The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-08-23
What the Republican, huve
done.

'''NS Si'SSNh tbSiS, Ill W hlCi iiC CudllciHcu
any hearer to name one good act which the
Republican party in Congress had done
Or attempted ; and that his auditors-prob.
ably struck dumb with amazement at his
impudence-made no response whatever
How is it possible--if there were even one
Republican present who is not tongue-tied-
that he should have failed to thunder out,
"THE HOMESTEAD BILLr'
Let US give more circumstantial, yet
condensed, reply to Mr.. Hendricks challenge:
/. The Republicans in Congress have orig
mated and carried through both Houses a
bill providing, by liberal grants of Public
Lands to the several States, tor MANUAL
LABOR SEMrNARrEs in every State-that is,
for seminaries in which the teaching of the
Natural and Physical Sciences, with the ap.
plication of their fruitful truths to Agricul-
ture, Manufactures, and the Mechanic arts,
shall be Systematically taught This meas.
ure, fairly carried into effect, would have
been worth more to the country than all that
the Democratic party ever devised or dream
ed of: 1t was temporarily crushed by the
veto of a Democratic President.
III. They have originated, matured and
carried through the House, bill providing
fora DAILY OVERLAND MAIL TO CALIFORNIA
measure which would reduce by at least
ten days the average time consumed in the
transportion of letters from the Western
States to the Pacific Coast, render emigration
and travel across the Plains secure and CON-
paratively easy, accelerate the settlement and
cultivation of the Far West and bring the
Rocky Mountain and Carson Valley gold
regions within half their present practical
distance from the Mississippi Valley, reducing
the cost of subsistence therein by at least
third, and of postal communication there
with by three fourths. This great measure
of beneficerce and National progress-the
necessary forerunner Of the Pacific Railroad,
having triumphantly passed the House, was
stiAed in the Senate by a willy, treacherous
Democratic intrigue, whereof the great Mail
Steamer monopoly enjoys the benefit and
probably paid the cost.
III. The Republ cans in the present House
originated and passed a MILEAGE REFORM
BILL, whereby the exorbitant and elastic al
lowance Of. forty cents for every mile ira.
versed, or alleged to have been traversed, by
each Member in proceeding "by the usual
Travelled route" from his home to Washington
at the beginning of each session, and return
ing thence to said home at its close, is reduced
to TEN cents per mile, calculated by a bee
line from his home to Washington By this
reform, the Members from California, Oregon,
and Washington, who receive about Sl7, 900
each for their attendance on the sittings of
! each Congress. would be cut down to be-
tween $1,000 and 5000, which would still
be liberal recompense When the bill pass.
ed increasing the usual compensation of
Members from So per day to $4,000 per an
mum, we were assured that this reduction
and equalization of Mileage would be one
ofits inevitable consequences, yet four years
have since elasped without any redemption
of that promise, and at length the bill to re-
deem it originated in Republican Commit
tee of Ways and Means, and passed by a
predominantly Republican House, is throttled
and killed in Democratic Serate. This
measure would not merely diminish the an
nual expenses of the Government by heavy
amount; it would replace inequality and
wrong byjustice and equity. Republican
ism devised and carried it through one
House; Democracy strangled it in another.
". The present Republican House franz
ed and passed-only two Republicans dissen-
ting-a Protective TARIFF BILL, which, had
it not been likewise stified by the Democratic
majority in the Senate would have stopped
the mourning OF Mercantile Debt in Europe
for Fabrics that we might and should pro.
duce at home-stopped the continual exporta.
ton of our Specie at the rate of Fifty to One
Hundred Millions per annum-stopped the
congregation of idle and needy labore,s in
our cities each Winter-stopped the contin-
ual loss of the most valuable elements ofour
richer soils, now carried away annually in
the form of Wheat, Flour, Corn, Meat, &c.,
never to return-stopped the accumulation
: of our Public Debt, and the mean shutting
with Federal shin -plasters to avoid the ap.
pcarance while clnging to the reality ofincur.
ring such Debt-stopped our discreditable
begging and wheedling of European capital
lists and bankers for the means wherewith TO
build our own Railroads-and given an i'm
mense and lasting impetus to the develop
ment of the industrial and min.ral resources
Of the whole country. Every Republican
n the Senate voted to take up this bill with
intent to pass it; but Democracy said No,
and it lies dead on the table of the Senate
And for that, Mr.. Hendricks, your party has
Just received lesson in st. Louis, ana will
soon hear thunder from Pennsylvania and
New-Jersey.
V. But, not to make too long catalogue,
the Republican PARTY alone stands commit.
ted, by pledge and deed, to the policy of al
lotting the Public Lands for a nominal price
to Actual Settlers only, so as to render them
the FREE HOMES of an intelligent and indie
pendent yeomanry. No other National Plat
form but theirs ever asserted the beneiicent
principle of FREE III H,MEsrEAps; no other par
ty but the Republican ever reported and car.
ried through Congress Free Homestead