Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-06-29
The Homestead Bill.

The House of Representatives has finally
consented to take half.loaf rather than no
bread with regard to Free Homesteads. 1t
was thought best to submit to fragrant wrong
rather than subject the pioneers Of Minneso-
Ia and Kancas to the calamity of being d.
vested of the homes which are their all, yet
which they are utterly unable to buy of the
Government in the present death of money
coupled with low prices for their products in
those frontier regions. As we understand it,
settlers on odd numbered sections only now in
possession of Public Lands are to retain their
presumption right to purchase the quarter-sec-
ton which they have respectively entered at
621 cents per acre, and are not to be haraSs-
ed by public sales to the highest bidder for q
period Ct two years from the signing of this
act. Heads of families may hereafter occupy
and pleempt any quarter section open to pri-
vate entry, and may purchase the same at
any time within two years for the ga cents
per acre aforesaid. The Senate refused to
allow single men to occupy and preempt on
the same terms, and refused to allow settlers
on even numbered sections to prcempt and
buy their quarter sections at the. reduced
rates, and the House gave way on this, as on
the other points, to save what they could.
We do not object to taking this as an in
stalment, especially as it must prove heavy
blow to the present monopolists of large
bodies of unimprovcd lands, and to the
gamblers In land warrants. We believe it
VIII reduce the price Of such lands and such
warrants very materially. But, gentlemen Of
all parties understand that this halfloaf is
accepted only for what it is, and that the
friends Of Free Homestead principle will not
rest till their whole object is attained. 1t is
not the paltry ten shillings per acre hitherto
exacted of pioneers by the Government that
is specially Objectionable: it is the temptation
held out to forestallers and monopolizcrs of
Public Lands that is to be abolished. Had
Congress from the first allowed every pioneer
to take one quarter-section of the Public
Lands and no more, authorized him to pre-
cmpt, occupy, and improve it for ten years
and then required him to give 81. 25 per acre
for it, with interest at the rate Of ten per
cent thereafter until paid, the policy might
have been doomed rigorous, but not blighting.
But allowing anybody to buy up five, ten,
twenty, fifty thousand acres of Public Lands
for ten York shillings per acrc-or, with
Land Warrants, at cost Of five to eight
shillings-and hold those lands waste and
useless until settlement and improvement
around them shall have raised their value to
five, ten, twenty, thirty dollars per acre-this
is the crying evil Of our parts system; an pfor
this the bill Just enacted affords but partial
remedy. "Public Lands for the Landless "
not for the monopolists and forestallers of
whole counties-this is the essence of the
Republican demand; and it will have to be
conceded. The places now filled by Messrs.
Thomson Of n. j., Bigler Of Pa, Bright Of
Ind, Rice of MIMI, Gwin Of CAL, Lane Of
Oregon, are soon to know them no more for
ever, and win be filled by men who realize
and deplorc the evils which not only the New
States and Territories but the whole country
suffers from Land Monppoly. Let no one
doubt that the next four years win see them
fully and finally overcome.