The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-11-01

resolution of Breckingridge plat
form declared for the building OF
the road "at the earliest practica-
BILE moment" The sixteenth res
olution- of thR. Republican plat
j form declared that such a road
was. imparatively demanded by
the interests ofthe whole country.
Upon this point all the people
were united.
There being no states to which
to grant land in trust for the Pa
cific railways, as had been done in
previous instances, they were
granted, under certain conditions,
to the corporations themselves-thc
various grants standing as fol-
lows:
To the Union and Central Pacific,
To the Northern Pacific and
] Branch, estimated .-... IS, 000, 600
To the Atlantic and Pacific, es-
| MINATED '---....-.--.--.- 42,ooV,ooo
Total estimated acres -. 1S5, 0O0, 900
NOT A PARTY POLICY.
4 AS already shown, the policy of
extending the land-grant system
to national highways across the
continent, although approved and
accomplished by the republican
party, was not strictly republic
can policy. Both parties were
committed to it, just as both par
ties are now committed to an
abandoncmeut of the aystem. The
people were generally in favor of
it then. just as they are now gen
orally opposed to it. The repub-
lican party obeyed the popular de-
sire in the one case just as it is
obeying it in the other. 1t made
land grants when the people want
ed them, and now that the people
have changed their views in that
regard, it promptly changes its
practice, and places itself in accord
with them. The republican par
ty has no policy to enforce against
the will of the people.
When the Pacific bills, which
were in the main demanded and
endorsed by the people, were pas
scd, partnership did not enter in
to the matter. The democrats vo-
ted, in the senate-yeas eight, nays
ttco; in the house-yeas Ii, nays %;
total democratic vote-yeas, %,
nays "a. If to these we add the
affirmative votes of Browning,
Cowan, Doolittle and Dixon, who |
were en- route to the democratic |
party at the time, we would find
that the democratic party as now
constituted, voted yeas 25, to nays |
IA on those grants. The republi-
cans voted for them by 4 large |
majority, and are fairly entitled |
to the credit and can well afford |
to stand the responsibility of hav-
ing caused these great national
highways 10 be built.
The Democratic party had been
trying for fifteen years to accom-
plish the great work of connect
ing the oceans and opening up the
interior of the continent to settle
ment and cultivation, but had ut
terly failed because of it's inability
to overcome sectional opposition.
When the opposing sections went
into rebellion it opened the door
for northern enterprise. The re-
publican party improved the OPP
portunity, and commended itself
to the good opinion of the coun-
try by promptly inaugurating and
speedily and successfully carrying
out this most important and stu
pendous of national work of i'm
proyement. The people endorsed
it then, and they endorse it now.
No apologies need be made for it.
1t has created new states and ter
and returned thousands T
Of dollars to the people for every
dollar it ever cost them. The SER
vices of the republican party in
moulding and consumating the
Pacific railway system entitle it to
n measure of popular gratitude
but little short of that which is
due it for its work in the preser-
Walton of the union and the enan-
cipation of the slaves.
i CHECK APPLIED.
Having thus secured the open
ing of the rich regions of the far
west, and done impartial justice to
the several sections ofcountry i'm
interested, it seemed
clear to the observant and thought
full representatives of the people in
congress that the time had arrived
for change of policy-that with
the completion of three great trans
continental lines ofroad, the coun-
try would be sufficiently opened
to settlement, and that the con-
structioA of local connecting lines
might well be mainly left to local
and Individual enterprise, unassist-
ed by government subsidies. So,
the republican congress decided to
make no more grants, except upon
the express provision that the pre-
emption principle should apply to
the granted lands, and that said
lands, equally with those of the
government, should be opened to
the settlers at government rates.
A very short time sufficed to
show that, owing to the increas-
ing number of western railroad |
schemes, and the extraordinary IA
pacity of those engaged in them,
the policy above indicated would |
not operate as sufficient check in
the interests of the settler. There
fore, another and completely adj
equate step was taken in the adop- |
ton by the house of the following
resolution. which received the vote |
of every Republican member:
ReOolUed, That in the judgment |
of this house, the policy of grant
ing subsidies in public lands to
railroads and other corporations
ought to be discontinued; and that
every consideration of public policy
and equal justice to the whole peo-
pie requires that the public lands of