The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-04-08
- II f. Il g H
CONTINUED.
OF IN d A N A.,

CONTINUED.
Keeping in remembrance these ia da-
mental principles, which from the bd,in-
ming, should have guided aud inspired the
government iD the management Of ouriv
public domain, let me rapidly Surves is
actual policy, and thus exhibit It's fata'' de-
parture from these principles. The entire
aggregate OF lands sold by the government
since its formation is over one hundred and
sixty million acres Of this total auiour,
| believe It would be safe 70 estimatd that
fully one half, at tie date of its sale, passed
into the bands of non resident owners for
speculative purposes Of course. to what-
ever extent the peoples patrimony; was
thus locked up by monopoists, productive
wealth was hlndercd, and settlers dearived
of homes md when, from time to aime.
the lands were sold, the enhanced prize was
cruel wrong to the poor, in which the
government was an equal partner vita the
Spectator, but without profit More than
thirty million acres Yet remain in the hands
of spectators being enough 70 make one
hundred and eighty seven thousand five
hundred homesteads. Of one hundred and
sixty acres each. If these thirty millions
had been sold to actual settlers, and. dedi-
Gated to the raising Of corn, wheat ard 9th
er products, they would have been yi.ldng.
at the low estimate Of ten dollars pt acre
an annual profit Of three hundred million
dollars, while furnishing homes for tie mul-
tltudes who have been driven to hudt them
III me more DISSENT frontier, and at the cost
OF greater prlvatioOs and dangers. This
policy is thus seen to lie as financially stu
pid as it is tisgrantly UNJUST In .(.alifor-
MIA two men own frontage OH H. San
Joaquin river of forty miles in te1t,while
two other spectators have bought 9overn-
ment lands amOwnting to five Hundred
thousand acres. | give these ny specimen
cases. To realize he mischief sf these
monopolies It should be Remembered that
the tracts thus appropriated are TO II found
chiefly in the valleys. and fringing the bays
and rivers, and are the choice lands of the
State. Very intelligent gentlemen in that
State assure me that but for this agil, re-
intorced BY railway monopolies, California
to DAY, instead Of obtaining half ambition.
would boast million people. The blast
ing effects Of such policy are so startling
that if written down in figures th4y would
seem utterly incredible. A few capitalists
in that State have also purchased sast bod.
les Of choice timbered land in Washington
Territory, and are realizing large! fortunes
by shipping its timber TO San Fran,sco and
elsewhere, while inficjiDg widespread and
irreparable mischief upon the Terrs lory.
Every gentleman from the Statbs of the
Northwest knows how those States have
been scourged by this policy, willie in the
land States Of the South, outside Of the
towns and cities, not one man ii ten Is q
land owner. 1t has wrought Upon the
country evils more fearful and enduring than
those of war, pestence, or farsine and
yet, through all the long years If its mad
ascendencv, Congress, by simtl enact
ment, like the bill now pending in this
House, has bad the power to end Il forever.
An act declaring that no more q he pub
lie domain shall be sold except a; provided
in the PIE emptlon and homestead laws.
was all that was needed to stay tie ravages
Of this great national curse. and.iS all that
is now wan ed 10 avert its recurrence in new
and still more frightful forms in tile future.
The workingmen and pioneer settlers Of The
country have repeatedly petitione,, Congress
to enact such law; but their prayer has
been denied in every instance, While their
70 - 4 I a.
terest of monol olists whose wshes have
been promptly coined into law srhc home.
stead act fails to meet the case. ,Tbc riplt
Of the settler TO land free OF co.t !, ~ far
less consequence than The rescrvs.iop Of the
public domain fer settlers only, ,Tlob. truct-
ed in their right of selection. The home
stead law is only step in The i.ht dircc.
ton for while it offers homes } the poor,
il do tits subject 70 the preferred rigbt 81
the speculator e seize and appropriate the
choice lands IN large tracts, and :thus drive
the pioneer further into the Wilderness and
on to less desirable lands
Congress should correct this great evil al
once. The President emphatica!!y recon
mends it, and the Republican party should
no longer hesitate in perfectng its record,
and making good its boasted fri;nd hip for
the landless poor. The political platforms
of all parties, during the past; few years,
have taken the same ground tnd in this
respect have only reflected the earnest and
almost unanimous wishes of thepeople.
Mr.. Speaker | pass to anotS er class Of
facts, and still more alarming to.every man
who will give the subject bis. attention.
Congress has granted lands in laid of rail-
ways and other works of nternkl improve
ment amounting to over two hundred mil
lion acres. That these grants. have done
good service in the settlement asd Geyelop-
nents Of the country do not ubt Tbis
is not The point am now cons hering, and
is one aspect only of the subjeJ. The fact
to be emphasized is, that lands just about
equal IN area to the original thirteen States
of the Union have been surrendered to cor.
porations, without any conditions or re-
strictons securing the rights of settlers.
Theg may sell these lands for just such
price as they please, or hold taem back for
sale altogether for quarter e century,
or lease them for ninety nine years. The