Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1853-07-01

Ae11ucNy HouTo00--tne He1aphlsdc Charleston
Railroad and several other Railroads of not
much less magnitude-in addition to which. and
of no less Importance, the people desire, and
will require that the distractions in all our riv-
ers shall be removed to admit the easy and safe
transportation of our agricultural and manufac-
tured productions.
To effect these objects, Mr. Van DYKE said,
if elected, be would use his best efforts to have
liberal appropriate )ns made by Congress for the
Improvement of our navigable rivers and Lake
harbors; that he would endeavor to have from
fifty to one hundred millions acres of the public
lands, and whatever surplus of revenue there
may be in thetreasury distributed among the
States pro rata according to federal population;
by this mode and by this mode only could he
hope to obtain for the Rabun Gap Railroad, or
for any other improvement in Tennessee any
portion of the public lands, but let Tennessee
as Lee portion of the so CT 100 millions acres
of the public lands and her distributive share of
the surplus revenue,all together available to her
as from to IL millions of dollars, the largest
portion to be vested in the stocks of her great
Railroads, say 100000 to the Rabun Gap
Railroa's in the same proportion to the other
Railroads and the balance in clearing out OBJ
structions from our smaller rivers-feeders to
our great Railroads-the dividends from the
Railroad stock to be vested for the founding
and maintaining Common Schools. and few
years will see our whole people educated, pros
porous and happy.
Mr.. Van Dyke said, let my competitor intro
duce into Congress his proposition for the gift,
whether as bonus or as basis Of credit of
anv portion of the public lands to any Railroad
Company in Tennessee, isolated and unconnect-
ed with the principle of "a general distribution
of portion of the public lands pro rata among
all the States, and my word for it, he could not
get five votes for it;-Congress never has, and |
feel satisfied never will give to any of the old
States, or to any Railroad in any cf the old
States, any portion of the public landf, and the
only way for any of the old States to get the
benefit of any of the public lands is for their
Representatives in Congress TO 60 for general
distribution of portion of the lands,
If portion of the public lands and the sur
plus revenue should be distributed pro rata a
mong the States, Mr.. Van Dyke said his COM
petitor need have no apprehension that they
would be s9uandered by our State Legislature;
that he was astonished to hear him, Mr.. Smith,
who protested to he States Right democrat,
insisting upon Congress becoming the special
guardian of the funds belonging to the States,
and that Congress would be better judges of
what improvements should be made in the
States, than would be the Legislatures of the
States themselves;-has he not heard every Can
didate for the State Legislature within this Con-
gressional District, as ably and as eloquently
advocating the importance of the Rabun Gap
Rail Road as either of us? Are they not as
Trustworthy as we? Why not then give to
Tennessee and all the States of the Union a
just and fair proportion of at least one hundred
million acres of the public lands?
IF nv Competitor has so far modified his old
political opinions as to be now satisfied that the
General Government can devote the surplus
revenue, and the public lands to works of Inter.
mal Improvement and education-let him not
place them under the control and keeping of a
few private Stockholders who may not he more
virtuous and trust worthy than State LegiSla-
lures; hut let them be given to the States. the
rightful owners, aud sure ! feel they will be
properly appropriated, and all of our great
Railroads will be speedily made, and all our
rivers improved for safe and easy nayigasion.
Mr.. Smith said that President Pierce had
been elected by an overwhelming majority, and
having published to the world, in his Inaugural
address, the principles and policy upon which
he intended his administration should be guild
ed, and as he, Mr.. Smith, heartily and fully con-
Cured with Mr.. Pierce in his his principles and
policy, he should, if elected, give to his admin
istration cordial support
That, when he first commenced the canvass,
he thought that all the old issues, which had di-
vided the two great parties of the country, were
settled, particularly the Bank question and tar
if question, but to his surprise he found that
his competitor contended that the tariff was still
an open question:; that as for himself he insis-
ted that the tariff of 1916 gave ample protection
to our manufactures and should not be chan
ged;tl a: under the operation of the tariff OF
1886 foreign iron had fallen to about $50 per ton,
and that our rail road iron should be bought at
the lowest price in foreign market.
That under the operations of the tariff of
1876 surplus revenue, beyond the wants OF
the General, Government had accumulated in
tho Treasury of the United States to the amount
of 100000, and that it would continue to do
so annually; that this 100000 should be Civ
en- to some company to a.d :;sl in the
construction of the At,a:.::c and Pacific Rail
Road
That there were now unapproprlated OF the
public domain l,4OO,OOO,oO0 acres; that these
lands belonged in common to the whole people
of the United States, held in trust for them by
the Government of the United States; that, if
elected, he would use his best exertions to get
from 100000 to 100000 acres given to the
Rabun Gap Rail Road Company to aid Them in
the construction of that rad; that his compett-
or had misunderstood him upon this Subject, that
he did not intend this one or two hundred Mill
ion, of acres, as bonus to the company, but
only as a bonus of credit; that he would oppose
any alienation in the tariff of 1916, that it
should remain permanent AM not be modified
or changed in any particular; that he should op-
pose any general distribution of any portion
of public lands among he states, that if any
such distribution should be made of any portion
of the land or the surplus revenue it would be
all sqandered away by the State Legislature;
that he would not be iliberal to important rail
roads, that it was safe to bave it TO Congress to
say what were the important rail roads the pub