New-York tribune., 1868-02-18
THE wEsr AND SOUTH.

Every man looks upon his own trade or profession Of
Importance than all others so that 1t is natural Tor
the people OF great commercial metropolis to consider
the wealth prosperity Of the whole country as almost
entirely dependent upon the state Of trade Not Be
hind our commerce, and furnishing the very basis on
which rests Is the productive power OF the country ana
our future wealth and the happiness OF people more
dependent the development Of our almost unoounded
agricultural and mineral resources than upon the promo
zion OF our commerce. Millions OF acres OF fertile lands
are living idle In the West and South and hundreds Of
thousands Of willing hands find labor in the East
Rich veins OF roD coal ard the precious metals, await
the advent Of thousand picks and spades and one OF the
most important questions Of policy 10 be decided now IS
how can these and abOrers be brought togetherp
The policy Tinted etatO0, thus far has been TO
grant large tracts OF land 20 companies that VIII construct
railroads through them and thus open up these unsettled
regions The Memphis AaraR critcises TINS policy ana
says that grants amounting to nearly 20OOOo OF
acres, or more than equal in extent TO Virginia,
MARYLAND Delaware, Ohio Pennsylvania, Eew,Jersey,
EeW-Ysrk, Connecticut, Vermont, HewHampshire,
Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, would give
90 every head Of a family In the United States
more than forty each These statements will
TO workDgmen the enormous extent and power OF
the and monopoly in the United States. Land like air
and water, gwen to free gift. God did not
sch It, but gave II for the Of all his children. He
never intended that the ownership Of the soil should be
vested In few persons and the many denied hahita-
ton AS air and water free all also should land
De. Inc improvements upon a ptCt VI NfOuhu chOuiu
ve the person who put them there the right to the
ground There beng ownership In the SOIL 1t could
not be sold The sale OF the Improvements should con-
yey the purchaser the right 10 the land and no
man should be allowed hold land than he could
properly cultivate All land should be held by the Gov
for the Of the people to be given to whomso
ever would improve and cultivate it. The credit OF the
Government and the currency Of the nation should rest
upon every acre Of the soil But these ideas will be
looked upon Uopan viii pursue the point no further
now The question before Is the distribution Of the
lands now held by the Government, in trust for the
people The Government has right TO dispose Of these
lands except 70 actual settlers. The object Of
Congress should be 10 people the lands as rapidly
es possible but instead Of adopting policy that would
aecure this end they have actually prevented their set
Element TO a very great extent. As illustration
win take the Illinois Central Railroad Two million five
hundred thousand given this Company OF
that number 100000 have been disposed Of
ut from t6 to s95 Taking tlO the and
End the huge sum Of s50O00O0. Although the Com
pany.hs not and did have dollar invested in
these lands, yet they sell them to be paid
for in instalments. much each year, and add
per cent interest principal and interest 10 be paid in
advance. From this per cent interest the Of the
money paid In advance. and the forfeits Of and
improvements. they have realized about y
This would make 100000 They have 100000 acres
vet to sell and a. this land viii be worth because
of the improvement Of that already Sold II will average,
say s2 per acre This would be 100000 Add to this
fhe iutnrest use money and fOrfels aud II Is safe
calculation to say the company will realize at least
Rs5OOOOOO These 25OOOOO acres at Government price
C1 . per acre. would be S3.l2j,0O0, leaving a
balance In favor Of the company, and against
the people tax paid by the purchasers OF
these lands to this Railroad Company and land monopoly
Had these lands been sold 70 actual settlers at Govern
nent price and the proceeds pledged the Company,
what wOuidhav been s better had Congress apprOpr
ated to the Company the OF $325OOO f they must
give somehing). and gwen away the lands in small
parcels to actual settlers woud to-day instead of
the 900 people upon these lands population OF at
least 10000 The policy Of the Government Just the re-
OF what IL should be- Instead Of giving the land
railroad companies II should be given 10 the people, who
would build the roads themselves Had the 25OoOO
given the Illinois Central been given TO actual settlers
parcels Of less than 40 than 100 and
the I25OOO been given poor but deserving working
men, TO assist them getting the land and getting
start on It, every of that land would DO
pied ana under cultivatOnsustaning population Of at
least 10000 thriving Industrious and happy peopeand
they would have railroad built by themselves taking
10 market the products Of their labor at half the
present rates Of freight and doing ten times the
business done by the present road have selected
The Illinois Central TO illustrate how this thing Is done
and the statement will hold good applied 20 all
other railroad companies other corporations aud
individuals Enough however, has been SAID to show 70
every wOrkngman the extent CT the injustice that has
been pr1cace6 upon the industry Of the country"
respondent Of The Gopesi SeTs proposes scheme for
the settlement Of the neglected lands in Texas by the for
nation Of alsndand emigration company with capitalO Of
oo o TO be paid In the treasury Of the
pehy with this capital would buy in Texas
ars eAssper now than they have been before years. Of