Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-03-10
aMr wnsbburn, Of wisconsin-Ccr

tainly
"Mr Rogcrs-Arc these pine lands
entirely worthless except for timbcry
"Mr, Washbun, Of Wisconsin--Thcy
are generally worthless for any other
purpose. am personally familiar
with that subject, These lands are not
valuable for purposes Of settlement
"Mr. Fainsworth-Thcy will be after
the timber is taken of.
"Mr. Washburn, Of Wisconsin--No,
sir.
"Mr. Rogcis-l want to know the
character of these pine lands,
"Mr. Washburn, fWisconsin-They
are generally sandy, barren lands. My
friend from the Green bay district Mr.
Sawyer) is himself perfectly familiar
with this question, and he will bear me
out in what | say, that these timber
lands are not adapted for settlement.
"Mr Rogcrs--fhc pine lands to
which am accustomed nrc generally
yory good. What I want 10 know iH.'
what Is the difference between our pine
lands and your pine lands9
"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsili--The
pine timber of Wisconsin generally
grows upon barren, sandy land. The
gentleman from Maine (Mr. Peters,,
who is familiar with pine lands, will, ]
have no doubt, say that pine timber
grows generally upon the most barren
lands.
"Mr. Peters-Asa general thing pine
lands arc not worth much for cultiva.
ton" h
And further on find this pregnant
question the joint production Of tho
two gentlemen from Wisconsin.
"Mr. Paine-Does my friend from
Indiana suppose that in any event set
tiers will occupy and cultivate these
pine lands?
"Mr. Washburn, of Wisconsin---Par-
ticularly without a railroad"
Yes, sir, particularly without rail.
road IL will be asked after awhile, !
am afraid, if settlers will 90 anywhere
unless the government builds q railroad
for them to 60 on.
| desire to call attention TO only one
more statement, which think sufficient
to settle the question. 1t is one made
by the gentleman from Wisconsin Mr..
Payne, who says
"Thesc lands will be abandoned for
the present. 1t may be that at some
remote period there will spring up in
that region new kind Of agriculture,
which will cause demand for these
particular lands and they may then
come into use and be valuable for agri-
cultural purposes. But know, and |
cannot help thinking that my friend
from Indiana understands that, for the
present, and for many years to come,
these pine lands can have no possible
value other than that arising from the
pine timber which stands on them"
Now, sir, who, after listening to this
emphatic and uncquivocal testimony of
these intelligent, competent and able.
bodied Witnesses who that is not as
incrodulous as ST. Thomas himself, will
doubt for u moment that the Goshen Of
America is to be found in the sandy
valleys and upon the pinc-clad hills Of
the ST. Croix 2 Who will have the har-
dihood to rise in his scat on this floor
and assert that, excepting the pine
bushes, the entire region would not
produce enough in ten years 70
iatten a grrsshopper? Where is The
patriot who is willing that his country
shall incur the peril Of remaining an;
other day without the amplest rniliooa,d
connection with such an inexhaustlble
mine of agricultural wealth who
will answer for the consequences Of
abandoning great and warlike pco-
pie in the possession Of a country like
that, TO brood over the indifference
and neglect ftheir government? How
long would it be before they would
take to studying the Declaration Of
independence and Matching out the
damnablc hcrcsy of secession How
long before the grim demon of civil
discord wonld rear again his horrid
head in our midst "gnash loud his iron
fangs and shake his crest of bristling
bayoncts
Then, sir, think ofthc long and pain
iul process of reconstruction that must
followwith its concomitant amendments
to the constitution, the seventeenth,
eighteenth and nineteenth articles
The sixteenth, it is of course under
stood, is to be appropriated TO those
hlushing damsels who are, day by day,
beseeching us TO let them vote, hold
office, drink cocktails, ride a-straddle,
and do everything else the men do,
But above all, sir, let me implorc you
to reflect for single moment on the
dcplorablo condition of our country in
case of a foreignwar, with all our ports
blockadcd, all our cities in state of
siege, tho gaunt spectre of famine
brooding like a hungry vulture over
our starving land; our commissary
stores all exhausted, and our famishing
armies whitening away in the field q
helpless prey TO the insatiate demon of
hunger; our navy rotting in the docks
for want of provisions for our gallant
scamen, and we without any railroad
communication whatever with the pro
life pine thickets OF the st. Croix.
All, sir, could very well understand
why my amlable friends from Pennsyl-
vania (Mr. Myers, Mr.. Kelley and Mr.
O'Ncil) should bo so earnest in their
support of this bill the other day and
if their honorable colleague, my friend,
Mr.. Randall will pardon the remark, |
will say considered his criticism of
their action on that occasion Ms not
only unjust, but ungenerous. | knew
they were looking forward with far
reaching ken ofenhghtened statesman
ship to the pitiablc condition in which
Philadelphia will be left unless speedily
supplied with railroad connection in
some way or other with this garden
spot Of the universe. And beside, sir,
this discussion has relieved my mind of
amystcry thathas weighed upon II like
an incubus for years ] could never
understand before why there was so
much excitement during the last Con
grcss over the acquisition Of Alta Vcla.
| could never understand why il was
that some of our ablcst statesmen and
most disintcrcsted patriots should en-
tertain such dark torcbodings of the
untold calamites that were TO bcfall
our beloved country unless we should
take immediate possession Of that de
sirablc island But see now that they
were laboring under the mistaken i'm
preston that the government would
need the guano to manure, the public
lands on the 81. Croix
Now, sir, | repeat, have been sat
isfied for years that il there was any
portion of the inhabited globe abso.