The Placer herald., 1870-03-19

the United States who, with an intuition for its
nner ana truer than all your rhetoric. all your
ratiocinaton, all your philosophy, discern that
there is eminent danger in the policy of Con-
gress oil granting to these private corporations
vast tracts OF land, equal almost to half cont.
nent. equal to half dozen of your largest
States, aud thereby invest them with the over
shadowing power which the possession of the
land gives in a free country. Why in free
country! Because free country cannot exist
without free land, and our institutions have to
rest. II they rest at all. great body of indie
pendent rceholders. What become of them if
this policy is pursued? Senators say because
the grants of land to railroads have been bene-
fetal in the past they to be continued in the
iuture because we have given away to
railroads one hundred and eightytwo million
acres since 1851 speak by the record the
same policy must be pursued hereafter 1t docs
not follow because railroad companies have con
trlbuted TO deveope the material resources OF
this country that they should become the owners
and hence the rulers of the country.
The railroad is great civilizer, it is said; but
l never have understood in what way it added
very materially to The moral forces of the State,
which are the real strength Of the Republic. l
have never joined and do not now join in au
outcry against corporations as such bat | am
equally lar from concurring in the extravagant
euoges of them to which we have been treated
to-day, aud which must have forced smile from
every dispassionate listener. l am neither the
assailant of corporations rs such, nor their cham
pion. They are what they are, neither more nor
less
Now, what is il that the Senators on the other
side say? They insist that the present hour
must alone be regarded and that to do this the
public domain must he givsn away to corpora
tlons as rapidly as possible. In my judgment
THIS Is a spendthrit idea, system of waste that
violates the true policy of administering the pub
llc lands. The government OF the United States
holds these lands in trust; Il sacred trust to be
executed by it, not abandoned to private corpor-
ations. For whom and for what is this trust
Is 1t Tor us to day and us only Is it merely for
the progress and deveopement of day? No,
sir; it is not for to-day alone hut for to-day and
the many days that are hereafter 1t is not for
us only; but for the race Of free people that are
to possess this continent by countless millions
forever. These lands are their inheritance, the
field and the security of their civilization and
their liberties ut Inheritance to be husbauded
and not to be squandered r..t.t. BIB.
beg Senators in dealing with this subject to
deal with it some reference to the great interest
concerned, to the vital interests of the American
people to the long future; with some reference
to the feelings, wishes and apprehension OF the
great body OF the people. 1t would i'll become
the State OF California to reject an agency which
has had so powerful q part in her development.
Her people understand, however, what the dan
gers are that menace them from the continuance
that spirit, friendly to railroad enterprises will
ing they should be aided by the Government, de-
string they should be aided in every proper case,
they simply ask Congress to change the practice
OF vesting the lands OF the country in great mass
cs, by States and empires, by title IN these COM
panies.
Is there anything unjust or unwse in thatf is
there anything in it that should be met here with
denuncatons and cries Of obstruct ton to pro-
gress? Sir, the man who so speaks of the peo-
pie of California does great injustice to the in
teligent, enterprising progressive men of that
State who, without distinction of party have
united in declaration that railroads should be
aided, but without vesiing in them vast tracts
of the public domain. Is there anything wrong
in this policy? l say, let it be tried before
it is denounced by Senators as impracti cable.
AS for me, that islthe platform built by the State
which sends me here, and mean to stand upon
it, even il stand alone.
AS to the bill now before the Senate, do not
say that shall vote against it. 1t is in many
respects an impro vement on the old system |
shall be governed in my vote by what sh, occur
in the progress of the debate and the effect oil it
upon my judgment.