Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-11-02
NUMBER A.

grants by Democratic Congress. That
ample do not deny. merely state the
fact to show that whatever partisans may
say about the other side being the sinner,
both parties have decided that the grants
can be made under the Constitution rs it
stands, and that therefore the only rem
edy is to change the Constitution ITSELF
| While believe that the building of
the great railway uniting the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans was demanded by ev-
cry consideration of patriotism and
wise public policy, and that when that
enterprise was inaugurated the public
welfare demanded that no consideration
of economy should prevent its early COM
pletion, yet | think that the prodigalty
that II wise statosmanship then dictated,
has caused Legislators TO lose sight of the
necessities which then pressed the nation,
and to erect that grant into precedent
for enriching any railroad company that
has sufficient audacity to ask the favor.
The railroad land grant system is not
the only evil which this amendment
would cure. The infamous system of pri-
vate entry Of public lands would be for
ever crushed out the system by which
the capitalist is made richer, the poor of
the country poorer, and by which the
Government does not gain one cent. Mr..
Speaker, it is, of course, unnecessary for
me to produce n long array of figures to
show the amount of land that has during
the last nineteen years boen given or sold
at nominal price to corporations and
capitalists. These figures have been be-
fore you 50 often that their immensity has
lost its power to surprise you. Suffice it
to say, that one-third of all this vast pat
rimony of the people, or an equal to that
of the thirteen original States, has thus
been squandercd. Is it not time to pause
ore the remainder slip from our hands
and all the vast good of which it is sus-
ceptible be denied us forever? Surely it
is timo.
We can only judge of the future by
the past, and judging by that, before tho
year 1900, If wo follow tho present sys-
tenn, every foot Of the public domain will
have been concentrated in the hands of
largo landed propriotors, and the laboring
poor will have been robbed of that to
which they have as just II claim as tho
greatest capitalists in the land.
Gentlemen may say that the system |
propose will prevent the grant of land to
States for educational purposes. This is
true, but it does not prevent tho grant to
the States of the proceeds of the sale OF
any portion Of tho land. But would
have the title in fee remain in the Geno,-
al Government until the settler shall
take it. Under this rule wo would have
no awful porverson of the Governments
bounty; no system Of State land laws
which robs the poor OF all power to nc
qulre the land, and gives the rich every
facility for making it his own, rs is now
the case in some Of the States % this I'M
ion.
have thus, Mr. Speaker, very briefly
and very crudely, given some of tho
many reasons that might be adduced why
this amendment should be ingraited on
the Constitution of tho Republic. II
something be not DONE aud that quickly,
the peoples heritage will soon have been
| taken from them to tho last acre. But
take away tho power of any future Con-
gress to dispose of the public lands OK
cept to settlers in small quantities, and
you can count on the fingers of your two
hands the years within which tho great
West will be filled by race of hardy pi-
oneers, whose homes will dot every val
ley and deck every mountain side. They
will be lovers and defenders Of freedom,
too, for on the other side of this continent
our grand old mountains, our boundoss
prairles, our immense forests, and mag
niilcent rivers are alike the teachers and
temples Of free aud brave people.
The cry Of the savage beast and more saw
age Indian will be drowned by the music
of the Sabbath bells, and cities and towns,
and churches and schools, and all the ev-
licences os Il highor, of American civili-
zation, will be seen from tho Missouri
river to the Sierra Nevada. New States
will spring from tho wilderness, like Min
erva from tho brain of Jupiter, full
grown, armed and equipped, ready for
peace or war. And tho time will soon
come when we may truly say that while
" Thobes marched her thousands from
hundred gatos,
We march our millions from a hundred
htntos ~
And now, in conclusion, let me say,
Mr.. Speaker, that while | ask aud hope
that when this resolution is placed upon
its passage many Democrats will support
it, yet il is with peculiar pleasure that |
ask the Republican members to assist
me in placing this, the brightest gem OF
all, in the crown of the Republican party.
1t has much to be proud Of. 1t has by
its actions, written the brightest page in
the worlds history OF freedom. 1t has
conquered a gigantic rebellion against
this Republic aud thus saved to the hum
bic and downtroddon of all nations an
asylum and home, where all men aro
equal before the law. 1t stretched forth
its arm and the manacles orumbled and
tell from the limbs Of every slave in tho
land. II passed the homestead law, moro
benifeent in its purposes than any other
law ever passed by any nation of the
earth. Let Us add this to the diadem of
brilliant deeds, that il gave all tho vast