Semi-weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1852-1853, 1852-07-03

that the General Government could manage the
system better than the States and that thereby the
proceeds would be more equitably applied than i
the lands remained as the property of the States
Il has been urged that the lands were coded tc
nav off the Revolutionary debt, and that the debt
having been paid off, the lands resulted to the
States They were not coded for that object alone
but for other purposes also. Admitting, however
for arguments sake, that they were coded for that
purpose, then the argument fails, for MI. herl
admits that the sales have not exceeded their cost
and if this be true, although the Revolutionary
debt has been paid the proceeds of the sales OF the
public land did not constitute the fund out OF which
it was paid and therefore the object for which they
were ceded has not been accomplished.
Gov. Reid said it was we'll known that it was
the policy of the protective tariff party to take the
public lands from the Treasury of the U. States
to afford pretext for high tariff He would re-
peat that it was the policy of the Democratic party
to let the land system remain as it had been from
the adoption of the Constitution, the proceeds to
90 into the Treasury of the United States to deay
the common expenditure for the benefit Of all the
States. This he thought as just and equitable a
mode as any that could be adopted, and more
especially when the Government owes national
debt as is the case at present. Yes, let the pro-
ceeds of the lands 90 into the Treasury and thereby
lessen the taxes and burdens the people have to
bear for the support of the Government. Just be-
fore elections, Wing leaders always eRdeavored to
make the people believe the country was about to
be ruined if Democrats succeeded, and the land
question had been a prolific theme on such occa-
sions for years, as both Wings and Democrats
would not fail to remember. Even In lS4S we
were told that North Carolina must lead of for the
Whios and elect Wing Governor, and Wing
President, and they would certainly get the public
lands divided. North Carolina elected Wing
Governor and Wing President and we had not
heard of the public lands till the elections were
approaching again. In 1910, Gov. Reid said the
leaders of the Wing party told the people if they
would elect Wing Governor and Wing Presi-
dent, they would distribute the proceeds. of the
sales of the public lands among the States, and
that North Carolina would get sufficient amount
to enable her to build Railroads throughout the
State and carry on liberal system of schools to
educate all the children. Well, said Gov. Reid, a
Wing Governor was elected a Wing President and
Wing Congress The Wing party then had
every thing. Did they pass distribution act ?
Yes they did! They passed an act to distribute
the proceeds of the sales of the public lands among
all the States, providing however, that nine of the
new States should first have what would make up
guaranty equal to five hundred thousand acres of
land to each of said States, and providing that
whenever the tariff was raised above twenty per
cent then the distribution should cease. This act
was passed in 1S41. The nine new States went
on and selected their share of the choice lands
under this act. In 1912, the next year, the same
Wing Congress pass ed the tariff of S42, raised
the tariff above twenty per cent, repeating the
distribution act and thereby cutting off the distri
button to the old States. This was the way the
leaders of the Wing party distributed the public
lands, and then attempted to taunt Democrats with
violating professions The only distribution worth
any thing that North Carolina ever received was
not during Wing but under a Democratic adj
ministration. During Gen. Jackson's administra-
ton, when the public debt had been paid off, and
surplus remained in the Treasury, it deposited
among the States. When the government shall
be foundout of debt and surplus in the Treasury,
it will be time enough to talk about dividing it.
Gov. Reid said that Wings had promised most, but
it was clear the Democrats had performed most
for the State of North Carolina. He called the
attention of Wings and Democrats to the facts.
Gov. Reid said that when Wing partzan politicians
told the people that by electng Wing Governor
and a Wing President, they would get distribu-
ton Of the public lands he hoped the people would
not forget to tell them that they had heard these
promises for years. but they were orly made for
effect before the elections. He said it was notor-
Gus that the leaders of the Wing party had opposed
every measure by which the Government had &C
qured public lands but after those lands were &C
quired by Democratic policy they tried to ride into
Office by proposing to distribute what they now
call an inestirnable bounty, but that which they
characterized before it obtained as worse than
valueless. A R.