Show r i 1 I II 1 FlVE PEB CENT BILL i ll I 1 Congress is soin the habit of in III I Tenting devices to steal the public iN l money and aid burglarious schemes 1 j against the national treasury that 4 > t I i i big robberies are successfully perpetrated s I IiI perpe-trated nowadays while the people are in comparative or complete ignorance + I t i1 5L ig-norance of the fact A late devise i for stealing is the five per cent i i f f e < land bill which is designed to take i + II II I about 5000000 of the public funds t f i j and give it to certain states mentioned I 1 1 men-tioned in the proposed act The bills I bill-s actually passed the Senate the other i day when the consciences of some I tl members smote them and a motion I I to reconsider was carried by a small i r n majority The bill was rushed I f I 2 3 through so precipitously and quickly t I I i that few knew what it wasbut now the newspapers are getting hold oft of-t t V4t and exposing the steal Next i 1 G IT time it is called up there will certainly be discussion of its provisions 1 provis-ions for all congressmen are Y 11 not bad and some of them are not BO brazen a m their wickedness as to i i face and defy public opinion The 11 bill appears to be a project to rob I j 1 the treasury by a dishonest legislative q legisla-tive construction of an old Jaw 1 1 which provides for the payment to i jl j e f ° the states of five per cent of the f Y proceeds of public lands sold within I t t their borders for X125 per acre 1 I t The present bill provides thaflands r t s entered by military scrip or bounty i land warrants shall be construed toe to-e 0 come within the meaning of the In eld enactment We question if i there is a congressman who honestly I believes that lands given away as a I I ti bounty by the government to soldiers sol-diers and for which the public 1 treasury has received no money 1 I 1 comes within the meaning of lands c sold These lands were gratuitious j to men who had no claim upon J I them prior to the gift Bounties I are hardly proceeds of sale f i hi t J of land What have been the proceeds pro-ceeds that government has received 1 from them and what would be 5 I I j per cent of those proceeds It is I mot plain why the states shall be i a given 5 per cent of any land that may be sold by government Government Gov-ernment provides handsomely for the states in the matter of sphool lands and why should the nation be asked to create a further fund for the states The iniquity of this bill being shown up it will be interesting in-teresting to watch the action of the Senate when the measure shall be 1 called up again for actions thereon S 4 |