Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-10-26
SPE ECM OF HON. OWEN
Love- JOY. oa
Delivered at the Republican Wigwam, In
Chicago, Monday, october 18th, 1880.

Hte8 &a# - 81 - :, = a@s o. :
, Delivered at the Republican wigwam,
Chicago, Monday, october 18th, 1880.
rFrom the Press aud Tribune.]
Mr.. Lovejoy was introduced to the meetin
by the President as champion OF free speech
J free press and universal liberty, the brothe
; of Elijah Lovejoy, the first martyr to ibert
and the freedom Of the press in Illinois
When the cheering with which his appearance
was greeted had subsided, Mr.. Lovejoy spok
as follows:
CITIZENS OF CHICAGO TO quote the lar
guage of one who was interrupted by roya
auditor, 'When the lion roars, the beasts {
the forest trembe;" and feel that, whel
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana utter thei
mighty united voices, individuals might wel
be silent. Applause. But as tits assigne,
to me, this evening, to address you, although
every mind is joyous, and we'll nigh engrosse'
with the gratifying intelligence which ha'
been coming to US for the past week over tn
| wires and through the columns of tho news
papers, still will endeavor to present SOM
of the political issues and principles which
are now before the American people for theil
suffrages and decision. .t' -
During the long, and, we are bound tt
believe, doubtful pilgrimage Of the nominee
of the northern wing of the Democracy, the
Republican party has been charged, not once
nor twice, but many times, with being sc
engrossed, so absorbed with what that gen.
| tleman is pleased to designate "the intermin.
able negro question:" that We have had nc
time to give our attention to or discuss the
important subjects of legislation before the
country. In ono Of these speeches, counting
over upon his fingers several important mat
ters in which the nation is interested-the
Tariff, the Pacific Railroad, the Pacific Tele-
graph Line, the Homestead Bill--he says, in
plaintive language: Gentlemen, none of
these subjects caa receive the attention which
their Importance demands-none of them can
be discussed in the halls of Congress, and
passed into acts of lcgislation-and why +?
Oh! the Black Republicans are engrossed
with this intcrminable negro question"
THE HOMESTEAD MEASURE.
Now, citizens, propose, briefly as needs
must, to call your attention to the TACT that
one of these measures mentioned by the
Senator from this State, and one of the most
important measures, except that which relates
to 's the intcrminable negro question II
mean the Homestead bill-was discussed, was
voted upon, and, so far as Republican votes
could do it, was passed into law; but it did
not actually become law, because it was
defeated, not by Republicans who were carried
away by ''the intcrminable negroe question"
but by the Democratic party in the House, in
the Senate, and in the Executive Chair.
wish now to state the fact that, as member
D,blio T o,,1c ~ hooa
my duty to report that bill to the House !;
that duty | per!o ormed to the best OF my
ability; and remember as though 1T were
but yesterdsy-I think never shall forget
that, Immediately upon the motion being
made to put that bill upon Its passage, there
was evidently wave of indignant emotion
that swept over the Democratic side of the
House. Motions were made to postpone,
to recommit, to amend; every motion was
made that is known to parliamentary tactics
to delay and defeat the Homestead bill. We
were called on to give the ayes and noes; we
occupied the whole OF legislative day in
saving "Aye' or "No' on unimportant and
incidental points connected with the Home
stead bill the ayes and noes being called for
by the Democratic, and not by the Republican
side of the House. When the bill was passed
in the House by Republican votes, Mr.. Barks-
dale, of Mississippi, sprang to his feet and
said: "Mr. Speaker, | move to adjourn; we
have done iniquity enough for one day."
What iniouity? We had passed a broad,
liberal, muniicent, just Homestead Bill; and
that, in the estimation of the Democratic
party, is lniqulty
If YOU will bear with me now, before
coming upon this "interminable negro ques-
tion," which | propose to discuss after few
moments occupied upon this Homestead bill
question, will present to you, in as brief
time and in as precise language as L can
command, the leading features of the Repub-
lican and the Democratic Homestead bills.
We presented bill that was full of life-a
living man; the Democrats tore away every
thing except the bare dead skeleton and called
it a mana Home %tead bill The Republican
bill said any person over twenty one years Of
age, a citizen of the United States, or who has
declared his intention of becoming a citizen,
may enter any of the unoccupied public .ands,
take possession of a quarter section, cultivate
it for five years, and, at the end OF that time,
if he is then citizen of the United States, by
making proof that he has occupied and cult
waited the land for the exclusive benefit Of
himself and his family, he shall become the
owner in fee simple OF that amount of the
public lands. Loud applause. That was
the proposition OF the Republican party. We
say any person over twenty one years of age
who desires to mend his fortune, any one
who is determined to better his condition in
life, can 90 and take possession of this limited
quantity of the public lands, and by this
process it shall become his own. We said
any person over twenty -one years OF age; the
Democrats said any head of family. Why,
nv Democratic friends, will you not let the
Young men 90 and take possession Of these
territories? Why do you exclude them?
will do individual Democrats the justice to
saw that do not think it is because they have
any feeling of hostility towards the young
men, That is not it. Why, then, did every
Democrat, with few exceptions, vote that
none but heads of families should 90 and take
possession of the public lands? They voted
thus because it was political necessity; 1t
was the inexorable demand of the slave power
that the Young men should not 60 and take
possession of the Territories, for then slavery
knew it could never gain foothold there.
loud applause That, believe, is why the
Democratic party almost as unit voted to
exclude the young men of the country from
soing to and taking possession of limited
portions of the public lands, as the Republic
ans proposed to allow them to do. And you
must decide, voter Of Chicago, voters Of Illi-
nois. voters Of tho United States-you must
decide which policy you will indorse and
support by your sutfrases, on the sixth day
of November next. ~
We propose to let The young men go and
find each Of them spot where he would like
to stay and live; give him an opportunity to
make some little preparation; let him at least
build rude cabin, and break up garden
spot; and then come back and claim the hand
Of her whose heart he had happily already
| won. TApplause.] The Democrats said: No;
| before he shall have the right to enter upon
these public lands he must be the head of a
family he must take Mary along in the
wagon, and they must do as best they can
| 4 ~, of f,v,,i1ry bo CHI oil