The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1860-08-25
Lincsan ON L.ua warrant !.

EDiroRS GATg OlTY The great principie
or Homestead addresses itself directly to
the laboring men OF America The first OBJ
iect after marriage is TO secure lot and
house, or farm which the occupant can call
4 bis own, which he can oscn, even when pan
j los or reverses flict the country. In the pres
ent political canvass for the Presidency, this
! principle grows in Importance. There is
determination among the laboring masses
that our broad praries shall not be given up
to speculation and peculation; but that the
Government shall divide out among honest
men, toiling men, among bones and muscles,
with their upright minds to animate, them,
our vast, unappropriated domain. Whenev-
err this principle is attacked, the attack oom-
mands attention aud when q candidate for
. national position 10 dosbted, the doubt de-
tracts from his prospects.
/ In the present canvass, Republican orators
take a bold position in favor OF Homestead;
many Democrats do the same. 1t is bat ma
tural, then, that they should canvass the po-
sitons and principles of their candidates on
this subject. 1t 10 conceded that the late Re-
publican House OF Representatives passed q
liberal homestead bill it is conceded that
the Senate refused to pass the same bill
andit further conceded that both branches,
by compromise, passed bill which may be
termed graduated act, rather than home
Buchanan vetoed 1t. The question, then,
arises. "What will Abraham Lincoln do on
this subjectp"
The Rev. Henry Clay Dean, as q means of
showing what his position was, asserted, in
his speech in Keokuk, that Abraham Lincoln
voted against Congressional act giving
land warrants to soldiers of the Mexican
War,-which act resulted in homesteads,
and he said be could prove what he asserted.
called for the proof at the time, which he
failed to present.-but no Importance is to
be attributed TO such failure, as public speak
ers cannot always have on hand public doc
uments.
now assert that the charge was wholly
groundless. III il were true, ii could be prov
ed. call for the proof from any source
from any person. A friend, at my request,
called on Mr. Lincoln on the 10th Of August,
and asked him whether be ever opposed such
a measure, or cast vote in opposition. The
friend writes: "Iie (Lincoln) says the charge
ssmply false. The only thing with which
, il seems to have aoy connection, ia to be found
3 fully explained on page $50 OF the Congress
sioual Globe of the year l8i8.
!, The bill giving bounty lands to soldiers
] had already passed when MIR. Lincoln pro
pared a bill providing that land warrants
should be given to those private soldiers VINO
HAD BEEN PROMOTED FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, AND
Q WHOSE PROMOTION WOULD DEPRIVE THEM Oh
WARRANTS; ALSO EXTENDING THE ACT TO SOL
9 DiERs OF rHE WAR OF 1912, VINO WE'RE NOT
EMBRACED IN THE ORIGINAL BILL also permit.
: ting the warrants to be located 10 parcels in
q stead Of one body. This bill, amcndatory
8 of the act, was ruled out of order"
On page $50 I'd column Of the Globe TO,
= lS4s, ian Official report,) will be found 4
} statement of Mr.. Lincoln's bill. The whols
q object was TO get rid of the difficulties OF tn.
; original bill. Instead OF opposing warrants
, for soldiers, he proposed to extend them II
privates who were promoted TO soldiers oil
= the war Of 1872, and to permit them to To-
y cate them In 40 acre tracts or 80, instead o.
- leo alone. Will any enemy Of Lincoln ad
k vert to any inconsistent position on this sub
ID jeet? J. W. RANKIN.
= The passage IN the Globe is as follows:
- "Mr. Lincoln said, If there was genera
desire on the par OF the House to pass the bill
now, he should be glad TO have il done con
T. curing, as he did generally, with the gentle
man from Arkansas, Mr.. Johnson that tn
Of pos.ponement migh leopard the ga fety OF th
). Ipro position. LII, however, q reference va
a. to be made, he wished TO make very fes
Ia remarks ia relation to the several subject
Of desired by gentlemen TO be embraced Il
Of Am endments TO the ninth section Of the ac
Of The lsst session Of Congress. The fr.
40 amendment desired by members Of this Hous
n bad TO it's object TO give bounty lands I
OF such persons who had served for q time q
- privatcs, but had never been discharged a
he such, because promoted TO ONCE. That sub
O. jecs, and no othsr, was embraced in this b.l
er There were some others who Desired, viii
a. they we're legisiating on this subject, th,
he they shouid give bounty lands TO the volur
70 teers or the war Of 1872. His friend fro
n Maryland said there were no such men. II
nt Mr.. l. did not cay there were many, b,
I'm be was confident there were soma. His frieu
to from kentucky Mr.. Gaines told him be bin
he self Was one.
led There WAS still another proposition touol
IN. ing this matter: that was, that persons q,
titled to bounty land should by law be el
-. titled 20 locate these lands in parcels, ~
~ not be required to locate them in one bod
IN az was provided by the existing law.
or Now, he had carefully drawn up a bill en-