Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-04-06
senator johnson and the Homs.,ens BIN.

Senator johnson and the Homestead Bill.
The Nashville Union and American is adj
vocating vigorously the nemnation Of
Andrew johnson, of Tennessee, at Charles
ton, who is probably one Of the most avail
able men of che Democratic party for that
nomination. Mr. Johnson's past course
would indicate that he is friend to a land
system by which thepublic lands shall be free
to actual settlers; but the bill which he has
introduced into the Senate this session would
be rather an inconvenient record for a can
didate in the Western States, both South and
North, and the best thing that Senator john
son could do in view of his general avail
ability would be to let his bill drop, and use
bis influence to push through the one which
has already passed the House.
The bill admits none but citizens of the
United States to its benefits, except such as
shall have declared their intention to become
citizens previous to the passage of the bill
Other immigrants must pass five years pro-
baton before they can have the same privi-
lege as American citizens. It has always
been thought wise policy for this Govern
ment to encourage immigration, and it has
been regarded'as the most valuable addition
to the real wealth of the nation. If immi-
grants are desirable at all they are most de-
sirable on the unimproved lands but this
measure, instead of at once permitting them
to add to the prosperity of the country by
making its wild lands valuable, excludes
them for FIVE years after their arrival, and
necessarily will add them to the already
crowded population and surplus labor of the
towns. This is certainly poor way to make
them valuable citizens.
The bill also proposes to drive sharp bar
gain with settlers by restricting their entries
to alternate sections, so that the cost will be
saved in the increase of those sections which
are retained by the Government, thus scatter
ing the emigrants in the wilderness and de-
priving them of the religious, social and ma
terial advantages which depend on neighbor-
hood a condition which will probably be en-
tailed on them for many years by the natural
course of the alternate Government sections
into the hands of spectators. In fact, this
Homestead Bill would seem to be measure
for reducing speculation in Government lands
to science. Adjoining settlers are the main
element in increasing the value of these pur-
chases. These are provided by Johnson's S
bill at the cost of the settler.
The nation can better afford to donate her
lands to actual settlers than to sell them at
any price. No public money was ever so
A.
sale Of the public lands. 1t is taking the
children's bread and selling it to dogs. A
government which sells the lands of the
nation to pay its current expenditures should
properly come upon the poor-house when its
property is exhausted. The present system
inflicts upon all settlers the wrong of nom
resident proprietorship, waiting until the
lands they bought of Government for a song
have been made valuable by the hardships o
the settler; hardships, perhaps, mainly en-
tailed on him by this nonresident ownership.
This kind of speculation in the bones and
sinews of the emigrant and in the privatior
and ignorance of his family, the johnson bill
not only preserves but seems to elevate into
Government system. Whether the Govern
ment is to share the profits with the purchaser
of the alternate sections, by doubling the
price, is not directly shown, but as that has
been the course in railroad grants, and as
otherwise the limitation of pre-emptions to
alternate sections would be entirely without
reason, it is implied thus Government will
divide with the purchaser speculation which
is based entirely on the extra hardshps of
the settler.