South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1857-05-08
President Buchansu and Distribution

We invite the attention of such of ou
Democratic friends as are now opposing
Distribution of the Public Lands, to the fol
lowing crushing argument in its favor. from
the Hon. James Buchanan, now President
delivered in the Senate of the United State
on the 2Sth Of February, 1888. Read i
carefully, ponder over and see what flaw
you find in it. Remember it is Democrat
ic authority. Here it is:
am sorry now to believe in the truth o.
the declaration of the Senator from Nilsson.
ri, Mr. Benton. that the land bill is q
lifelcss corpse. Ihaue clung to that n,ea.
sure, through good report and through evil
report. until Il has been abandoned Jy all
ats Other friends. and Tam left as TIC onlv
nsourner Of is unhappy fate. Dead and
gone, as it appears % b. I shall not do its
memory so much injustice as 10 compare it
with the system of distribution which its
former friends have now adopted in its
stead.
The land bill ,could be the safety rulre,
tic regulator Of our system, of reremue and
expenditure, t0ithoW inficting any of the
euils on the Federal Government ,ciici p,u,t
fo'c from annual distributions Of the sur.
plus an the Treasury.
What is the theory of our Government
under the constitution? Congress possess
es the power to levy and collect taxes
For what purpose =? To accomplish the
great purpose specified in the constitution.
This power of levying taxes carries with it
an immense responsibility. The represen
tatiycs of the people, when they know that
all the money they appropriate must be ia
ken from tho pockets of their constituents.
will be careful to cxpend it with economy
and discretion. But we possess vast re-
servoir Of wealth in our public lands, so ir-
regular in its current. that, in one year, it
pours into the public Treasury twenty-mil-
lions, and in the next it contributes but one
tenth of that sum. This deranges all our
Legislation and renders all great interests
of the country fuctuating and insecure. It
encourages extravagant appropriations by
Congress, aud banishes economy from our
legislation. It leaves every interest in
doubt and uncertainty. In one year, when
we have more money than we know how to
expend, we hear the cry that the tariff must
be reduced; the revenue must be dimin-
ished to the necessary expenditures of the
Government; protection must be withdrawn
from our manufactures. The next wear
perhaps there may be reaction. Specu-
haasted drs:Ae tho public lands NAV have ey-
ury from this source may;4I of the Treas
minished. What comes then ? The tar
iff must be raised the duties on imports
must be increased to meet the necessary
wants of the Government. Thus the pub
lie mind is kept in perpetual state Of ex-
element. No domestic interest can cal
culate upon any fixed and steady protec-
ton. We are in state Of continual doubt,
public opinion fuctuating with the fuctu-
ations in the sales of public lands. None
of the great interests of the country can
ever flourish, unless they can calculate,
with some degree of confidence, upon some
steady and certain course of Legislation, in
relation to themselves. NoU SIR. a distri-
button Of the proceeds Of the public lands
among the States could remedy all these
erils and correct all these anomalies of our
system. IL ,oould drao off from the Gene
raj Government this eccentric source of rey-
enuc, and distribute It among the Safes
WE SHOULD THEN BE LEFT WHERE THE Con-
sTrTUTIoN INTENDED TO PLACE Us. Tue
GOVERNMENT WOULD THEN BE ADMINISTERED
ON ITS ORIGINAL PRINCIPLES. All our ex-
penditures would then be derived from the
taxes which We might impose on the peo-
pie; and the tariff would thus DO rendered
fixed and certain. Whatever protection
might then be afforded would be stable
Under the circumstances an incidental
protective duty comparatively small, would
be Of more real value than a much larger
one, subject to all the risks and uncertain
ty which now exist. A manufacturer
whilst embarking in business, would moi
then dread lest the policy of Congress
might change before he could get into sue.
cessful operation. There would then be nc
taxes raised from the people to be distrib.
uted among the people. We should hear
no more Of surpluses.
Combining some such disposition Of the
proceeds Of the distribution with an ar.
rangement, as to the lands themselves
which would be satisfactory to the new
States, tho system might thereby bo rem
uoieu PeEtect anu perLnanent. am StrOD2
ly impressed with the belief that a plaI
might be devised which would meet tn
appreciation of all reasonable men in tn
new States, whilst the just rights of tn
old States would be amply secured. Bu
all hope Of suoh consHmmation has al
most departed. The friends ofthe bill hav
cast it aside. Ecen the Senator of Ken
tuc1y has abandoned the promising cha,
,ohich he has adopted and nmsed so lon
and so temlerly, and is now carcssing an
chcrishing tic i'll fttcorcl 6anting ohtch i
no,o defore the Senate. Register Of Debt,te
in Congress, pages 04.-5.--Frek Hcralc,
HORRIBLE OcCURREyCE.-At Saudusky
Ohio, last Sunday week, boy, five year
Of age, son of Mr.. G.. w. Stewart, an oil