| Show THE ALIEN LAND LAW tax allen alien land law is v viewed generally throughout the interior west as one of tb the most moist insane pieces of legislation ever perpetrated by the congress at is of the united states although it strikes iu in a different direction to that taken by the anti mormon laws in its genius for mischief it is entitled to a place in the same saime category cat egery it is a decidedly antl anti development measure and aims a blow at the pro press greas pt of this great intermountain inter mountain region the intention of the act may have bave been good but the inability of the legislature to grasp its full effect and frame it so as to attain a desirable end in one diree direction tion without doing incalculable detriment in ID another is apparent throughout in order to redeem it the charge of total depravity it may m a y be assumed that the chief purpose of tile the law was to prevent foreign syndicates lyndi dicatos di cates cutes whose gembl members ers had no 6 ym pathetic interest in the country and not even a residential qualification from seizing large tracts of land improving and then disposing of them at enormous profits if such were the intent it has beep been enormously overlapped the act as a whole is made as much and even eve more a curtailer of the genuine b business pursuits of bona fide citizens and ozithe home interests of those who fully intend attaining that status as soon as the naturalization laws will allow as it is a preventive of foreign land grabs the provision which denies to any corporation 20 00 per cent of whose stock is owned by aliens from holding reality effectively shuts the door to foreign capital in the development of the great mining interests of the west if tile the stipulation had been to tue the effect that theaon the controlling inte interest in such corporations must be held by citizens of the united states the objection 0 o the law in that regard would riot not have been so strong the twenty per par cent limit however is su sweeping ng as to t practically wipe out i inducement ut for foreign investment thus A a powerful agency in the development of the country is abolished by this mischievous measure thy ther law also deprives the im migrant who comes to country from abroad from owning his own home for a pretty lengthy series of years after his arrival no allowance is made for his genuine intention t to 0 become a citizen und and cast his lot with toe commonwealth wea it h this is the anti antipodes jodes of the genius of this republic whose boast has been a standing invitation for the oppressed of all nation sto flock to its shores and find a home and freedom the home part of the pro gramme is made by this idiotic med measure sure altogether r too remote to be enticing at the next session of congress the west rise up in its wrath and demand the repeal of the anti devel alien land law the text of which is ie herewith presented 1 I that it shull shall be unlawful dorany for any person or persons not citizens or for any corpor corporation corporate 0 not ot c creat aate edby by or under the laws of th letory it fd states or of some irate or te territory of the united states to her hereafter eatter acquire hold or own real estate so hereafter acquired ot or any interest therein in any of the territories ot of the united states or in the district of columbia Col ambia except such as may be acquired by inheritance or in good faith in the ordinary course of justice in the collection of debts hereafter created S provided ithac the prohibition of this section shall opt apt apply to cases in which the right to hold bold or dispose of lands in the united States js secured by existing treaties to toe the citizens of or subjects of foreign countries which rights so tar far as they way may exist by force of any such treaty shall continue to exist BO lonz lone as such treaties treat iea are in force and no longer 1 sue SEC that no BO corporation or association more than 20 per cent of the stock of which Is or may be owned by any person or persons corporation or corporations association or associations ciati ons not citizens of the united states shall hereafter acquire or hold or own any real estate hereafter acquired aired in any of the territories of the I 1 united cited states or of the district of columbia lum bla disc 3 8 that no corporation other than thoe those organized for the construction and operation of railways canals or turnpikes turnpike 3 shall acquire hold or own more than acres of land ini in any of the territories of the states state and no railroad canal or tur u n gike pike corporation shall hereafter acquire hold old or own lands in any territory other than as may be necessary for the proper operation pf af its railroad canali canah or t turnpike urn pike except such lands as may have been granted to it by act of congress but the prohibition of this section shall not affect the title to any lands now lawfully held by I 1 such corporation po ration sec sac 4 that alt all property acquired held or owned in violation of the ajro provisions of this act shall be forfeited to the united states and d it shall be the duty of the attorney general to enforce every such forfeiture b by bill in equity or other proper process and in any suit or proceedings that may be commenced to enforce such forfeiture it shallie be the duty odthe court to determine the very rig right ht of the matter without regard to matters of form joinder of parties or other matters not affecting the substantial ribs raghu of either the united states or of the parties concerned ini in any sua such h proceed proceeding lug arising out of the matters in this act mentioned |
