Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-04-03
"written for the Unionist. -
.Irnnrr.N0thinr. Land MI.

poStNon o. parties On TUG 4uSSsNe ,T{
tribu,ing the public lands among ehe
States and we were grayely told TINS
Was hot party question. =" !
Why. this question has been agisased.
IN one form or another, for more than q
quarter OF, a century. and the distribution
Observation-Disclosures proceeds thereof
has been condemned and rspUaioted BY the
Democratic party and the county half 81
dozen Dimes, as being aneoastt tati0'0t. u's-
ssissdnd iss1psiisns Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe. jackson, Polk and Pierce all re-
osrded such meRsue as unconstitutional.
The distribution of the lands themselves
Am 1nof the Sc, 90, is the most odious form
(which the question has. ever been pre-
ssIted for approval and the distribution
of the procseds theIsofris the least objec:
siouable form, yet even this was regarded
by every Democratic President "a unoon-
stitutional. a
Moreover, Il has been so declared over
snd over again in the platforms of the
National Democratic Party. In the Ma
tional Democratic Platform of 1889, upon
which Preside Pierre WI elected land IN
that ofsI856. upon which Buchanan was
elected. the following plank is found:
80. Resolped, 9th. That the proceeds OF
the public lands ought to be sacredly aP-
Piled to the national objects specified in
the constitution. and we are opposed to
any Law for the distribution Of such pro-
eeeds am ong the States. as alike inerpeds'
ent in policy and REPuGSASr TO Tue CON-
sTrryTIoN."
General Jackson was particularly hos>
49,. ~ n
hisa' Land Bill Veto Message" Dec. 4,
1882, he denounces such measures as
grossly une0nittution1i. and in their ulti-
maze consequences fatal to the indepen-
dence'of the States.
The Democratic party has always been
aunt on this question. and undertake
now to say. that. in the State of Virginia.
not one Democratic paper. nor one De-
noocrst of respectable standing in the par
" can be found 10 favor Of a "Land Dis
1ribut'on Bill'' o! any sort. Such q course
would at once, sever him from the De-
moerstic party.
's This land distribution bill is nothing
but Know Nothing trick-!he desperate
expedient Of corrupt party that has al
ready brought upon itself the odium of
the broad limit Of the State, not one De-
slotTGt of position in the party advocates
IL. '.'
Il was said that Ex. Gov. Smith voted
for It, but that was mistake. He voted
simply to suspend the rule Of the House,
so as TO bring it before the House, but he
1eper voted for The Bill itself; and on all
subsequent occasions, when the subjsct
has come up. he has said so and further
Saya that be regards it plainly unconsti,
iutional. Is i: possible that any Demo
erat can be tricked in going for such a
measure? Will not Democrats profit by
the experience OF two years when SO ma
ny Of them were seduced into Know Moth
my lodges. under the pretence that Know.
Nthingism was not opposed to Democra-
egg,
Aud what arguments do the Know
Nothings urge 10 favor OF Mr.. CarliIe's
L7nd Bill p? Why. they say that Con
gress is giving away all the public lands
to railroads and to new States. This IS
false. The land that is givent 10 railroad
companies is given in alternate sections.
For this consideration, the companies
build railroads. The same Act Of Con-
gress which thus parts with these alters
nate sections doubles the price ofthe re-
naming sections. and enacts that they
shall not be sold for less than two dollars
and half per acrr, and they must first
be put up alta clion, before they can be
bought at that price. So that the remain
ing lands, on account of the railroads be.
ing built, sell tor more than the whole of
the lands would have done without the
railroads. And now, as regards the pub
lie lands given to the new States they
are allowed S per cent. Of the proceeds
Of the sales Of the public lands ly-
ing within their limits. This footed
up in all the new States. amounts to
many millions of acres, and Know Moths
ings boastingIy put it down in long col
umns OF fgures-add it all up-and par
ade IL as squahdcring the public lands.
or as. giving to the new States an un-
due share OF. the public domain. Now,
what are the facts Of the case Every
one will admit. in the 6rst place, that each
sovereign State, whether new or old, has
ihs right to tax all the lands or other
property within her limits, whether be-.
longing to private individuals or to the
federal government. unless restrained bv
special compact. Now. when new States
are admitted into the Union as Il general
thing, not one tifrh VI the land within
their limits has been purchased by indi-
Tiduals /: the remaining four 6f:hs be-
longing still to the general government.
Now TO keep these lands from being tax.
ed. Congress agrees. by special contract,
with the New States. that the latter shall
have FIVE per cent OF the proceeds of the
land sales within their respective limits,
upon the condition that tie ne,O States shall
Hotttar the land 6slo'ging to tie federal