Speech #460045462

It would probably be far bettor far the seller to leave him to his own resources as an anctomer . because lie wotld. doubtless. see points of attraction which might ho invisible to a sworn employpartieularly if no rocognizced the obligations of at oath that would enable him to indulge in all those venial exaggerations which the possession of property for sale isgenerally supposed to suggest. But in Investigating the objects of the bill. and seeking an elucidation of any mysteries which may enshroud the suggestive phrase "other purposes." which forms a conspicuous F artof the title. the committee lve brought Into use alttheir powers of analysis. They have endeavored. in a spirit of fairness. to construe the provisions by giving the language elsployed a natural interpretation. by whioh they hoped to ascertain at least a few of the "other purposes contemplated. hav. in no confidence in their power to understand all of them. he firstsection of thobill requires the Cmnmiesieerof Agricultureto hevo "pre. pared anti published. from time to time. a report containing all facts and information of anyvalne to immigrants or persons seeking a now home sd ta o embody therein all reliable facts ant information in regard to all vacant and unsettled landt belonging to thoUnited States railroads. orothercorporations." Itwonld be interesting to somebody. we suppose. out hardly to the oloof this country generally. to know what the Commissioner might think to be al facts and information of any value to immigrants" or anycody else. What standard of value would he adopt 7 Could he say that any "fact" would ha no vtalee I? ow. as there are lu this world more than ten thousand million of facts. the report. it confined to this branch of the subject. would doubtless be a document somewhat voluminous bn its character. It would hardly afford much relief to "the hornyhanded son of toil" who stads as the embodiment and representative of American agriculture to learn. as he would do. that be was obliged by te second clause of the first sectionef this bill to" embody nil the rlable facts in regard to all the vacant and unsettled lands of the United States. of railroads. andoter corporations." The committee may be in error. but it is due to candor to state that they had hitherto supposed all "facto" Core " reliable "-at le as "facts " but whether they are or not. if all "facts" strictly "reliable" should he collated and published. the corporations. the happy recipients of governmental favor. would Sad. if their chartered existence should last for a thousand years. that they were the owners of more books of "facts" than acres of real estato.