Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-09-30
The Homestead Bill.--WhO ure
its FrieMds4

VINO Will settle upon ana cultivate the same
for five years. This measure has seen before
five sessions of Congress, but has failed to
become law from the systematic and deter
mined opposition Of the Democratic party.
The Democrats of the North est, how
ever, profess to favor the bill. They have .
resolution in their Desmoines platform
approving it in as strong terms as the Repub-
licans. Gen. Dodge pretends to be in favor
Of it, and boasts that it was originated and is
supported by the Democratic party. Let US
examine these professions by the record
The facts are simply these: The Repub-
lican members Of Congress, with but single
exception, voted in favor of the bill, and by
the aid of the Americans, and few Northern
and Western Democrats, carried it through
the House; while the Democrats, us party,
voted steadily against it. At three different
times, the Homestead Bill passed the House,
on each Of which occasions the vote was as
above stated. On reaching the Senate, it was
opposed by the leading Democratic Senators,
and by them defeated. Though the bill never
was put upon its passage, and therefore never
brought to direct vote, yet on all the pre-
liminary questions the Republican Senators
were in Jauo- of the BILL and the Democrats
opposed to it. A strong effort Of the friends
of the bill to get it through the Senate was
made on the 25th OF February last, on motion
of Mr.. Doollttle, of Wis, to postpone the order
of the day and take it up. This brought it
in direct antagonism with tbs bill for the
purchase of Cuba, and excited the slaveocracy
to madness. The discussion was long and
bitter, sometimes even furious, and the final
vote refusing to take up The Homestead Bill,
and thereby showing the preference Of the
Cuba Bill over the Homestead, was decided by
4 majority Of ten, including all those Demo
Gratis who simply profess favor to the Home
stead Bill, in order to wia favor with their
constituents.
After the bill had passed the House, and
came up for final action of the Senate, Mr.
Mason, the present representative of this
Government at the Court of France, said :
81 have not yet known in the Senate bill so
fraught with mischief, and mischief of the
most demoralizing kind as the Homestead
Bill" Mr.. Seward, on the other hand, said !:
"The Homestead Bill settles definitely the
policy of the Government in regard to the
public lands. 1t is a measure of permanent
importance and interest. Its business that
not only concerns to-day, but tomorrow, next
year, fifty and a hundred years hence. The
States of this Union will be settled, and the
resources of the United States viii be devel-
opcd the strength and power and integrity
of the Union will be established; the force
and v,gor of the Republic will be perfected
just as soon as the public lands, hitherto held
for the purpose chiefly Of speculation by cap
isalists at the cost of the labor and industry
of the country, shall be taken out of that
market" Mr.. Hunter, Of Virginia, moved to
postpone the Homestead Bill which at that
time, if carried, was fatal to it. Ecery
Republican in the Senate roted against tie
proposition, and the result was tie, viz.
YEAS Messrs. Allen, Bates, Bayard, Ben
jamin, Bigler, Brown, Clay, Clingman, Davis,
Fitch, Fitzpatrick, Green, Gwin, Hammond,
Hunter, Iverson, johnson, Of Arkansas, Ken
needy, Lane, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Reid,
Sebastian, Slidel, Toombs, Ward, Yulee-2S
NAys-Messrs. Bell, Bright, Brodcrick,
Chandler, Clark, Collamer, Dixon, Doolit;le,
Douglas, Durkee, Fesscnden, Foote, Foster,
Hale, Hamlin, Harlan, Houston, johnson, OF
Tennessee, King, Pugh, Rice, Seward, Sim
mons, smith, Stuart, Trumbull, Wade, Wilson
-2S.
The Democratic Vice President, Mr.. Brecl1-
enridge, said: "Ihc Senate being equally
divided, the Chair determines the question in
the atirmative"- and the Homestead Bill met
its death at the hands Of its Democratic exc
cutioners! Senator Jones, of our State, who
had turned traitor to our interests, and sold
himself to the shareholders for a consideration,
since paid by Buchanan, was conveniently
absent on this interesting occasion.
Yet, in the face Of these facts, Gen. Dodge
and his satellites claim the especial champion
ship of the Homestead Bill
Keep 1t IN mind, therefore, that the Dem
ocrats, though protess,ng to be in favor Of the
Homestead Bill, are in practice OPPOSED to it.
The reason of this persistent opposition is
plain: Slave labor cannot exist by the side
Of free labor, and therefore the fertile fields of
the great West must remain untitled for fear
that, in furnishing homes for frecmen, it will
destroy the balance Of power now welded by
slavery. So sensitive are Southern Senators
upon this subject, that they hesitate not to
sacrifice any national interest to advance and
foster the peculiar institution
We do otwonder that Northern doughfaces
should seek to escape the just Indignation of
the people for striking down so beneiicent
measure; but, if they will consent to become
"hewcrs of wood and drawers of water'' for
Southern task-masters, they must be prepared
to witness and abide the consequences of the
defeat, not only of the Homestead Bill, but all
other measures which tend to deveope the
resources, stimulate the growth, and increase
the strength and power and integrity Of the
Union" The hope of free labor is in the
Republican party, and with it must succeed
or fail.
y GOOD ENDoESEMENT.--ln one naiehbor-
hood in keokuk county there are twenty men,
who have always voted the Democratic ticket.
who express their determination to vote for
kir!iwood for Governor, The reason which
they give for their course is that they have
known Mr. kirkwood from his boyhood, and
know that throughout lis whole life he has
been an honest, high minded. straight forward
person--that no stain can be found on his
character, either public Or private. fairfield