The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-01-21
NATIONAL PARK.
By VICTOR PARfoH.

By UcToR PAR4oH.
On the 10th Of October, 1859, the
suggestion that our country needs
National Park was made through the
editorial columns Of the Cleveland
Leader. Soon after, the Philadelphia
Press formally copied the suggestion
and heartily endorsed it, saying, "let us
have National Park by all means. "
The Ohio Weekly ReviesO, and few mi
nor journals, briefly, but approvingly,
dwelt upon the theme. Then came "a
dead silence" which, l believe, has
been unbroken until now. 1t NAV be
interesting to endeavor to account for
the silence. The newspapers and pol
itlcians are, or should be by this time,
familiar with the subject. No one has
ventured to offer any dispsragement
If the publishers Of papers suspect that
the project is private speculation, or
an advertising scheme, or party man
euvre, or if they wish to make it 50,
they will Ger tsinly fail in all their cal
culstions and have the consciousness of
neglecting, from the meanest motives,
TO advocate the establishment of great
national blessing. If politicians in
dulge in similar views, or if they are
merely holding back to find the best
opportunity forhaking personal capt.
tai out Of the matter, they will be
equally at fault. 1t is of no material
consequence who the author of the sug-
gestiOn may be, and, even if it were
the most unlmpOrtant item, he is quite
willing to submit his record to the clos
est scrutiny and compare his position
With that Of any PGlitisiaG a The he words offtais
of the Philadelphia Press, "let US have
a National Park by all MEANS" are sim
ply the echoes of every mans thought
in the premises. The people are not
so backward as not to know that a
National Park would be good thing,
but it is much to be regretted that a
proposition so plain, SO manifestly ben
efcial to all parties, should require to
be urged in manner that has long
since gone out Of date, with business
men at least. Even at this late day
thousands of people like to he 'taIked
to" at all times and under all circum-
stances. A distinguished speech
making politician relates of himself
that, while he was building a barn,
several of his workmen refused to drive
a nail or move board until he made
a speech about barns in general and
that barn in particular. This perhaps
is our national 1alling-we are too fond
of chat.
"a National Park means a tract of
land Of say about three hundred acres,
to be owned, furnished, adorned and
enriched by the people, and managed
by the government for the people. Al
ready we have the land-it may be
found in the six hundred million acres
Of public domain, all Of which might
have been bountifully cultivated, TWEEN
ty years ago, in such manner as to
render every citizen more comfortable
without making any one unhappy, if
our leading men" had turned more of
heir attention in that direction. If
his. land should not be deemed desira-
bic there is no State in the Union but
las sufficient patriotism, to say moth
ny OF common sense, to offer soil
enough for the purpose Of a mammoth
ark. Nor could any jealousy long ex
81 after the location of such a feature
q our civilization had been determin-
d upon. 1t is true that property hold
re- in the Immediate vicinity Of tle
ark would be benefited, but no more ]
han the property holders near the cap
tol at Washington are, and this is not |
source Of distress to the nation. The |
ark would require location sOmeDhers
that is pretty certain-and We would /
'e very foolish if we should declare
gainst any park because, in the newt
BILE destiny of things, little private
cal estate realized an advance in price.
There is not a man in the country who
7Ould fail to find himself a great deal
etter of, pecuniarily, with a National
lark than without one, no matter
There it was located nor what proper
Y holders were directly concerned.
borrower, the monopoly, by individu-
IL, ofmoney, land, business, and fame,
ill, in good time, wear itself out, with
ut any undue opposition. All that
eed be asked ofour representatives in
congress is that they secure, or ap-
-opriate, or accept land tor park and
etermine, Of course, the location. |
his is matter that may be attended |
at almost any time without detri- t
ent to any other national inter est; a |
after in which every man may con- {
itute himself delegate" and every d