROMPT SERVICE, write the "EXCHANGE"