The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-10-18

moved by Mr. Speght, and being demanded by
majority of the members present,
"The said previous question was put, VIZ: shall
the main question be now put?
"ABd passed in the affirmative
The main question was then put, viz: shall the
bill pass'
"And passed in the Affirmative"
James X. Polk voted for this bill, also, as is
proved by its being recorded on the journal, 1923
4, pages 75l-2.
Under this law hundreds of other honest, indus
trious settlers Oh the public domain obtained pat
ents for their lands, and secured the sacred spots
on which were placed all their household goods,
and on which they hoped to rear their families
Hundreds Of them are no,o wealthy citizens,
owning large estates of their own, which have
been earned and husbanded by industry and fru-
gality, who, but for this law for which Governor
Polk voted, would, in all probability, be the
dependent tenants of their more wealthy neghbors.
James X. Polk was not only the advocate of
granting preempton rights to the settlers on the
public lands, but also of graduating and reducing
the price Of such of the public lands as had been
offered in the market at government prices; and
and had not been sold.
In proof Of this, we quote from the journal OF
1929, 80 as follows:
"The House proceeded to the consideration of
the bill from the Senate, (No. 81 entitled sAn
act to reduce the price of portion of the public
lands heretofore not in market, and to grant
preference to actual settlers"
"And after debate thereon,
ga motion was made by Mr.. Erwin of Ohio,
that the said bill do lie on the table;
"And The question being put
sit passed in the Affirmative
James K Polk voted against the motion to lay
this bill the table, recorded in the journals of
Congress for 1929, 20, pages 7sO-l The motion
prevailed; and the effect was rejection of the bill
In 1884, bill was before Congress to reduce and
graduate the price of The public lands. We quote
from the journal of Congress as follows, to wit:
"Mr. Clay, of Alabama, from the committee on
the public lands, reported the following resolution,
viz:
"Re9olUed, That the committee Of the whole
House on the State Of the ULion, be discharged
from the further discussion Of the bill (No. 92,)
to reduce and graduate the price of the public
lands, and that the said bill be made the special
order of the day for Friday, the Goth inst
"a motion was made by Mr.. Horace Everett
that the said resolution do lie on the table.
"And the question being put, it passed in the
affirmatve-yeas 80, nays 49,"
James K, Polk poted against .the motiOa to lay
the resolution on The table. [See journal of 1884
%, pages 76I-2.] 1t was laid OH the table, and
the effect was the bill was never reached, and did
not pass.
Governor Folks opinions and votes, i'll Congress
and out of Congress, have been uniformly and
consistently in favor of granting preempon
rights, and of graduating and reducing the price
Of the public lands.
In his address to the people of Tennessee, in
1911, amongst the objections assigned by him to
the policy of distributing the proceeds of the
public lands among the States, he said:
'The public lands will, in effect, be mortgaged
to the several States, in proportions equal to their
federal representation in Congress- and they will
have an interest in having them sold, at the high
est possible rates; they will have an interest in
opposing the graduation or reduction OF price,
and in opposing the grants of preemption at low
rates to that hardy and enteprisng race pioneer
occupants who have gone with their families to the
West, built their log cabins,' opened their little
farms, and settled upon them, because they would
apprehend that the amount of their respective
dividends in the distribution would be thereby
diminished
James K. Polk has been the constant friend Of
the Western settlers, who have emigrated in order
to procure new homes for their families, and to
better their condition.
Himself the son of pioneer. he experienced the
privations and hardships which he has so uniform
ly labored, as public man, to alleviate in others.
How great and striking the contrast between
James X. Polk and Henry Clay on this subject!
The former regards them as ga hardy and enter
prising race" deserving the care and protection
of government, while the latter denounces and
redenounces them as ''lawless rabble" himself
making motion IN the Senate to have them driv-
en- from the public lands.
| We call on every democratic press this side of
the Allegheny Mountains to rerubsh these FACTS
and to publish, at the same time, Kenda's
'Clay against the Settlers" which has already
appeared in this paper and in $4,000 copies of the
Star Spangled Banner. Publish them together
| if possible, and to the exclusion OF every thing
else from single number, that the hardy and
intrepid pioneers, and their descendants who
py the snug and comfortable log cabins IN our
western country, may see the difference.
swell Pat" said bullying whig the other day,
to a shrewd son OF the Emerald Isle, ''you don't
calculate to vote for Polk this year, hope?'-
''Yere everastngly maxim bunders of that kind
replied Pat; 81 do indade name to vote for the
man, and I'll tell ye WHY, too, you disappointed
us about the BAFE the tother time, and we think
well have the PoRRoK now, any how, yer 'onor." +"