Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-17

mehs oi tue Wisconsin river, but no portion
=, y ias peeh expended, because of the delay in
ming the agreement referred to. With the re
quifements OF the law satisfied in that regard
it is hoped that another and larger ,nnronr;a.'
ton will be granted hy Congress. and Thar tho
work on the river will be vigorously nrosacrt
ed during the ensuing spring.
Regarding the improvement Of these rivers
among the most important national works con.
templated, shall in the future as in the past
devote all the time and labor necessary to ia
furtheIancc, and it will be source of life lone
satisfaction to me If | can even in i small de-
gree be Instrumental in hasteningits completion
RAILROADS.
| The lines now constructing and those nro-
jccted, with prospect Of early completion, viii
soon afford to the larger portion Of the state
ample railroad facilities The roads from Mad
son TO Portage, and from Eagle to Elkhorn
nave been completed during the year Work
on the Baraboo Air Line from Madison north-
westerly, is being pushed energetically forward
The Green Bay and Lake Pepin road i IN nro.
cess OF construction from Green Bay 10 New
London. The West Wisconsin road has Tx
miles completed, and will undoubtedly be fin.
ished to the city of Hudson early the comior
| summer. The Milwaukee and Northern rail-
road is open to Cedarburg, and another section
will be completed the coming year The Port.
age, Winnebago and Lake Superior Land Grant
road is in the possession of men of energy and
| business capacity, and, am informed will be
commenced Immediately and built as rapidly as
possible. The road from Oshkosh to Ripon
will in all probability be constructed this wear.
Work on the Northern Pacific has begnn IN
earnest. This enterprise is one of vast i'm
portance to the whole country, and of much
| prospective benefit to Wisconsin.
| Inc land grants made by Congress in 1856
and 1864 to aid in the construction Of 4 rail
road from Lake st. Croix to Superior and
BAYFIELD,, expired by the terms thereof. in MAY.
1869. The failure of Congress to renew these
| grants has caused great disappointment TO
! thousands of settlers in the northwestern por.-
ton of the State. If congress finally refuses
such renewal great injustice will thereby be
done to those settlers, and to Wisconsin -
Thousands Of people, years ago, settled along
| the lines of these contemplated roads upon the
faith OF these grants. They have purchased
several hundred thousand acres of the reserv
ed land, paving the government double price
therefor in consideration of the grant, thus
rcimbursing the government for large portion
| of the granted lands To snatch from them
the benefits of grant for which they have
| paid the government, because of DELAYS for
| which they are in no wise responsible; to with.
hold these grants inst at the time when their
renewal will ensure the speedy building of the
roads, will be an act of injustice and impolicy
which do not believe congress will commit
Deeming these roads of the utmost Importance
to Wisconsin, and that the renewal OF the
grants was due to our people. | have felt it to
be my duty to use every proper effort to secure
the assent OF congress thereto; and shall not
relax my efforts to aid in the DEVELOPMENT of
that portion of the State most interested in this
enterprise, nor in giving every possible encour.
agemenL to all other schemes of internal i'm
provement which will add to the prosperity
and resources of the commonwealth
These railroad lands have been for nearly
| two years under the charge of the State for
protection against trespaSsers Cen Samuel
Hartman has, during that time, been the agent
of the State to discharge this duty He has
caused to be collected for stumpage, by K. D.
Pike agent of the Bayfeli land office, $l5,-
725 by the United States Marshal. S7SS5
and has collected himself and paid into the
State Treasury, S44,l76 Is. Total amount
collected, $67,7S6lS The sum paid into the
State Treasury, less expenses incurred, will be
held by the state in trust for the parties who
construct the contemplated roads. The agent
is confident that he shall succeed in prevent
ing further depredations.
POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The Legislature, at its last session. requested
the Senator's and members of Congress from
Wisconsin, TO use their most efficient efforts to
procure at an early day the passage of a law
, making provision for connecting WITH and add
! ing to- the present Post Office facilities com.
plete system of telcgraphy so as TO bring with
in the reach of the great mass of people this
most desirable means of communication |
call attention to this subject in the belief that
you WILL after full consideration, reiterate the
request of your predecessors.
SOLDIERS CEMETERIES
/ herewith submit communication from the
Secretary of War asking the consent of the
State to the purchase, by the United States of
the Soldiers Cemetery at Madison The burial
places of our patriot dead are sacred to the
people of this country, and viii so remain until
the last spark of patriotism shall have died
Nor will the people consent that the remains
of those who died in the defense of the Union
shall ever be disturbed to suit the convenience
of those who sought with bloody hands to de.
, styoy our free institutions. No insult could
have been offered to the loyal people of the
country more cruel than was embodied in the
resolutions of a United States Senator, recent
" offered with view to the removal of the
remains of the soldiers now buried on Airing
ton Heights, near Washington. The United
States Senate has the hearty thanks of all who
love the cause for which those soldiers died
but more especially, Of the surviving comrades
of those who sleep in these consecrated graves,
for its indignant refusal to receive and consid-
er such an infamous resolution.
NATIONAL.
i The peace and prosperity which reigns thro'.
out the United States, the vigor and honesty
/ displayed in the management of the national
finances, the steady reduction of the national
debt on the one hand, and Of the taxes on the
other, all testify to the wisdom and efficiency
of the present federal administration. That
the same general policy, sautary in its re-
suits, and so generally approved by the people,
will be pursued in the future we have the as
surance of the President, and another year will
find us with our financial affairs in still better
condition, and our credit in the money markets
of the world equal to that of any other nation.
While our peace is so profound, and its pros
poets of continuance so far, while the fiscal
system OF the government is so satisfactory, it
is fitting time to scrutnze our government
machinery in every part, to eradicate every
abuse, and remove theretrom every element OF
weakness. large portion of the people have
come to realize the great and wide spreading
evils which flow from our present civil service
system, and there is a general desire among
men of every shade of political belief for
radical reform therein. Such change is desired
as will remove the patronage of the government
from the parti2an contests of the people, as will
permit subordinate appointments in the civil
service only for demonstrated fitness and make
the tenure Of Office to depend upon zeal and
fidelity in the service Of the government rather
than party or individuals; such change as will
relieve the President, Cabinet officers, Senators
and members Of Congress from the constant
drudgery of distributing this patronage eav
ing them untrameled to consider only those
matters which concern the statesman. share
in this desire, because | recognize in our pres
| ent manner of dispensing Federal patronage
the most demoralizing element in our political
system These evils have grown to their pres
ent magnitude gradually through many years
| No party nor class of men are responsible for
| them, but our generation will justly be held
responsible for their continuance if fully aware
Of the evil, and realizing the danger, We do not
improve our opportunity to make the reform
which the safety of the nation demands Fully
assured that the people of this State are in nc.
| cord with these sentiments / recommend that