The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-05-31

order to earn bread for myself and my
little ones when that comes to be the
question here, as it may become here as
well as in other countries, Senators. your
children and your children's children
will not forgive you if you have parted
with this great domain which would have
put bread into the mouth-of that labor
ing man.
say this in no spirit Of demagogism.
/ do not pretend that am more yirtu:,
Gus or upright than other men bat l do
claim for myself that will not, know
lngly, play the dcmagogue. LIDO not,
therefore, when say that these monop
olies ought not to be granted, speak it
in the language or with the feeling of the
demagogue. am opposed to monopo-
lies !; and of all m6iidpolies in the world,
land monopoly is the most oppressive.
] say it not with reference to the large
farms which are common in this coun-
try. i do not ask that there shal. be an
agrarian division of them. In my own
State it is no uncommon thing to see q
farm of one thousand or two thousand,
or even three thousand acres, devoted
partly to agriculture and partly to graz
zing. Whether that is beneficial to the
State or not do not stop to inquire.
do not choose to interfere vita it, or de:
sire to interfere with it; but, when it
comes to momopolizing land by the mf.-
ion acres, then say that it is time Ivr
every man to raise bis voice against IA
And mark it, that of all monopolists o
corporation is the worst. If an individ-
ual engrosses land when death comes
and puts its hand Upon him his possess,'
ions 60 to bic heirs under the statute os
descents; are divided and cut up and
parceled out, ,-or they go to the objects
of his bounty under the provisions Of
his will, and are usually as much divided,
cut up, and parceled out. But corpo-
ration endowed with perpetuity knows
no death !; and just as long as it sees fit
to own its land just SO long may it CON
tinue to own it. There is no statute Of
partition to divide it; there is no statutei
of descents to mete it out here and,
there it makes no will or testament BY
which its possessions are scattered far
and near; and therefore Of all monop-
olists Of land the worst is perpetual
corporation.
Mr.. President, these are the general
views which entertain; and ! have not
the strength, if had the desire, to go
into details. Indeed, 1 de not suppose
it to be necessary. The one great idea
with me, and that which overrides all
other considerations, is that wish this
land to be preserved for the 'landless.-.
My own belief is that the best policy,
the United States could pursue would
be to give its land in suitable quantities
to men who would 60 and occupy IT,
How much of suffering is there in the
great cities everywhere; and right here
| in the national capital our ears were as
sailed by the cries for relief two weeks
ago; and yet here is a country that has
home for every citizen in it,. if the
Government would grantit to him on
condition that he should 60 and occupy
llt You will do better for your country,
Senators, you will do more to increase
its aggregate wealth, you will do more
to promote the happiness of It's people,
yes, thousandfold more, by giving
your public lands in suitable quantities
to the men who will settle and occupy
them, than you win by playing the land
miser and trying to wiring the last dollar
of exorbitant price for the lands which
you grant to them.
And this brings me to observe that it
is no commendation to me Of this bill
or any other of these bills that they pro-
pose to indemnify the Government
against pecuniary loss for the alternate
sections il gives by doubling the price
of the sections it retains Doubling the
price on whom Putting up the price
on whom? The Government ~extorting
a higher price for its land from the peo-
pie of the country, from its own people;
acting like a land shark, and taking ad-
vantage of circumstances to enhance
the price, and demanding more pay from
the poor man who lays up a pittance
from his daily labor in order that he
may become the possessor of real esta-
lte.a !
4 -
This, Mr.. President, has always seem
ed to me to be a heartless policy. 1t is
no answer to me, therefore, to say that
the Government will lose nothing in
pecuniary point of view by giving half
these lands to the railroad, because the
railroad will make the half that is re.
strained BY. the Government worth more
than the whole was before. That is no
answer at all. 1t is not as dealer in
land, it is not as land speculator that
I view this question. 1 look upon it as
a question whether or not this great and
bountifnl gift that Providence has b.
slowed on this nation, such as no nation
in the world sever before had, whether
this opportunitysg given toathis people
shall be improved for the benefit Of the
people; of the homeless, the destitute,
and the suffering, or whether-it shall be-
come the great fund Of speculation, Of
perpetual corporations, out of which.
they are to enrich their stockholders,
their favorites, or their friends. rs7 HA
EH-We did well in Connecticut, and
much better in New York. So far the
fifteenth amendment has been productive
of Democratic victories, and we believe
they will continue until Radicalism is
overthrown in the nation. That result
cannot be far off, The sentiment of cp-
position is taking shape, and uniting it.
self with the Democratic party as the
surest and swiftest way to cure the coun-