Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-09-20

We eNpenal annually some seven or
eight millions OF dollars in maintain
Ing our Navy, on the ground mainly
that the protection OF our commerce
demands u. Oar Army costs Ms an
nually about the same amount. anil
these sums arc drawn chiefly from the
agriculturist. We have expended
vast sums for harbors, Notifications,
breakwaters. beacons, lighthouses.
Try docks. aud coast surveys. with
particular reference to the growth and
protection of our commercial inter
est. With view to the same object.
we have made large grants, both Of
land AMI money. for the construction
OF roaas and canals. We have been
expending thousands OF dollars in the
improvement of our war-steamers. in
the projection of missiles Of death.
and in maintaining military and ma
val schools. We have built mp cur
manufactures and discriminating du-
ties in their favor, imposed chiefly
upon the producer. We have grant
ell. as | have already shown, from
scvcnty-fve to one hundred millions
of acres of the Public lands, in the
shape of military bounty. to our sol
dicrs. in addition to their lawful sti-
pend. The public domain has been
common fund. to which the Govern
ment has reSortel for almost every
variety Of object; but not a single acre
has ever been granted for the benilit
OF agriculture. Such a phenomenon
as an appropriation of lani for exper-
mental farms, or agricultural colleges,
has never been known. Is the cult
walton of the soil an occupation so
contemplate. so useless to the State,
as not to demand the attention of the
Government? The encouragement of
manufactures, OF commerce, and OF
other less important interests. is to be
commended, but is not the encourage
ment Of agriculture, the parent of
them all, at least equally important?
The complaint is sometimes made,
that if the public lands are gicen to
actual settlers. it will in effect be tax
, ing tie remainder of the people to pay
, for their farms, since the public re-
venue will be diminished in proper
, ton to those gifts, and would oil
course have to be supplied from
other sourcs. But is not one class oil
the people taxed for the benefit of an.
other. in the money raised from the
agriculturist in cases | have mention.
ell? The cultivator has always beer
r taxed for the support of other interests
deny however, that the public reyen
. ne would be diminished by making
/; the public lands free. According tc
t the report the Secretary of the Treas
!, ury. these lands can no longer be look
Ell to as source of revenue, at least fol
many years to come, under our pres.
ent system. lie shows that our lat,
bounty land acts will yet require aboni
seventy nine millions of acres. and
that when they have finally exhaust.
, ell themselves they will have diverted
from the Treasury the sum of more
than $4,000, 900. The warrants
issued under these acts are made as
signablr, and will be:borght, at great
ly.reduced pr: ices by spectators, who
will pick and Gull al, the choice ianls,
hoard them up for their own selfish
advantage. and thus exclude tic set
tier from them, and at the same time
drive the Government from the mar
ket which it has thus glutted by it,
own.improvident policy. Besides. i
the present system should be persisted
in, Congress will continue, and prob
. ably multiply, its grants of land fol
f. internal improvements. and for other
{ purposes, thus making large additional
g drains upon the revenue otherwise
, derivable from this source. The old.
Q fashioned project. therefore. Of raising
Y revenue from the public domain i,
: perfectly chimcrical, and must be
: abandoned. This is nowvery generally
[ admitted. Ii adhered to the Govern.
/ ment would realize from it but little
!. il anything. for the next quarter of Q
r century, beyond the six or seven hun.
: drcd thousand dollars annually required
: to defray the expense it occasions, a.
: must be manifest. think, from tho
{ calculations of the Secretary. 1t fol
: lows, therefore, that the sums hereto
: fore raised from the sales of tho pub
1 lie lands mu be made up from Other
: sources, whether we continue Of
r abandon our present policy. Tn,
/ question of revenue is excluded.
: But admitting that the passage o
!, this bill would divert some two OF
| three millions annually from the publ,
|. Treasury. for the direct benefit of &C
+ tual settlers, it still wosld not follow
j, that tax OF this amount would b,
| imposed upon the rest of the commun
j. ity. Whilst the freedom of the pub
: lie domain To actual settlers, would b,
S a measure emphatically for the benef
!, Of the poor, all classes would share il
@ the advantages resulting from it. |
y would decrease provcrty. and the vice
1 and crimes to which it gives birth, b,
e withdrawing its victims from on
Y crowded cities and the slavery of CAPT
tai. and giving them homes upon tn
: fertile acres of the West. :: wouit
e drain pauperism from the old States
c and thus relieve them from the burden
5 of a population of superintendent la
T, borers. whilst enterprise, industry
c and wealth. would abound in the new
e Instead of diminishing, it would in
!, crease the puplic revenue. This, chief
/. ", is derived from duties on foreigr
: imports. The amount of consumers O
e imported articles Increase the mum
5 Der of agricultural producers, there
4 L