The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1860-10-10
WOODSFIELD, MONROE COUNTY. OHIO OCTOBER TO- 1861 us
Judge Douglas Position on the Home
i al ts,s stead Bill. sg ss4a

Judge Douglas' Position on the Home
= Al is4a stead Bill. rs es44sa
Judge Douglas, In she course Of bis
speech at Cleveland, said: i54 @
A friend has asked me to explain nv
position upon tho Homestead Bill. am
q little surprised that / should be called
upon to define my position on that sub-
|ject. For twelve or fourteen years have
devoted more time to the passage Of Q
Homestead Bill than any other live man.
Cheers. There never has beena Home
stead Bill befote Congress that have not
supported. Cheers / introduced one
into the House of Representatives. four
teen years ego, before I was Senator,
and I have renewed it year after year in
the Senate When l. could not get my
own bill. I always supported the next best
one. Cheers. Last year, the House
of Representatives passed Homestead
Bill, and sent it to the Senate, and sub.
stitute was offered for il, BY Senator John
son, of Tennessee, supported the House
bill in preference to bis, because I thought
it was the best. When it failed, offered
an amendment, which I believed wasesen
better than it, and when that too was re-
ljected, / voted for the Senate bill as bet.
ter than nothing. In brief, l amin favor
now, as L have been for years, of that line
of policy which authorizes every man to
go upon the public lands, record his claim,
build his house, make his fences and split
his rails [laughter,1 aand when he shall
have lived on 1t long enough to have es-
tablished his intention of becoming per-
manent settler, let him have his title free.
CGreat applause I believe that to be
the true policy Of the couatry.o
IA voice. How long will~he live on
Judge DouglaG-I hope he win lirs
on it forever. [Chesrs. The pnblis
lands have never beenia proper aud legit,
innate subject of revenue to this govern,
ment. On tho contrary they have tended
to disorgahize the monetary, affairs of tht
country. Whenever the country is pros.
perous imports are large and money ii
plenty. every speculator will Sill his pock
cts with cash, go West, and buy up tn,
public lands In vast quantities. We ther
get ten, twenty, or twenty, five millions o
dollars q year into the treasury from th'
sales of the public lands, at-the very TIM
we do not wantiit, because. we have a sur
plus without; but the moment hard time
come, the imports fall of. the banks cur
tail their issue, and money becomes scarce
there is not d dollar worth Of land sold
and the treasury becomes bankrupt 70
want of money. Hence the land system
brings money to the treasury when "
do not want it, s1d always fails to do o
when we do want it. Laughter, j
;. therefore would change our whole lam
system, and never have another sale o
public lands in the world. ECheers.1
would apply the pre-emption Law, by whic
each settler may go and take mp his land
build his home and live upon and cultivat
it, and thus get o title, and I woald no
let any man have q title who was iot a
actual settler upon the land. E.That'
it,. did not intend to refer to this sab
ject, and should not have done SO but 70
{ the facts that have been informed that th
! small leaders Of the Republican part
;. have been representing me as not being j
:. favor of the Homestead Bill gCVoice
THAT'S true." sd 5a tl $3.50