The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-05-14
HoMeSiSadS for EY-SOlliGTs.

AsA AVA AsANsSihs
On the 4th inst. Congressman
Ncglcy offered u resolution in the
House, instructing the Ccmmiiiee
On Military Affairs TO report bill
to amend tho Homestead Law, O."
as 10 allow honorably discharged
soldiers and sailors, or .heir widow
and orphan children the right t"
acquire ho,nese lds on the. pnhlc
latds without being icq1ired to
commenre settlement aud improve
nleut.
This movement is similar to those
which have been made in Congress
nearly or quite every session zinc"
the close of the Lite war; BAT witt
M deiuiie result. Why Con.r 8,
should & yer have been wiling 20
grant lands Ia Railroad and other
corp .ali"sa, and go reluctant u"
awarsl 10 the soldiers that which
had been promised them bu lite goo
eminent, sohca they enlisted, we
have never been able 10 explain it.
4 satisfactory manner.
The nr9in argument nsed sgains'
giving homcs.eadS 20 soldiers has
ever tcen tia, the iiAd would thu
yass into Tho Irntfs OF spectators;
that The ex-scl.' iars would sell their
discharge I,apers To the spccala'"r.
e.c. We speak from q persona
knowledg. IN this matter, and do
not hrlievo that one in live hun
drcd would part with his honorable
discharge paper, under any circnm
stances. Aud even If they did.
how would il help the speculation
in securn Nc rights under those pa
pers, when the law expressly rr'-
vides; or can and should bc framed
for giving tie laud I" none after
than The OK soldier, sailor. or thei
widows and orphans! The la~ al
Loving the time aciuallv spent in
service 10 lie deducted from the
live years resi- lence "u The land
was good SO far as it went; INT it
did not cn far enouyh tn reach The
proper point. We distinctly re-
member, AS one Of the lut'rc'l
thousand to enlist under the call IF
1862, thai 100 acres Of la"d was
part of the bounty offered. Tn"
fact us to whether this offer had
any influence in Inducing any 10 eli
list, is inrnIate ial>w lille corsiderir $
tho obligations Of the government
10 those men. II it is wrong to
give lard, why promise it 10 rte'> !.
Another objection urged, and u
is by far The NEST reasonable enc.
is that thus graniin2 lands without
compelling iunmediaie actual settle
mcnt would reiarl he SIowlb am:
development OF the couriry. "Al'
the best lands, they cry, w'"1d
bc taken, aud none left Tor c,ual
settlers. 1t is folly 10 suppose TIA
every soldier will take H., u home
stead. or that none OF those Who uu
SO will locate upon anu In!r' "
their lands. In TACT, we believe
more oil them would become lci-
tiers under The proposed law, Il an
under the one now in force. Even
should ell he public domain be thu
appropriated. and remain unsst,lod
"a supposltion 10 absurd to reccvc
serious consideration what cl So
10 bel er entitled to this fav"r If we,
may lie allowed to 81 term it, than
the cy-soldiers, ex.sailnrs. or their
widows aud orphans? Eut the land
will not remain unsettled. ''v ri,
ing to them at the outset, said Land
becomes taxable, and row loug
would it he before, rather than en-
dnrc the constant drain upon their
purses, most ofthem would dispose
Of the land to actual settlers. ar
themselves place II in u co"dlion
to bring tllcm some return IN
other words 90 on and improve II.
The question OF gaming women
the right 10 vote in this STATE
l,.-a .ccp,n.,I M