Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1844-04-27
THE TIMES.
SATURDAY, APRIL 81, 1914.
AY EFT Il:

OPDivine Service will be performed in
the Baptist Church, in this place, on Tues
day night, 7th of May, by Bishop Kemper.
MR.. CLAY AND THE DEMOCRATIC
PRESS-SLANDERS REFUTED.
The democratic papers in every State in
the Union, chagrined at the increasing pop
ularity of Mr.. Clay, and almost distracted
with rage at his bright and Frightening
prospects, have lately disinterred two i'm
pious charges against him, and are giving
circulation to them for the evident purpose
of detracting from him his just and well
earned popularity. AS friends of Mr..
Clay and ardent admirers of his political
principles, in common with the wing press
of the country, we feel it to be our duty, as
far as the evidence to the point will justify
US, to contradict these ISLANDERS.
First-Mr. Clay is charged with being
opposed TO the presumption system, and
with having denounced the settlers on the
public lands as LAND Robbers and Pr
rates." In our last, we gave letter, of
Mr. Clay's on this subject to Mr.. j.. II. c.
MuDD, of Iowa. We give below two
other letters from Mr.. c. on the same sub
iect, one of which was addressed to Mr..
E. M. Samuel, of Clay county, Missouri,
under date of March IL, 1889, and was
published by Mr.. S. in the Western Star,
at Liberty, the following month, and is as
follows:--
1.-THE expression OF Robbers and Land Pirates,
nor any similar expressions were never applied
| by me TO Pre- emptioners. On the contrary,
whilst denounced Presumption Laws, and
the act Of taking possession Of the public lands,
without the authority OF law, in strong terms, and
as often conducting TO speculation | spoke OF my
knowledge Of many Pre- emptioners as persons Of
high responsibility.
"The above expressions were ascrbed to me
by political partisans for party purposes. They
first caught my eye in speech OF Gen. Upton,
published in the Globe. applied to him TO have
it corrected and he did correct it, but the errone-
Gus version continued 10 be freely circulated.
SAT the last session Of Congress, in the Senate,
| stated from my seat the error. Senator Young
Of Illinois, who had been active in giving curren
cy to the expressions, acknowledged that did
not use them, and that he inferred them from
what did say.
"My opinion, in regard to public lands is, that
they should be administered for the benefit OF all
the people and States in the Union. Towards
the new States have always inclined to liber.
al policy. This was evident from the Land Bill
which proposed, and which hope will be ulti.
mately passed. By that Bill the new States
were to receive II l.2 per cent. beyond their nu.
mercal share upon the nett proceeds OF the sales
Of all public lands, situated within their respec
tive limits"
The other letter was addressed to gen.
tleman in Batesville, Arkansas, and is as
follows ..
"AsHLAND, 9th Sept. 1912.
"Dear Sir-My speeches on the Presumption
system reviewer regularly reported. They were
delivered from time 10 time, in q sort OF running
debate, and | was shockinsly carricaured in the
Globe. When it was stated, think by Mr..
Young Of Ia, in the Senate that had applied
degrading ePithets to the Pre'emptioners, / de.
MED it positively, and my correction was publish.
ed in the lntelligencer, but regret that have no
copy by me.
| was opposed to the presumption by itself. ]
thought it unequal 10 the pubIc-was an rregu,
lar mode OF acquiring the public lands, and led
to disputes and controversies among the settlers
When public land was taken possession of with
out the authority OF law, considered it tres
pass, and characterized it such. So did Mr.. Van
Buren,, who used that identical word in one OF his
messages (n 1887 or ~ to Congress-
On general settlement OF The land question,
was willing to allow pre- emptions properly
guarded. Accordingly you will find in the Sen
ate Journal 1910 and al, pages 155 and 156, Il
voted for resolution OF Mr.. Crittenden, to allow
Pre'emptons to the poor settler, to the exclusion
OF the rich and the Spectator
voted, at the Extra session OF 1911, Tor the
Distribution Bill, in which provision is incor.
porated for pre- emPtions, and which large grant
is made OF land to Arkansas.
am, &c, II. CLAY.
The above letters set Mr.. Clay right upon
this subject; the democratic papers of this
State have generally published the charges
against Mr.. Clay which these letters refute,
yet not one of them, except the Jefferson
Inquirer. has been willing to give him the
benefit of the correction. That paper re-
cans in the following reluctant terms:-
'In late number OF our paper we charged
Mr. Clay with applying insulting and de- gatory
language towards the settlers on the public lands. |
we had not his speech before US, but referred in |
general terms to the purport OF it, According to !
our recollection, and also according to the recol |
lection oil many who heard his speech. he used