The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-05-27
FROM KANSAS.
AN ADDRESS TO THE WoRkMcMEN or THE
UNITED STATES.

!ONiIeO STATES
We the Undersigned citizens of Kansas,
Crawford county would take this method
of publicly addressing you through the col
umns of the newspaper press upon sub
ject Of vast and paramount Importance, not
only TO the people Of this section, but also
70 yourselves, and to all like US, who toll
for their daily bread, who may come after
u. Ii would be announcement and i'm
practicable for US to appear before you
personally, and plead our cause, and which
at the same time is the cause ofeyerv work
ingman in the United States. It ia for
this reason that we come before you in our
present method Of communication. II Is
: matter Of history to US all that the Land
Question is one that has assumed vast and
formidable proportions. From the date of
the organization Of this government down
through all its subsequent history, until
the present moment, what disposition
should be made Of the public domain Is a
point that has always excited the public in.
terest, and engaged the public attention
After many long years of agitation of'con-
troversy and discussion, as you are vel
aware, first the presumption, and subse
quently the homestead laws were adonted
as the deliberately expressed voice Of tbt
people uttered IN emphatic and uumista
able tones on the occasion Of great popu,
lar election. 1t was the earnest and clio
quent advocacy Of the policy embraced il
these laws SO emnently wise, lust apt
equitable in themselves, which as every on,
knew gave the Republican party its erea
strength, power aud success in the Union
particularly In the great West II was he
cause the people as a whole believed that
the public domain did moi belong 10 tbi,
party or to that party which might bapper
to be in power, but to all the people ii GU,
broad aud extended Union. and was -,
sacred ola ~ " ~ ueld ia "a -st nvr ~.
uenet;, " ali the people, aud to be disposed
ID 10 tuy way and manner prescribed u
pre- emntion ami honest I'D laws bef,rs
uamru We now ask you fellow-working-
men and fellow-cltizens of the United
States, how has this exception been met
and realized by the men and the party now
running the machinery Of this government.
No sooner have they assembled to their seat
Of power 50 confdIngly entrusted to them
by an overwhelming popular vote than they
Lave as steadily eyaded and set aside these
laws upon almost every conceivable as well
as unjustlhable pretext, unworthy of the
chosen representatives Of great and free
people, chosen, too, especially With refer
ence to the carrying cut Of the policy en-
braced in the laws already named and
which had been SO distinctly and en-
phatically endorsed at the polls By in
voking and summoning to their aid tie
treaty making power, and by 7.her dishon-
esty and rascally tricks Of legislation, they
have given or bargained away millions on
millions of acres Of the public domain to
private individuals or to private corporations
disregarding their own pledges and violat-
ing their faith with their people. The peo-
pie, we insist, by their own popular verdict,
lad declared at the polls that the pre-emp-
ton and homestead laws should be- the
predominant and only prevailing policy in
the disposition Of the public domain, no
matter what party might accidentally ad-
minister the government. Now, fellow
citizens, with these laws upon the statute
books Of our country, inviting and encour-
aging immigration to the public domain,
Immediately at the close of the war for the
Union. thousands Of our fellow workers, by
far the larger proportion OF whom, like our
selves had borne arms for the maintenance
u the honor Of the flag, and for the pres
eryation of the Union, at the close Of the
late war, having to start anew again in the
great business of life, sought for homes in
the great West upon the public domain.
We knew that the men chosen to ad-
minister the Government bad pledged
themselves to carry out the will Of the peo-
ple as deliberately expressed in reference
to the land policy Of the Government
And we verify believed in them But
alas we have found to our sorrow and our
cost, that it will not do to put our trust IN
politicians any more than in princes AZ
ter locating ourselves, with our fellow com,
rades upon this portion Of the public land,
otherwise called the Neutral Lands Of
Kansas, by the action of one branch Of our
Government, we find ourselves sold out by
the very men to whom we looked with the
utmost confidence for protection IN the
most peaceable and unmolested enjoyment
Of our rights under the laws Of our com
mon country. In vain have we appealed
In vain have we entreated and expostulated
with those men for the partial, ungenerous
and unjust procedure Of their course.
Here is a tract land larger in area than the
State Of Rhode Island, under the jurisd g.
ton and control of the general Govern
ment, sold out to one man for the nominal
sum OF 81 per acre, utterly disregarding
the rights of citizens of our country, seek
ing in good faith to make homes Tor them
selves AMI their families in the confident
expectation that the chosen servants of the
popular will would certainly regard their
pledges and most assuredly protect them in
the peaceable enjoyment of their homes.
But 50 far from doing this, after committing
a great and unparalleled wrong, they have
added insult to injury by sending an armed
force into the country to intimidate and
overawe loyal and patriotic citizens Of the
United States, and force them into aequl-
essence to new order Of things, subversve
Of laws already established, and inimical 70
lie rights of the people. But thanks to
be forbearance and virtue Of free born