Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1857-04-14
3 Land Distribution.


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Land Distribution.
"A party is struggling to rise in this State based
On Tue one principle of distribution, of the public
lands. The Richmond Wing earnestly exhorts that
ms De made "the only question" in the ensuing
spring elections. Wigs and Democrats, Americans
Catholics and Protestants are all to meet here 80
uhoef banner of peace. Even a "bloodv Tor
elgner or the Pope of Rome is to be cordialIv snd
anectionately supported if right on this Question
ny lnose whose excited warnings and solemn vove
III tue slsnt OF heaven, against danger so psrten
tous anu imminent, are but just recorded and sra
yet unexPunged A year ago the "only question j.,
was Americans must rule America And non,
men are required with their VOWS vet mon their
lips, and the late batte-cry still echoiup over tho
laad, to take up another only question: And tho
Democrats for whom this feast is specially nrena-ed
arc ofcourse specially invited. IT'S the Invitation
which the carly Roman sent to the Sabines. ,Tis
the invitation of the spider to the fly.
II Wall readily beinferred therefore that becansa
party comes forward with an "only question n II
IL does not follow that it is meritorious ouestion
OF one which will not in its turn soon be abandon
Gu lor some other only reason of still greater bnt
hi'erto undiscovered Importance.
we are bound however to presume that rallyipp
s 'ney coupon scheme they ready 10 give it in
cpiae'lc"l 'ofn'' Mere general ideas will not do
euch are ollen mere Illusions holding some fam
eltul good as desrabls, it may be, but as imDossi
OF attainment as is the bag fgold said to be at
the end OF the rainbow, the fair places to reach
which man follows the ignis fatuus over boys and
fens We respectfully ask then a few Questions of
the land dlstributionists and we ask to them tho
attention of the Alexandria Gazette which has en-
QOFSeQ Of
out as we have seen, going into particulars:
ISL Does the proposition for division of the
public lands, depend upon its own inherent merits2
Or Is 1t presented a necessity, and for The pur
pose OF arresng spoliations and Unequal appropri-
atoms of those lands
IND. If On its own merits why not as we'll divi 70
money obtained from. importers as money obtained
from lanosE Is not the much public and
common money as the other and as much liable to
common uses? Iftarif revenue is 10 supply the
place OF land money, is not in effect raising money
by u tariff, which drs chiefly on the South in or
d r TO have money to distributive to the North a.
much as the South Are you in favor ofsuch a
proposition as that?
81. Hyour effort is to prevent spoliation, show
US the spoliatiuns, and what other efforts Won have
made and are going to make to prevent them. Did
not your distribution act of 1871, give the new
States 10 per centwith equal share of the resi-.
due Is that equality? Do you regard the grant
ing OF alternate sections of the public lands to rail-
road companies, and doubling The price of the re-
mainder, as spoliatiOns? Ifso, have you opposed
those gran Do you expect to dis ontinue them
DO you desire to do SO =? Did Senator Bell say so
In his distribution speech which has been Landed as
the great speech on that side2
4th Do you propose to divide the public lands
tI,a0,S ,t..
them to he sold as now, and divide the pro-
ceeds
5:h lfyou divide the lands, please give YOUR
ideas ofthe manner in which their sale will be man
aged, and of the effect of throwing thrtyone States
into the market as competing sellers, and some of
them very needy competitors, anxious 10 raise mo-
ney?
9th. If you leave the lands as they are, and d.
vide the proceeds how will you stop the spoations
which you assert to be the reason for distribu-
ton.
7;h Dc you think Congress has the right acting
rs trustee for the whole people, abdcatc its u
ties or to divide common fund among the ndi-
vldual States. If the Union was. a stock jobbing
company, dividend would be very proper thing
But taxes eractons for the public necessities not
to be again divided, thus creating new necessity
for further TAXATION
9Th Would it not be tier, felow-citizens, for
you all to unite. with the great body of the Dem
ocratic party in projecting the public lands in APP
plying their proceeds the necessities, in
reducing the tariff which>taxes our food and cloth
ing? Would not this be better than first aiding or
Inviting the spoliations of which you complain as
many of the land distributioniss have done and
then pleading your fault as justfying gener-
al scramble on the ground OF nccessiy-.aEerqndria
Sentinel.