Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-08-24
The Whigf Candidate for Governor
and Land Reform

There is, we are happy in saying, and for years
past has been, strong disposition to do away
with the government monopoly in land-to give
it in limited ~quantitiese to those who have no
homes The patriot views such an arrangement
with pleasure, for the owner of little homestead,
around which the best affections of the heart
cling, must from the very nature of things, be
better patriot than the man who has no spot to
call his own. The Statesman views it as the
building up of an Independent yeomanry, the
pride of the country in peace, its bulwark in war
while the philanthropist but dwell with de-
light upon that noblest of all sights, Father un-
der the shelter of his own vine and his fig tree,
so educating his children as to make them useful
members of society. - &@@
AS party, the Wings have not come into this
movement in favor Of land reform. Eminently
conservative of all the exploded notions and poll
cies of past age they strive to keep up the pres
ent land system, whereby the general government
wrings from the poor settler his last dollar topay
for refuse laud in land district where the choice
tracts cost not one-half the price paid. AS par
ty they have been conservative in opposition to
land reform, as in opposition to any other of Sc
ries which go to show the progressive spirit ofthe
age. Il
Mr.. Vinton, their candidate for Governor, two
years ago, while a member of Congress was bitter
in his opposition to any change i'm the system.-
| Their present candidate for Governor, Nelson
Barrere, of Highland county, is of the same lag
behind conservative school, and of course opposes
any man having forty acre lot of land, unless
he has fifty dollars in cash to pay for it. He has
so voted in Congress, and after that vote Civ
en-, he was chosen as the standard bearer of Whig-
gery-the embodiment of Wing principles-the
present campaign.
To show that Mr. Barrere stands not alone in
this matter, we give the vote Of the Ohio dele
CATION in Congress on the passage of the bill in
troduced by Andrew johnson, of Tenn, during
the first session of the last Congress- 'grantin9
to every man, and every woman, the head of a
family, homestead of one hundred and sixty
acres of government land on condition of occu-
pying and cultivating the same for the period of
five years" The question being on the passage
! of the bill, the Democratic members from Ohio
who voted for it. were
, Messrs. Bushby, Cable Cartier, Disney, Gay
!. lord, Green. Johnson and Olds-8
: The Free Soiers who voted for it were:
/ Messrs. Giddngs and Townshend-
The Wings who voted for it were:
] Messrs. Newton and Stanton-2
: The Democrats who voted against it were
d NONE.
j. The Free Solers who voted against it were
e none
: The Wings who voted against it were.
v Messrs. leTBARRERE,-E0 Bell, Harper,
a TAYLOR and Welch-5.
e Thus, then, the vote stood on granting homes
], to the homeless: Every Democrat voted for it
: every Free Sellers voted for it, while but two
o out of the seven Wings could SO far burst party
: shackles as to answer yea, when their names
: called on the question, and both hare since that
e time been sent into retirement.
Y Against it, every Wing save two voted. The
: name of NELSON BARRERE was first called, and
he voted with his party-he voted his federal prn-
r ciples when he voted no. and Bell, of Darke Har-
r per, of Muskingum, Taylor. of Ross, and Welch,
,f of Athens, followed the lead of Barrere, flock
ir of sheep follows the bell wether, and all voted
- for conservative Whiggery when they voted
against homes for the homeless lands for the land
IS less, and farms for the farmless.
l. Mr.. Barrere has now to test that vote with the
h other principles of his party before the people,
r After the October election, he will wake up from
his Rip Van Winkle sleep, and find to his great
e surprise, Mr. Vnton did, that the world has so
progressed that mans Inherent right to the soil ID
o. no longer a mooted question, save by few lega
s. sleepy heads like himself, and that the right o
of Congress to hold large quantities Of land and tc
s. speculate off the necessities of the people, 10
lel grievance no longer to be borne. Before, how.
in ever bis eyes fairly opened to these facts Mr.
rv Barrere will find himself the worst beaten candi
5: date for Governor, Whiggcry everhad. So mote
it be!-O. State Democrat.