OCR Text |
Show i FOR THE SCHOOLS. Delegate Rawlins, last winter, Bug-nested Bug-nested the opening of the Uinta and Uncompahgre reservations to white set-, set-, tlement and the allotment of the lands in severalty to the Indians and the conveying of the residue to the territory terri-tory to be sold for the benefit of her common free Bchools. We had deter mined to treat the BUbject then but in the press of other important matters this duty wan neglected and finally forgotten. for-gotten. Yesterday our good friend liishop Tanner referred to the subject urging its advocacy Btrorjgly upon us. No more important matter lies nearer the interests and the heart of Utah than this. In this way, if the general government can or will do it, we will acquire a million or bo acres of the finest fin-est lands in the territory, arable and irrigable also. If this deal can be made, let the territory sell to actual settlers' at the market price of the lands and six per cent, interest, giving giv-ing the settlers as long time on it as they may desire. This would furnish a Bum quite sufficient to support all of our schools royally and relieve the taxpayers of all the burdens of their support. We" trust that those understanding understand-ing the situation of these lands and the right of the United States to make euch disposition of them, will set about the task of looking up this mat ter and memorialize the president, the secretary of the interior and congress to tnrs enect. it we have a man in the territory able to devote his time' and flfforts, we have not a doubt but it can ba accomplished.and that, too, without much loss of time. These lands, in excess of what will be necessary to furnish homes on a liberal scale to the Indians, will, if put to this use, give Utah an endowment for her public free schools which will b e second only to that of Texas, which is the richest endowment in the known world. Of course the university univer-sity and all normal schools under state direction should be beneficiaries upon a perfectly fair pro rata. Now that sort of good thing does not come to a people without labor, hard labor, and a great deal of it. We feel sure that Mr. Rawlins will do all in his power to accomplish the task, but he will require aid from Utah herself. This aid must take the form of memorials, mem-orials, petitions and personal appeals. The sooner we set about the work, the BWher will it be accomplished. Texas ; entered the union upon a different plan from any other state, being an iuuepeuuenu government, in ner treaty I of annexation she reserved every acre of her public domain. Her congress Lad" the wisdom to set apart many millions of acres for the sustenance ot" her schools. The state has wisely ap propriated the residue' to the encourage me nt of railway improvement and up to a Very few years sinde not a new line was projected which did not get alternate alter-nate acres along the line and large tracks in any part of the domain where they preferred to place their claims. At. the cIobb of the late war she had but sixty miles of railway completed, now she has nearly ten thousand miles in successful operation and is the fiftlx railway state in the broad union. Her university is very rich, her normal schools are well sustained and her public free schools the envy of th world. We hope to see the day when Utah will have a system of public fie? Bchools second only to the system in Texas. |