, 1870-09-24
QUE RECORD ON PUBLIC LANDS.

The Detrnit- I'ost foots up. the grants of
land in.aid Of railroads, mada prior to 1861.
and chargeable, therefore, to the Demo-
cratic party, at a9.97l,e2C acres, while
these made since 1861, and which are,
therefore, chargeable' to the Republican
parry. amount to z, ?3s, $50 acres. Ii the
rni1road aid grants were, under all ciscum-
stances, wrong. per Il, We are not sure that
Ibis would De satisfactory record for the
Republicans, iuasmuch as it shows that
they have given away as many
acres within ten years as the DEM
ocsats had within the preceding twenty.
1t is to he remembered, however, that rail-
roads fairly began to be run by steam only
in 1884, and the system was still in its in
fancy ten years later, and the complaint
against the system Of subsidies in aid Of
railways is against its abuse. The Illinois
!, Constitutional Convention has declared, as
mattcr Of Law, that all railways are public
highways, under control of the State.
There can ba no dnhercnt objection to
using The public lands as means for the
promotion Of the building Of public
highways to-. the :. e1teut necessary
IL secure the highways. The com-
plaint. hns been that this power was
waatefu1ly exercised, in manner to with
draw vast quantities Of the public lands
fruln the market in manner to prevent
their actual settlement, ND enrich
monupolists, without materially hasten
ing the building of the 2. roads.
This had grown 10 s,,ch an abuse
that there was no way to simplify
the question so us to make the popular will
effective but to shut dowa on NIL land
grants, and send the lobbyists home, This
Republican Congress did, ut the last
session, making no grant, except q
small modified aid one to the
| Northern Pacific, in order to secure the
early construction of TINT great trunk line.
In the mat;er Of canals, the Democrats
party, prior to 1861, had granted 2, 'o:',3St
acres, while the Republican party, since,
has granted only 7o0.n00 acres This diff
ference, however, is very 1nuch like thf
reason why white sheep yield more WOO
than black ones. The Republicans hav'
made few canal grants, because few canal
are building since 1861.
In passing the Union aud Centra
Pacific Railroad bills, the land grant
for which arc, in the main, approve
by the people, the Democratic part
voted, in the Senate-yeas, sight
pays, tscv; in the Hos1se-yeas, u; nayf
~. Total Democratic vote,-yeas, %
nays, n. If to these We add the affirm
tive votes OF Browning, Cowan, Dooli.tls
md. Dixon, who werorn route TO the Den
ocIatic party at the time, We would fin
that the Democratic parsy, as now const
tuted. voted yeas 81 to nays "a on thos
grants. Thu Republicans voted for the1
l,y large majority, and are fairly entitle
| to the credit, and can we'll afford to stan
the responsibility of having causel th
grent national highway 10 he built.. II
, Republican party passed. the Honestet
law. rs 10 The public lands in the Ter
,nrics, over the veto Of Democratic Pre-
> dent. and after heing once defeated by
Dsn:ccrstic Senate. They still furthe
= SINCE the war. applied the same law to Il
upsold public lands ia the South, amouu
ing to 1ortS-live millions Of acres. a fl
Democratic votes have sustained The
homestead measures, hut in their iuceptil
md in tie majority o: The votes viii
: passed thcn,, they IRE Republican me;
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