The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-07-03
The Homestead Bill Vetoed.

Eft Our readers know that the House
of Representatives, during its late ses-
sion, passed a most excellent Homestead
bill, which threw open the whole public
domain to actual settlers, as soon as sur
.veyed, giving to every man, married or
unmarried, who is, or has declared his
intention Of becoming, citizen of the
| United States, who would settle thereon,
and remain there for five years, quar-
ter section of land, requiring him to pay
a fee Of about $40 only. This excellent
law, which the West, and the laboring
classes Of the whole country, have been
demanding for years-benefcen in its
action alike upon the soil and upon the
people-was so modified by the Demo
cratic Senate of the United States, as to
lose its character of Homes tead, and
take that of Graduation. bill. The Sen
ate bill opened to settlers under it only
alternate sections Of the domain, and re-
quired the payment of % cents per acre.
1t limited even this little benefit to heads
of families, and refused it to the solitary
pioneer who has always led the march
of civilization. Several committees of
conference between the two Houses were
ordered, for the purpose of effecting a
compromise on the measure, and near the
close Of the session such an arrange
ment was made, the main features of the
Senate bill being adopted, though some
Of its most obnoxious details were strck-
en- out. The House accepted the COM
promise bill, with protest from the Re-
publicans against it-they declaring that
they accepted it only because they could
get nothing better at present, but express
sing a determination not to relax their eff
forts until they succeeded in securing a
system similar to that in their own bill.
They accepted it as measure Of relief
to the pre-emptors, who are unable now
10 pay for the lands on which they have
made improvements, and must lose them
unless relief in some form is extended.
Well, this apology for a Homestead mea-
sure was adopted and sent to the Presi-
dent, but he returned it to the Houses
vetoed. He contends that Congress has
no power to give away the public lands
either to states or individuals but this
objection has no force against this bill,
for it requires a payment of 25 cents per
acre. 1t is also unjust, be says, to old
soldiers who hold military bounty lands,
as it will greatly reduce the value of their
lands. Now every one knows that nine
tenths of the old soldier land warrants
were sold to, and located by. spectators,
who bought them Of the old soldiers at
great discount. If there is TO be any
loss, then, it will fall upon the land spec
ulators and monopolists, who have sought
TO reap harvest from the labors Of the
settler. Mr.. BUcHANAN's sympathies are
therefore with the Spectator and capt.
talist, and against the settler and laborer.
He also objects that the bill gave foreign
ers, married and single, the benefits Of
the measure, while it confined them to
married Americans alone. The validity of
this objection is denied by the advocates
of the bill, but admitting its correctness,
the provision could have been readily
modified.
The final objection is that it would Sc
riously affect the revenue from the pub
lie lands. Under the corruption and
prolligacy of his administration, which
has not only disposed of a surplus of over
twenty millions, but increased the public
debt thirty or forty millions more, this
may be matter for consideration. But
with an economical and honest admins
tration of the government, and with
tariff Of revenue which would give life
TO our manufactures, employment and
consequent prosperity to our people, the
few millions OF revenue from the public
lands would not be missed, would not
be needed. But these objections are all
specious. The Homestead policy is
free labor policy, and SO long as the
Democratic party, allied and, controlled,
as it is, with and by the slavery propa-
gandists and sympathzers. remains in
power, just SO long must the pioneer, the
laborer, and the manufacturer, submit to
a policy discriminating against their in
terests.
re- The Democrats of Pennsylvania
and New York are trying 10 patch up an
arrangement by which only one Demo
cratic electoral ticket will he RIM i'm those