The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-06-11
Land Reform.

AT Floral Fete recently held at Palace
Garden, New York city, the Hon. G. A.
Grow, M. c., spoke as follows on Land
Reform
He commenced with the discovery of
the New World by Columbus, and traced
the history of the policy pursued since
that time in relation to the public lands
of America. He characterized the pres
ent system of dealing with the public
domain by our Government as a relic of
feudalism. We had at present l, 100000
900 acres of public land undisposed of,
and the question was what should be done
with it. The whole cost to the Govern
ment Of all the lands it had ever owned,
including those at present undisposed OF,
had been in round numbers 1923, 100000.
1t had already received from sales of pub
lie lands $166, 100000. Leaving balance
in favor of Government of S29,O00,000
So that if the government were to give
away the remainder, it could not be said
they had lost anything in their land spec
ulations. On the contrary, they had al
ready realized large profit, and this
profit was the result of the hard earnings
of the pioneer settlers. He thought that
the Government should now abandon a
system that was contrary to the spirit Of
our institutions, and contrary to the best
interests of the people. 1t was time to
return TO the good policy adopted by our
Puritan fathers when they landed at
Plymouth, and distribute the land equally
among the actual settlers. Again, under
the present system, the settler rarely got
the land even at the Government price,
but spectators interviewed between him
and the Government. This was the worst
feature of the present system; it opened
the door TO grasping and extravagant land
monopoly gigantic evil, whose blight
ing influence was plainly apparent in the
present condition and past history of Great
Britain. TWAS often urged that the prin.
ciples of the land reformers were leveline
and agrarian. So are all new principle.
in the eyes of conservatives when they
are first announced. So were the princi
pies of Christ to the Jews, and the prin'
ciples of the Declaration of Independence
to the monarchists of Europe. The his
tory of this country, ever since that De
claration, had been one of continued socia
leveling. Again, there were others whc
opposed land reform because it deprived
the Government of $125 per acre for it
land. But what was gained to the Gov
eminent in this way was loss to the peo
ple, and in this country the interests o
the people are to be consulted first of all
The wealth of country consisted, not il
the amount of money received into it
Golfers, but in the prosperity and happi
ness of its people. The greatest and the
richest country was that which presented
the greatest number of happy firesides
and the best way to make contented
virtuous, and moral people, was to Civ
J them homes. Give a man hearthston'
and he will soon surround it with house
hold gods. A contented and prosperou
rural population was the bulwark of
nation. 1t was the source of virtue in tim,
! of peace, and the surest and most reliable
defence in the time of war. The deca,
of Italian liberty, and the decline of it
prosperity, was due to its mistaken polio,
with regard to the agricultural interests
] Had the laws of the Gracchi been adopted
its star of empire would still shine wher,
the ivy entwines its broken columns, an,
its blooming campana would yet blossom
where tester its Pontine Marshes. Let u
then favor policy that shall increase tn
number, and dignity the character OF tn
tillsrs of the soil.
Mr.. Grow continued at length to urg
the importance of providing the handles
, with home, as being the wisest policy tn
Government can pursue, besides being a
act of justice to the pioneers of the sol