Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1853-11-30
A CHAPTER OF MISTAKES.

The Register admits that the public lands origin
ally coded to the general government by the old
States, were to be considered as common fund
for the and benefit of the United States but
that paper insists that according to the policy of the
Democratic party, North Carolina is not included in
this use and benefit. This is surely mistake.
North Carolina, of the United States, is ben
Gifted, just her deed of cession provided she
should be, according to her Irrespective and usual
proportion in the general charge and expenditure
Is not this so? Are not her tariff increased or
diminished just in proportion the land sales in
decrease? Is this not at least the princi
pie involved? And what reason would there be in
asking of the general government and receiving with
one hand one hundred thousand dollars and paying
back one hundred thousand dollars with the other
hand? The Register shoots too low for the popular
intelligence of this country the people are just as
capable he is of seeing the rcasonableness and
force of arguments, and they are not to be deluded
into such childs play that of receiving money one
day and paying it back the next tits their govern
ment and their money; and they will not call for its
restoration unless at time or other, a large
amount should unavoidably accumulate, as was the
case in 1885; would they take it then on the
distribution principle, but deposite, to be re-
turned if called for; would they do this at ALL
but means of cutting down their tariff taxes and
of purifying the central government by withdrawing
from its control moneys for which it had use, and
which might become the source of corruption and of
visionary schemes of internal Improvements.
Practically" says that paper, three fourths"
the public lands or their proceeds given away
to States for making Railroads and other purpo-
ses." This is another mistake. Now and then, it is
true alternate sections voted for such purposes
Congress has the power thus to dispose" of these
lands, and in doing the sections reserved are in
every instance enhanced in price while the country
generally is benefited by improvements and increased
population. The government does this as prudent
and enterprisng landholder and but pursues the
course that an individual would under similar cir
cumstances. We are much opposed the Reg
lister can be to squandering the lands on the
States or to making them grants for the purposes in
Dictated, unless the grants made calculated to
add to the value of the lands themselves But adds
that paper this giving away of the public lands to
the States is the approved locofoco method of
disposing" of them. Another mistake The Reg
isters own party, in 1884, in the land bill of the
Harrisonian era, first gave each of the States
five hundred thousand acres and then provided that
the old States should have share of the proceeds
in the tariff should not be raised above twenty
per cent; but the party, in 1912, raised the
tariff cut of the old States to the last dime the
States still holding the lands thus voted to them.
VIII the Register dispute that? Again, who signed
the bills passed within the last four years ceding
lands to States for Railroad purposes? Mr..
Fillmore. Does not the Register know that? And
knowing these things, with what consistency he
charge the Democrats with being the peculiar cham
pions of this policy of ceding alternate sectons2