The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-02-04
LAND MONOPOLY BUGBEARs.

II present
4 speculative holders of wild lands, including the
j grantees of large tracts for Railroad purposes,
| the owners of Land Warrants, &C., and form
them into grand pccuniary combination to de-
| feat the Free Homestead BILL He would have
them think that their property would be Invested
Of its value by the passage of an act authorizing
| any one who chooses to select quarter-section
| Of the Public Domain, settle and live upon it,
make home and farm Of il, and thus acquire j
| title to il without payment of money. But this
is very far from the truth. Years ago, our Gov
| eminent proffered square mile (G4O acres) as d
| free gift to any one who would select and settle
I upon it in Oregon, and many thousands have
thus acquired homesteads; but this did not pre-
vent the Simultaneous sale of lands in Illinois and
Iowa from the Land Offices at ten shilngs per
acre, and by spectators for ten times that price
The Illinois Central Railroad sold million acres
or more at some SIS per acre, though every buy
erknew that the Government held Just such lands
for sale within days ride at ten shillngs per
acre. We believe that company made mistake
in asking so high prices and selling on long time
to whoever would buy-that it would have done
far better for itself, for its customers. and for
the State haditsold all its lands for the highest
price they would command in cas!l--say from $40
| down 70 e, according to quality and location
and bound each purchaser to erect a dwelling
and break up and SOW at least ten acres on each
| quartcr.section. Had this policy been pursued
that Company might have realized from Rs 0O0,-
900 to $4,000 600 in ready cash for its lands and
covered them with population which would
have taxed its utmost freighting capacity in
| sending Lumber inland and bringing out Corn
AMI Wheat, Cattle and Hogs, for the last four or
\ hye years. and even more. Were the Public
Lands made free to actual settlers this flay there
would be a demand for Land Warrants. for the
| lands granted to railroads and for those owned
by spectators. 1t is not every man who is fit
ted 70 be pioneer of the wilderness. or who
would endure the rough experiences of pioneer
hfe. Men ofmeans and ambition would often
require broader scope than a auarter-section
would give them, and would prefer to buy where
lhes- could get all the land they choose to pay
Ut. - q New York Or New England farmer
were going West with $1,000 or 90 in cash. W |
should strongly advise him to buy quarter-sec |
ton near railroad at IS, or even $40 per acre |
rather than take one for nothing i'm the wilder |
ness even forty miles away we believe and
trust that the iofestallers viii zee the wisdom Of
moderating their prices whenever the Free |
Homestead principle shall have triumphed |; We |
'r'st .aefe VIII De less temptation, less eager
ness, 70 speculate in wild lands ever aftcrward /
but i IS sheer ahsurdity to pretend that the Free
dom OF the Public Lands will deprive other lands
OF value on the contrary, 1t will sometimes IN /
ssttiing lands beyond them enhance their cad,
value. How much do you think the cheanness
81 lands IN Canada or Algers diminishes thc
price OF freeholds in England or France
We say deliberately that, for those who can
.,y pay ior them, lands are as cheap, all
things considered, in New jersey as in Illinois
IN Western Pennsylvania as in Wisconsin,. If 4
iaim that will grow fifty bushels Del acre az Corn
OF their equivalent in other grains. Is cbeaner A.
So per acre in Iowa, it would be cheap AZ 5000
Eer acre in Connecticut. Good Land il chean
Almost anywhere, to one who is able to pay for
anu KNOWS now to work it; but he who is blessed
@iih SIX or eight young children and little or no
property can grow into q farm more easily and
surely than ne can earn one, unless lie il q re-
markabiy good farmer and calculator Through
out the more thickly settled States. there arc
hundreds OF thousands who find children aeon, |
Muiating around them much faster than proper-
tv-who areshardly able BY the utmost diligence
70 III me mouths that turn to them for bread ,
aIia 70 whom season Of pecuniarv revision 1
.sil inter, long sickness, months hack Of
employment, conjurs up a vision Of the Aims .
House. Make the public lands free. ard tens of
thousands OF these viii find means to reach thosa1
lands, will make their homes upon them ana .
uere worry thEOlSh the fret few wears ~ nr;r,
ton and hardship and gradually grow into corn
pe.ehce ana comfort; whereas they might worp I
lard az Their lives in the old States and he a;I
y pauper graves at last Tens Of thousands of
young men, axe on shoulder and 4 fcuy aollo.s
u pocket, would strike of for the mill. Ian.,,
\ anlu nat they each could have 4 ouartcr.
s -. ,or nolllmg, apd gould MOI Only hew {
ou. TOT themselves homes from the wilderness y
4nu Ieaf Up Iamilies to succeed them Ms farm :
III anu artisans, but wOnld leave more chances .
. sseadier employment, and better wages behind P
49,. ~ we OLD States. If the passage Of the
rree Land OIL should induce one million nar- =
~. NJ - a's'atc WITHIN the next ten wears from :
ne oid States to the new---a fair pronort;on ~
sem from the cities ard their neiuhborhooJ v
re hod that the interests of the seahoari vo.,5 a
merely be promoted almost equally Win ,hasa a
y the " est The crush Of comnetition n ,bo,o "
warming hives Of population would he s u,, Q
snaI lcssened IN Intensity; and those Nc missed q
Y s.nFeulofs Would re.apRear 70 u in The more
,en,snal. a'titude OF customers. For every new q
w n lislg rom . rude chimney on The p.ai. "
eli Ispeaxs new customer to the looms Of Y,
-oweil AMI thc warehouses OF New YorL aaos.. n
rev county settled and rendered fruitful II tia
! g, implies new factories in philadelnh;. nar "
ouhderles IN Pittsburgh. And takinr IN ~ p
4 iand-cnargc making the quarter sections Y
ree 70 settlers viii enable them Il huv .af e u
III. Js,er and more ahunlantly than they other. y
~ .ouN 90 we believe, for instance--and q
oaa.s1 VT own case as an Illustration Of the "
eneral truth--that there are twenty tho,,...'S q
ettiers In the new States who M NM Nj. d
Y subscribers for THE WEEKLY TR,arxr Il ~.
10 free Land bill had passed last Sess;n,- as
II IA
Eo.. SIMPLY because tie necessi,v In ,,r,r,. n
Y lnelr lands exacts their last tollr sf.rr " S
nem could pay $1,000 ten years hence aas;o. u
nan 200 immediately on planting thenselyas ~
| ~ naets which require time, work and means "
render them productive. Let "a resolve .has VI
~ snaii have fair start--that dir eorth arI &c
aver shall be theirs w.....-. . 81. -, - ~
y. draw on thcm for revenue II sn,,,,..
N ~. government and arms to defend the co,,n,s =,
1assfhaI anection and mutual yood otscas II. -
seen tae East and the West---Natioi,ai rra..s, III
~ nealthful expansion--.stabihtv 4, IN T:n ~
y ,e industrial interests dependent tLerenn
Y unasion and fertilization Of Free I..I.as n. e
oil every consideration Of public policy ara N
s';oual Sell-beiny--seem TO u to tle,nsnj ~. n
Y ieeaoin o. sis public lands La embIs,oneI 4,
~ mas and cherished Ill the hearts 81 ~ y:
my most nov gathering 10 take nosses,ia, ~, ~ ~
Lcae[ ~ government and WELD Il ii th. mi ~
49, ~. p humanity, Justice and Freedom ~. IN
y. .ne present Session viii moi nass w;,hn.s ~
ss,'nined efforts 70 cngraft thc Errc Houa IN
g polcy upon the statute-books II In iTnior ~
New York Tribune. SO,
.! 4 son of Col Elijah sebree ~ rosa li.,
~, was killed IN the school Homes VI hay
lson, lev days since. Tie bows of the srhss got
oceh practicing upon tAe iaercdulisv ~.,I ton