The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-12
Waits from Washington.

me NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. I0ytOT-
Soldiers Grdyes-Public Lands
Col. Peters Speech.
WASHINGTON, D. G..
MAY 9Th, 1870.
Like the famous Charleston Con-
vent!oh in 1860, the convention held
in this city to-day for the purpose Of
nominating candidate for Mayor,
split all to pieces and the good pol
ticiahs are floating about on the
waves of confusion without oar or
rudder. One wing Of the party
nominated the present incumbent,
Sayles J. Bowen-while tho other
wing bet its whole pile on MaJor
Richards, the Superintendent OF the
Metropolitan Police. Hon. Hawk
ms Taylor, formerly Of Keokuk, and
at one time, I believe, twas Mayor Of
that City, has taken considerable
interest in local politics here. He
was on the ground and proceeded to
make speech. Three or four Of
the City Hall rats sailed in and tried
to choke him off. But Hawkins
wouldn't down at any mans bidding
and having good grit, q stout pair Of
lungs, plenty Of cheek, and being
conscious he was in the right; away
be went on the high pressure system
and faxed the whole crowd. 1
always liked Hawkins for the ear
nestness and vim with which he
fought for his rights. So much for
Keokuklan. Thecampaign promises
to DO lively for the next month.
BY a general order issued, and
also by Act of Congress, the 3Oth
of May will be set apart forever as
Memorial Day." The graves Of
our fallen heroes will be decorated
with flowers as a token of respect to
tho memory of those who laid their
lives upon their country's altar
Over $4,000 graves can be seem to-
day at Arlington, tho former home
of the rebel General Lee. These will
be decorated on the Both inst, under
the auspices of the G. A. r.
Congress has voted Mrs: General
Rawlins a years pay-the salary of
the late Secretary Of War-if he had
lived. This is as it should be. Gen.
Rawlins was poor when he entered
the army and ruined his health in
the military service. He was poor
when the war closed. His eminent
services cannot be recognized by
stereotyped resolutions. Resolutions
and speeches don't cost much, they
are very we'll in their place, but. they
| won't support destitute widow or
educate her orphan children.
The proceedings in Congress for
the last week have been exceedingly
dull and uninteresting. Mr.. Schenck
has kept weary members at the ever
lasting tariff and the Senate has been
at work on the Calendar.
The defeat of Hon. George w.
Julian in Indiana for denomination
to Congress is regarded here as anation
al calamity. Mr.. Julian's land policy
has always been the best proposed.
The policy OF giving away so many
broad acres land grants to rail road
monopolies is disastrousi in it's conse-
quences. Thousands upon thousands
g every yea sna ahereby Sea
ting class of bloated land holders
and filling the country with landed
aristocracy as grinding on the poorer
classes as ever was practiced by the
titled nobility of Europe.
A few evenings ago l listened to
On address on this subject by Col. E.
T Peters formerly the editor of the
Washington Chronicle. Col. Peters
is a gentleman of culture aud
finances and our public lands
are the great themes upon which he
has spent much careful research and
hard study. A large and intelligent
audience was in attendance, and his
remarks couched in the choicest lam
guage were received with delight
The speaker commenced by referring
to the fact that, according to the last
report of the General Land Office,
upward of 1872, 100000 acres have al
ready been granted to railroads, this
being about four and half acres of
each individuals share in the public
domain, and territory more than
seven times as large as the State of
Ohio. Over and above the land do.
mated to railroads, and that other
wise disposed of-amounting in all
to about 59S, 900, 900 acres-there re-
mains about 1926, 900, 900 acres in
the possession of the Government,
but it was shown, by referring to
statistics of the amount of waste
land in the Rocky Mountain region
and elsewhere, that, after deducting
such land, and the 369,00O,00o acres
embraced in Alaska, there remained,
outside Of this latter Territory, only
about 626, 000, 900 acres of land avail
able for use in the possession OF the
nation, while it is roughly estimated
that the amount of land grants ask
cd for in bills now pending before
Congress is nearly 100000 900 acres,
or nearly two-thirds as much as the
whole available portion of the public
domain now remaining. Called at
tention to the fact that as the rail.
roads in new countries generally got
q very large proportion of the choic-
est lands included IN their grants.
the effect of the passage of the bills
now pending would be to skim the
very cream off the entire surface of
the public domain. Referred to the
fact that the real value of our wild
lands is greatly nder-estimated, and
showed by statistics that the lands
embraced within the new States of
Illinois, Wisconsin. Minnesota, Iowa,
and Kansas have advanced in value
at tho average rage of fully one dol
lar an acre per annum from the time
they were sold by the Government.
And vet o Senator recently stated