The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-09
Mr. speer on Land Grants.

On the 29th Of February, when q bill
was before Congress extending the time
for the completion of the ST. Creix and
Lake Superior Rail Road, and when the
policy of the government granting away
the public lands TO rail road monopoiss
was discussed at considerable length MIR.
Sueer, the member of Congress from this
district, having five minutes time allotted
to him, made the following pertinent and
well timed remarks
Mr. SPBER. of Pennsylvania. The man
ner in which the friends of this measure yes
tsrday attempted to force it through the
Heuse. made the impression upon me, aud
| think upon the minds of several other
members en- this side, that the bill itself was
without merit. Ne fair, honest, and just
measure should be afraid of the light of i'm
partial discussion and no bill, Mr.. Speaker.
proposing to take from ibe national domain
some two OF two and half million acres of
land without compensation, for the benefit
of a railroad company. should be passed
Mr.. RUsK. VIII the gentleman yisld to
nae a moment.
Mr.. SrEER, Of Pennsylvania. decline to
yield. and | think the gentleman from Wis.,
consin MR. RUsK is the last person who
should ask that i was saying that no bill
that proposed to take from the national de
main between two and three million acres of
the public lands, should be forced Through
this House by gentlemen claiming to repre-
sent the people without the voice of tho peo>
! pie being heard for if their is one question
! upon which the public mind of this natisn,
of all parties. of all classes is settled, it is
! L., Il, = II
public domain by corporations and nonopo-
lies. The laboripg classes of this country
have suffered it, and have suffered it in
silence. until their silence longer would be
| crime.
To whom do these lands belong By
whose valor and patriotism and services have
they been purchased aud saved for the coun-
! try Whsse brave arms have won for US
| these broad acres, and to whom do they ia
| justice and in fairness and in honor to day
belong? Is it to these corporations and to
these nonopolies who for selfish and specu-
lativs purposes. from year TO year. threng
the lobbies of Congress who havs their paid
and pensioned agents here from month to
month and from year to year Or is it to
the gallant men who have become crippled
in the service of the country, who to the
nusic of the Union have marched from one
b attic field to another. and who to day lift
up thoir patriotic voices and plead with Us
to save to them and to the widows and or
phaus of those who have fallen home in
which to live, and grave il which to lie
buried2
Mr.. Speaker, Congress within the last ten
years has given to corporations and monopo-
lies about two hundred million acres of the
public lands, and understand that there are
bills now pending for the giving away of two
huldred millions more. When and where is
this legislation to stop2 Shall it go on until
every foot Of our soil is absorbed ? Shall it
go on until these gigantic monopolies
stretching out their arms and their purses
from ocean to ocean, from the North to the
Gulf. shall control not only the legislation
of the country. but own the soil Of the coun-
try too? l say. Mr.. Speaker. that if the
platforms of parties mean anything, if the
voice of the honest ma sses OF the country is
to be heard and to be needed hera by their
Representatives, it is time now and in this
bill for the membsrs of this House to put
their emphatic condemnation upon this class
and this system of legislation, to rebuke the
attempt made yesterday to pass this bill
through the House without permitting a
werd to be said by those opposed to it. and
to say to these friends of monopoly that the
poor men of the land shall at least be heard
here; that the common property of the peo-
pie shall not be squandered away. that homes
and homestsads for the soldiers of the land
shall be preserved, aud that these parties,
who profess to be the friends Of the poor
and the fatherlsss. the friends of the soldier
and his widow. shall prove their friendship
by something more substantial than honeysd
professions.
call the attention of the people of this
country to day to the action Of their Repre-
ssntatives on this floor, and ] ask them to
judge them here and now. not by their pro-
fession, bot by their works. By your fruits.
gentlemen of the House, the people will know
you. Are you for or against monspolics
Are you for homes for the homeless, or for
SO wandering still further the common inher-
itance of the people among soulless corpora
tions