The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-22
THE SOLDIERS BOUNTY BILL.
Letter from the Hon Geo. w Julian,
OF Indiana,

statesman and settlers friend, on the Sol
diers Bounty bill, now before Congress,
We clip from the New York Tribtns
Sir In q recent communication re-
fsrred - the gratifying fact that all parties
have at last committed themselves dis
tinctly to the policy Of raserviHg the re-
mainder of our public lands for actual set
tiers only, and confidently predicted the
early embodiment Of this policy ia the leg
islation Of Congress. Finding our politi-
cal parties IN perfect accord respect
ing 1t, | thought it safe to infer that the
people themselves were SO entirely united
that politicians would no longer venture to
oppose their purpose. In this, fear
vas sadly mistaken. Several new raids
upon the public domain have already been
organized since the beginning of The present
session az Congress, and chief among these
IS the bill which recently passed the House,
giving I6U acres Of land to every honura-
bly, discharged soldier and seaman who
served 10 days in the late war for the
Union. or to his widow rr rpir.r children.
If deceased | invite particular attention
to tins most remarkable measure
who served in the late war, is about
?. 49,, 900 After making a liberal deduc-
tiun for those who have died leaving no
widow or heirs, the requirements of the
bill would still call for at least 400, 600, 90
acres. This is moderate estimate. and
viii be So regarded on all sides Our public
domain. outsid, Of our Russian possess
ions, which are worthless for agriculture.
aggregates, say. Loco, 5000, 900 acres
From this very large deductions are to he
made. II includes the lands granted to
railroad and other corporations. which
have not yet been patented, amounting to
not far from 2OO, UO, 900 acres II includes
the unpatented swamp lands, being indeii-
lute millions Of acres, which must yet pass
from the jurisdiction Of the General Gov
eminent under the act Of 1850 1t III
cludes the water surface Of the land States
and Territories, amounting to many mil T.
Ions Of acres, that Of California alone being
estimated at 1000, 200 1t includes the
amount which must be gwen under exist
ing laws to the new States and Terri
tories, and which has been granted
or reserved for other purposes, aggre-
eating probably at least 100. NM. ono acres.
Ii includes the great mountain chains Of
the continent, and the great alkal stretches
of the interior basin, covering no one
knows how many millions Of acres that can
never be TILED. 1t includes the mineral
lands Of the Government, which are dis
posed Of under special laws, and very large
portions Of which are unfit for cultivation
ana homesteads. Ii includes also our
L.,
dian Reservations, covering IN all about
$50, 600 600 Of acres, which for some time
t" come must be brought under complete
National control. If We take these quail
flying facts into the account. ami make
the deductions they require 1t will he
very liberal if not an eNtravagant csti-
ksate to put the entire residue uf our agri-
cultural public lands at 4OOtUOu, WO acres,
the amount voted away by the Bounty
bill Indeed. such an estimate can only
be possibly justified by including in the
term agricultural lands many millions Of
acres which are fit only for grazing.
Here, then, We find Congress making an
absolute gift Of the entire public domain
of the country, which is fit for homesteads,
to particular class Of men, namely, the
soldiers and seamen who served their
country ninety days III the late war 1t Is
not given to actual settlers and tillcrs of
the soil. who will transmit their labor into
national wealth, and thus reimburse the
nation for its nberality. IL is not gwen
to men who are hungering for homes, and
whose valor and self sacrifice are to be re-
warded by making them owners and Occu-
PIERS Of the soil. 1t is not pretended that
these soldiers and seamen will occupy and
improve the lands which are to be given
them The friends Of land bounties. in
the recent debate on the question in the
House Of Representatives, admitted that
not one in one hundred viii ever settle on
his land if the bill should become law.
No argument is needed to prove this Sol
diers and sailors who want homes On the
public lands can have them under the
Homestead law, which has been at their
service at all times and now. under the
act Of last session, the five years settlement
required as a condition of title, is reduced
Ia the case Of soldiers and sailors by the
time Of their service in the army or navy
Il IS conceded by the friends Of land buun-
ties that even under this act. which n very
many cases would reduce the settlemeI
required to one year. our soldiers do not
care To- avail themselves Of the chances az
forded to get homesteads The object is
to put money in their pockets through the
sale If their lands This is the sole and
purpose of the bill. and its
title simply sets forth falsehood IN claim
ing to be a bill to enable honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors, their widows
and orphan children, to acquire home
steals on the public lands" That this is
a false title, and false pretense, think
No falr-minded friend Of the measure will
deny.
But if bounty in money is the object,
Why not provide it directly, and apportion
It according to service Let me suppose
the bill to become law, and the exceed
ingly improbable fact that every soldier
would be able to sell lis quarter section
for 500. Would this be Justice Some
Of our soldiers enlisted early in the war,
and others near it close Some received
large bounties, and rendered only brief
service, while others received small boun-
ties or none at all, and yet served during
the war, or the greater portion Of it, A
law giving bOuntlss should be based on the
principle of equality, which is justice. The
bounty should be graded in amount by the
time Of service and the bounties already re-
ceived, instead of totally dsregarding
these facts, and placing all on precisely the
same footing. This graded bounty cannot
be given IN money, and our soldiers should
have it. They should press their de-
mand for it till it shall be granted. No
plea of national poverty should be needed
The amount required for the equalization
is uniformly overstated but whatever it
may be, the nation, whose life was saved
by its heroic defenders, can afford to do
them Justice, and cannot refuse it with any
show Of decency, while subsidizing railroad
corporations and steamship companies are
squandering the peoples money ia 80 many
other forms.
But would the soldier get money under
this bill 1t makes the land an absolute
gift. Not even Government fees are exact
I'd. Every soldier, therefore, or his widow
or heirs, would select quarter-section at