The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-02-23

low me to ask him question
Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin-Cer-
tainly.
Mr.. Rogers-Are these pine lands
entirely worthless except the timber
Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin-They
are generally worthless for any other
purpose. lam perfectly familiar with
that subject. These lands are not val
liable for purposes of settlement.
Mr. FarnswortIl-They will be af-
ter the timber is taken of.
Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin-No
sir.
Mr.. Roger-I want to know the
character of these pine lands.
I Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin-They
are generally sandy, barren lands
trict { Mr.. Sawyer] is himself perfect
" familiar with this question, and he
will bear me out in what i say, that
these pine timber lands are not adap-
ted to settlement.
/ Mr.. Rogers-The pine lands to
j which / am accustomed are generally
very poor. What I want to know is,
! what is the difference between our
pine lands and your pine lands
Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin-The
pine timber of Wisconsin generally
grows upon barren, sandy land. The
gentleman from Maine Mr.. Peters |,
who is familiar with pine lands, will.
l have no doubt, say that pine timber
grows generally upon the most bar
ren lands.
Mr.. Peters-As general thing pine
lands are not worth much for cultiya-
ton.
| And further l find this pregnant
question, the joint production of the
two gentlemen from Wisconsin:
Mr.. Paine-Does my friend from
Indiana suppose that in any event
settlers will occupy and cultivate
these pine lands?
| Mr.. Washburn, of Wisconsin-Par-
ticularly without a railroad?
Yes, sir, particularly without a
railroad" It will be asked after a
while, am afraid, if settlers will go
anywhere unless the government
builds railroad for them to go on.-
Laughter
| 1 desire 10 call attention to only one
more statement, which 1 think suffi-
cient to settle the question. 1t is one
made by the gentleman from Wiscon-
sin, Mr.. Paine] who says:
'These lands will be abandoned for
the present. 1t may be that at some
remote period there will spring up in
that region anew kind of agriculture
which will cause demand tor these
particular lands; and they may then
come into use and be valuable for ag-
ricultural purposes. But / know, and
[ can not help thinking that my friend
from Indiana understands. that for
the present, and for many years to
come, these pine lands can have no
possible value other than that arising
from the pine timber which stands OH
Them"
Now, sir, who, after listening to this
emphatic and unequivocal testimony of
these intelligent, competent, and able
bodied witnesses [laughter1, who that
is not as incredulous as st. Thomas
himself, will doubt for moment the
Goshen of America is to be found in
the sandy valleys and upon the pine
T clad hills of the ST. Croix? Laugh
teri Who will have the hardihood
to rise in his seat on this floor and as
sert that, excepting the pine bushes
the entire region would not produce
vegetation enough in ten years to fat
ten grasshopper? [Great laughter
Where is the patriot who is willing
that his country shall incur the peril
of remaining another day without the
amplest railroad connection with such
an inexhaustible mine OF agricultural
wealth. Laughter.] Who will an
sWer Tor the consequences OF aban-
doning great and warlike people. in
possession of a country like that. to
brood over the indifference and neg
lect of their government? Laugh
ter How long would it be before
they would take to studying the Dec
laration of Independence and hatch
ing out the damnable heresy of seces-
sion? How long before the grim de-
mon of civil discord would rear again
his horrid head in our midst, "gnash
loud his iron fangsC and shake his crest
OF bristllng bayonets ~ Laughter
Then, sir, think of the long and
painfnl process of reconstruction that
must follow with its concomitant
amendments to the Constitution-the
seventeenth, eighteenth and nlne-
teeuth articles. The sixteenth, it is
of course understood. is to be appro-
priated to those blushing damsels who
are, day after day, beseeching us to
let them vote, hold office, drink cock
tails, ride astraddle, and do everything
else the men do. Roars of laughter.
But above all, sir, let me implore you
to reflect for single moment on the
deplorable condition of our country in
case of a foreign war, with all our
ports blockaded, all our cities in a
state of siege, the gaunt speoter of !
famine brooding like a hungry vql-
ture over our starving land our COM
missary stores all exhausted, and our
famishing armies whitening away in
fol hnI TO ha
tiate demon of hunger; our navy rot
ting in the docks for want of provis- |
ions for our gallant seamen, and we
without any railroad communication
whatever with the prolific pine thick
cts of the St. Croix. fGreat laughter
Ah, sir, 1 could very well under
stand why my amiable friends from
Pennsylvania Mr.. Myers, Mr.. Kelley !
and Mr.. O'Neill] should be so earnest
in their support of this bill the other
day, and if their honorable colleague, |
my friend, Mr.. Randall, will pardon |
the remark, 1 will say l considered
his criticism of their action on that
occasion as not only unjust but I'M
generous. l knew they were looking
forward with the far reaching ken Of
enlightened craftsmanship to the pitt
able condition in which Philadelphia
will be left unless speedily supplied
with railroad connection in some way
or other with this garden spot of the |
universe, laughter And besides,
sir, this discussion has relieved my
mind of a mystery that has weighed
upon it like an incubus for years. ]
could never understand before why
there was so much excitement during
the last Congress over the acquisition
of Alta Vela. / could never under
stand why it was that some of our
ablest statesman and most disinterest-
ed patriots should entertain such dark
forebodings of the untold calamities
that were to befall our beloved coun-
try unless we should take immediate
possession of that desirable island.