The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-07-25

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Democrats but thirty-one voted for it and
in the Senate, on the test vote between
taking up the homestead bill, after it had
passed the House, and only required the
vote of the Senate to make it II law, so far
as Congress was concerned, or to take up
the bill for the purchase of Cuba, but one
Democrat voted for the homestead, and
only eight at any time; whlle every Re
publican in the Senate, and every one in
the House, with a single exception, was for
the homestead. OF all the Representatives
of the slave States, but three in the House
voted for it and but two, at any time, in
the Senate. So the Democratic party, as a
party, arrayed itself in opposition 10 this
benefceut policy. The Republican party,
on the other hand, is committed to this
measure by its votes in Congress, by its re-
solves in State conventions, and by its devo-.
ton to the great central idea of its existence
the rights and interests of free labor.
Early in this session introduced bill,
which now awaits the action of the House,
providing that any person who is twenty
one wears, or more old, or who is the head
of a family, may enter one hundred and
sixty acres of any land subject to pre-
emption claim and, by cultivating the
same for five years, shall be entitled to a
patent from the Government, on the pay
ment of the usual fees Of the land Office, and
ten dollars to cover the cost of surveying
and managing.
The land policy, as now conducted per-
mits the President, in his discretion, to ex-
pose to public sale, by proclamation, any or
all of the public lands after the same are
surveyed. Every person settled on the
lands so advertised for sale, must before the
day fixed in the proclamation of the Presi-
dent, pay for his lands, or they are liable to
be sold to any bidder who offers one dollar
and twenty-five cents, or more, per acre.
During the days of sale fixed by the Presi-
dent, any one can purchase, at one dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre, as many
acres of land, not before pre-empted, as he
desires selecting his own location. The
lands that remain unsod at the expiration
of the days of sale fixed by the President
are subject to private entry that is, any
person can enter at the land Office any or
all of the lands, that are at that time IN
sold, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per
acre, it the same have not been offered for
sale more than ten years If for a longer
PERIOD then at less price, according to
the length of time they may have been in
the market. Thus, under the existing poll
cy, there IS no restraint on land monopoly.
of the worlds niIlionaires, may become the
owners of untold acres of our public do
main, to be resoid to the settler ut exorbi-
tant prices, or to be held as an investment
for future speculation.
Congress, as the trustee of the whole peo-
pie, is vested, by the condition OF the grants
from the States and by the Constitution II
SELF with the sole discretionary power of
disposing of thrs' lands. But, in the exer-
else of sound discretion, il becomes it's
duty to dispose Of them in the way that
will best promote the greatness and glory
of the Republic. And how can that be
accomplished so well as by a policy that will
secure them in limited quantities to the ac-
tual cultvator, at the least possible cost,
and thus prevent the evils of a system OF
land monopoly -one of the direst, deadliest
curses that ever paralyzed the energies of a
nation or palsied the arm of industry? IT
needs no lengthy dissertation TO portray its
evils. Its history in the Old World is writ
ten in signs and tears Under its influence,
you behold there the proudest and most
splendid nristocracies side by side with the
most abiect and debased people vast man
ors hemmed in by hedges, as sporting
ground for the nobility, while men are dy
ing beside the enclosure for the want Of land
to till. Under its blighting influence, you
behold industry in rags, and patience in de-
spair. Such are some of the fruits of
land monopoly in the Old World and
shall we permit its seeds to vegetate in the
virgin soil of the New Our present sys-
TEN Is subject to like evils, not so great in
magnitude perhaps, but similar in kind.
The Government had received from the
sales of the public lands, as appears from
the report of the Commissioner Of the Land
Office, to June 30, 1853, Sl42,283.478 to
which add S39, 1886, 5000, received since
that time, would make the gross amount re-
ceived from the lands to September 80, 1859,
$l8U,6 ,638 80, while the entire cost, in
Guiding purchase money, extinguishing Of
Indian title, surveying, and managing, has
been, for the same period, S9l, 994, 0l3 leav
ing net revenue TO the Government, over
/ and above all cost of sc, $40, 94l acres sur
veyed but nnsold, of which 10000, 600
acres are subject to private entry.
OF the l47,O88,273 acres sold by the
Government, not more than one-half of it,
probably, was bought AT Government rates
by the actual cultivatOr; the other half
assume, cost the cUltivator, on an average,
at least four dollars per acre over the Gov
eminent price. So he would pay, on 49,
544, 1916 acres, being oEe-half the quantity
sold by the Government, 1894, l76. 544
On the 24l, ,052 acres donated to indi-
vidiuals, companies, and States, including
over seventy million acres for school purpo-
1 SEES and over fifty million acres for railroads
and internal improvements, | assume that
/ the cutiyator must pay on an average for
| these lands ut least five dollars per acre
! making the sum of Sl.20S, $50, $50 1lhe
actual cultivator, then, will have to pa1 to
the Government and to the speculator for
these lands, if the foregoing estimate q pri-
ces be correct at least 81 ,6s3, SAG, 442 DO, OF
which S88, 625, 625.9o has been paid In ne'
revenue, into the Treasury of the United
States, the balance to be absorbed by the