The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-12
TIE DOUGLAS MONUMENT.

The generally commonplace and hum
drum character of the objects which occup.
the attention Of an Illinois Legislature is sucl
as to afford little opportunity for fine speec!
making, whatever may be the oratorical abil
tiles OF the members. On the question, how
ever, of making an appropriation to complete
the Douglas monument at Chicago we fine
that at least one good speech was made in the
house We refer to the speech Of Hon Jos
L. Smith, Of Cook cosnty as pEblished at
length in the Jo2ua, aud other Chicago pa
pors last week.
The bill under consideration proposed an
appropriation Of $4,000, which its friends
pledged themselves should be all that would
ever be asked for. lIr. Smith claimed that
The appropriation should be made first, on
the around that Tie state had purchased the
land upon which the foundation Of the mon
Iumcnt has been located OF Mrs, Douglas for
half what it Is really worth, with an implied
pledge ,ha, i. should be completed, otherwise
the property ought to 60 back to Mrs. d. But
secondly ana thirdly, such tribute on the
part Of the state was due to the memory OF
Judge D. bo.h on account Of the great ma.
terra, Prosperity his efforts lnotably IN the
matter o. tie Illinois Central Railroad) had
secured 10 the state, and on account Of the
further and infinitely higher consideration OF
the exalted patriotism and eminent worth OF
our grca, commoncr, We append the con.
Guiding half Of the speech;
commenced, Mr.. Speaker, by saying that
10 vote this appropriation was but an act OF
Justice and right, Let me try to explain now
why so consider ii. The older members OF
this House know, because they were here;
the Younger members know, because they
have read and heard Of it--ot the long siege
which finally resulted in the passage by the
two houses OF Congress Of the bill tor an act
donating lands TO the Illinois Central Rail.
road Company Of this state. That act became
law IN the year 1850 Judge Douglas en-.
tered tie United States Senate in lS40; he
entered the House of Representatives in 1913,
beng thea but 80 years old. From the time
he entered the House up 10 the time this bill
finally became Il law, he had devoted MIN
self, all the while, with persistent effort, to
obtaining this grant True, he was not alone
IN this effort; the distinguished Justice Breese,
who has for so many years adorned the Su.
preme bench of this State, was, during a large
portion of that time, representing the State
Of Illinois in the Senate OF the United States,
and, rs Chairman OF The Committee on Pub.
lie Lands, devoted his time and attention and
eXertcd his great influence and his every eff.
fort, while he remained IN the Senate, to fur.
Their the measure which Judge Douglas had
introduced into the House and subsequently
SO earnestly and successfully advocated in
the Senate II was owing to the efforts OF
these two men that that measure was finally
adopted. by the passage of that law, the HI
inols Central Railroad Company receive al.
ternate sections OF the public lands on the
line OF that railroad. Some question arose as
to whether the road should be built on the
lire et the old Illinois Central road or follow
different course, and 1t is part of the his,
tory of this State now that difficulty was
finally settled by taking the old roGdbed, and
constructing a branch from Chicago tapping
the main line at Centralia. There was great
opposition TO this land grant in some parts of
the state, because the proposed line of the road
cut them oil from lis advantages All these
difficulties were finally adjusted by the col-
struction Of this branch line. Judge Doug
las at the first feared that to include this
branch line might result in the defeat OF the
whole bill, but was finally induced to advo.
cate the measure, with the branch line in.
cluded and in 1850 the bill became "A law. At
that time the State Of Illinois had popu.
latlon OF less than 500, 00J. Within five years
its population had increased To nearly / 800.
900, That line of railroad which started over
the prairie and through sparsely.setlled vii
lagos, became alive with active, strong men
and brave women, the founders OF towns now
populous and wealthy. The population OF
the State increased AT an unprecedented rate
not only enabling the railroad company to
build Its road by the sale of its lands and Ia
pay the State, as II has done from that day 10
this, ayast income bat the general Govern.
ment itself, which had donated this land
found tina. by the settlement Of the alternate
sections still belonging TO 1t, money was
poured into It's own Golfers, SO that the Uni
ted States lost nothing by its gift, and the
State gained and the road gained immensely.
The Illinois Central Railroad was completed,
an outlet for the products OF the fertile Val.
ley of the Mississippi was provided, and
cities, towns and villages sprung up all along
the line as if by uuchantmcnt
The other day asked the Auditor of Pub.
lie Accounts to have prepared for me detailed
statement of the annual receipts by the State
from the Illinois Central Railroad COMPANY,
which by the terms of ITS charter pays per
cent. of its gross earnings TO the State now
hold in my hand that statement. 4 copy has
been furnished the press and will be found
printed in the morning papers of today 10
1850, the first year of lis operation there
Was but 500, 15l.jJ paid into the treasury of
the State. In 1876, the last year, 1856. OJ5 Is
In 1865, the year OF the close of the war, the
amount was Si96, 4S9Sl, being about $50 600
in excess OF any other year; while the arrre.
gate received into the State Treasury during
the twenty-five years of It's operation. from
the Illinois Central Railroad COMPANY. n
shown by the subioined statement, rrachr,
the enormous sum of SG,916,G01.4 IS The an.
nual receipts have been as follows:
Year Amount. Year. Amount.
lSb5.......'S &hi1lO 1866 ....... 421O1j6l
lSjG........ 1851 ~. lSGs.... 4I4 Oo. "a
lNIa........ liJtiJ.Si 1865. ....... t1S 3sI1 -