Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-05-19
Rendering the Homestead Law Null,

The public lands are no longer the
property of the people of the United
States. The poor man, who has been
promised home under the so.called
"homestcad law" need not expect
anything of the kind. There will be
nothing for him; thieving Congress,
paid TO steal the public property, have
appropriated these homes as fast as
time permitted them gang of
scoundrely swindlers all the past ses.
sion, as well as during previous ses-
sious, for half n dozen years back,
have filled the lobbies of the council
halls at Washington, and purchased
mp the rotten specimens of humanity
the people have sent there to take
care of their interests; and the poor
mans acres, and the taxpayers hard
earnings, have been sto'en and appro.
priated, TO the extent of hundreds of
millions of dollars. To-day the home
stead law is farce.
The rotten Congressman, and the
equally rotten railroad spectators and
lobby-men, compose the entire "vote-
yoursefa.fa farm-party," and they bid
fair TO be successful TO the greatest
degree. When that heightened body
again convene, the unfinished swindles
will be pushed through, and new ones
inauguratcd. The House of Repre-
sentatives had before it, previous TO
its adjournment, an extensive assort.
ment of plundering schemes of start
ling magnitude. A mepber from
Wisconsin wanted a grant of ten to
thirty sections OF public lands, each
side of the track of the McGreggor
and Sioux City Railroad in Iowa /;
also TO renew the Alabama grants,
which expired by Limitation in 1866.
An Arkansas member asked that the
Memphis and st. Louis Railroad Co.
may build up the levels along the
Mississippi for road bed, and that
the government guarantee the interest
on the bonds to be issued by the Co.
Mt the rate of $4,000 per mile for the
whole length of the route Fremont's
Memphis and El Paso bill, agreed
upon by the House Committee on
Public Lands, is the southern route to
California. Since Grant took his seat,
no less than twenty-four huge land
grabbing bills have been conooctcd,
pushed through the House, and into
the Senate The men engaged at this
game are Pomeroy, Upton, Kellogg,
Williams, Howard, Ramsey, &c, each
two to three bills. 1t is supposed that
grants of ten to fifty miles of land
each side Of these tracks can be OBJ
tanned and so they 60, on the "steal
and go snucks principle which is he
rule.
IL the people need any clearer proof
Of the corruption Of their public SER
wants, the late testimony in the Union
Pacific Railroad case furnishes IL. 1t
was in evidence there that the Union
Pacific r. r. Go. kept a secret service
fund Of 100000 for the purpose Of
brioing members Of Congress and it
was further proved, that some of the
members of the Co, who had charge
of the disposition Of this fund, had
stolen q portion OF il. II was also
proved that over $500, 900 10 cash was
paid TO members Of Congress, and Off
GERS Of the government in a single
year. as bribes, besides several mil.
lions, in shares of this road, which
had secured all the finest lands on
both sides of its track between the
Mississippi and the Pacific coast. viii
the poor man continue to support the
party whose leaders are thus plundor.
ing him Of his homestead DAY Book.