The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-10-07
SAINT PAUL, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1859
many such Republican friends would it lake

many such Republican friends would it lake
to ruin every man within our State?
AS early as December, 1858, Mr.. SEWARD
urged immediate action upon the -Agri-
cultural College Bill This bill was kept
ahead of the Homestead Bill, and by unti>
ring efforts, the Republicans succeeded in
forcing it through both branches of Con-
gress; and had Republican filled the Pres
idontial chair, it would have become law,
and there would now be left within our
limits but small quantity of good land for
the honest settler; but you could by gong
to Maine or Connecticut, or some other
State, purchase from one of these Agricul-
tural Colleges or of their agents. land for
from five to ten dollars, perhaps more, per
acre.
This outrageous measure received the
support of HALE, CHANDLER, Grow and the
entire Republican party. Had it become
law, where would the poor man have found
land under MIR. Grows Homestead Bill?
Homes for the homeless indeed trust you
will not be deceived by men who wish to
secure your votes to enable them hereafter
to rob us of the lands wanted for future cul-
tivatiOn.
By reference to my remarks upon this
bill, you will find that spoke Of another
Republican devise for taking our lands and
giving them to corporation within the
State of New York, to aid in building
ship cana, around the Falls of Niagara.
That measure asked for three millions of
acres to be taken from the State of Mime.
sofa. Fellow citizens, in all candor let me
ask you, if any Homestead Bill would have
aided you, had the Republicans been success.
full in passing their several land measures?
l have already mentioned enough to take
from our midst nine millions of acres. l
deem it my duty to bring these facts to
your attention, and if hereafter men elevated
to power by your votes, shall deprive you of
the right to purchase homes at the present
rates, and compel you to purchase of States
and corporations at speculative prices, you
must remember that you were warned Of
the consequences.
Particularly do wish to call the atten-
tion of the Iaboring men to the course
pursued by SEWARD, HALE, CHANDLER and
other Republicans in regard to the Pacific
Railroad. The Bill which was reported by
a select committee of nine, provided for one
route, and that a central so-called route,
although, in fact, Southern one. WM.
H. SEWARD was upon that committee.
When the Bill was under consideration, l
moved an amendment so as to place the
North upon footing with the central part
of our country; but the amendment was
rejected, and by the votes of SEWARD,
HALE, CHANDLER, TRUMBULL, WADE,
WILSON and others. Thus you can see
how much these political missionaries cared
for the interests of the people of the North.
Again-when l brought forward the
only practicable Homestead Bill that was
up before the Senate, substitute for the
Pacific Railroad, bill providing for a
Northern route, and placing the lands at
fve cents per acre on the line, these very men
voted against it. They not only voted
against giving us a Northern route, but
against giving us an opportunity to COM
pete with the other portions of the Union
for the same. They voted against giving
you the public lands at FIVE cents per acre.
Yet they now tell you that they were in
favor of Homestead Bill. For giving us
a Northern Railroad to the Pacific, for
giving the landless of the North land at
five cents per acre, for giving the laboring
men of Minnesota work, but two Republi-
cans in the United States Senate voted-and
those two were CoLLAMER of Vermont,
and DooL1TTLE of Wisconsin. Had Mr..
SEWARD and his friends got through their
bill, the people would have been compelled
to have paid in taxes over one hundred
million of dollars towards constructing
railroad hundreds of miles from the State
not one of you could have obtained days
employment-a work so far off that our
farmers could not have sold to the laborers
a dollars worth of produce. 1 mention
these things to warn you of the coming
danger should you place the party in power
that has so unmistakably pointed out the
course it will pursue.
On the 22d of April, 1858, Mr.. SEWARD,
the Republican Presidential aspirant, intro
duced into the United States Senate "a
Bill to secure the prompt construction of
line of Telegraph from San sFrancisco to
Fort Smith, and from Fort Smith to st.
Louis, in Missouri, and Memphis, in Ten
nessee." Was this measure for the benfit of
the North?
In the same year, January 2lst, Mr.. YU.
LEE, Democratic Senator from Florida,
gave notice that he would introduce a bill
giving to the States all the public lands
within their limits, which, had it become a
law, would have done more for Minnesota
than all other bills ever introduced. Thus,
you see National man of the South COM
ing forward to aid us, and sectional man
of the North, with no other political capital
than abuse for Southern men, refusing upon
all important occasions to aid the free white
man.
By many, it is believed that the next
Presidential election will go to the House
of Representatives. Hence the efforts made
by Republicans from abroad to carry this