The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-05-17
The Hon. Hendrick B. Wright reported

The Hon. Hendrick B. Wright reported
bill to the House on Saturday, to loan $500
from the Treasury to every msI desiring to
settle upon the public lands\ On being
asked by Mr.. Hewitt, Of Alaba ma, whether
his report was ordered by the Committee on
Pullic Lands, Mr.. Wright answered: 81
have been waiting six months to report it
it is unanimous report from the commit
tee - whereupon another member of the
committee said "that the committee uDani
mously agreed not to recommend the bill.'
This covered the great Leveller of Luzerne
with confusion and filled the House with
laughter at his expense. 1t is too bad that
so benevolent statesman As Mr.. Wright
should be subjected to such merciless ex-
posture and modification. This large-heart-
ed man desires to benefit the laboring classes
aud he introduced bill to lend ION what
time and terms we know not) $500 to each
and every settler on the public lands and to
continue doing this until the loans should
amount to Sl0,000,000. No doubt MIR.
Wright, when he fixed this moderate limit
in his bill to the aggregate of these loans,
believed that his plan of benevolence and
agricultural development would become so
popular by the time the Sl0,0O0,0OO should
be exhausted that Congress would be glad
TO grant all the money necessary to continue
the loans dd Gbitum et nd infnitum. lie
only wanted the Sl0,000,0O0 as an entering
| . tr ha aiip.
cessful opening of grand scheme of colo
nizing the public domain and making happy
thousands and tens of thousands of his fell
low citizens who are now landless, penniless
and unemployed. Who will say that this
was not reasonable as well as q very gen.
erous and benevolent desire? No small
hearted man would or could have conceived
such a broad and magnificent scheme of
public charity and political economy. Only
broad chested, big-hearted mar, like the gen.
tleman from Luzerne, could have the capac-
ity to devise such plan for beneftting both
the workiugman and the country. And yet
we find men in Congress base enough to rid.
icule Mr.. Wright and suggest that be should
make the proposed loans out of his own pock
ct They must take him for Rothschild
a John Howard and Gerrit Smith all rolled
into one man and named Hendrick B
Wright! Doubtless Mr.. Wright would, il
he could, loan every poor man in the coun
try desrous of settling upon the public lane
the sum OF $500; but it is folly to talk o
any one mans doing this Only the general
Government can affTd to lend so much mo-
ney, and Mr.. Wright, therefore, drafted q
bill req iring the Government 10 furnish the
capital to set up poor men in the farming
business. And he has managed to get hi
bill out of committee and before the House
Notwithstanding the fact that the committe
resolved not to recommend it. This show
that Mr.. Wright is rs bold and adroit as h
is generous and benevolent with the mo
ney of the Government Other members Q
Congress and the bloated capitalists an
bondholders of the country may jeer an
ridicule Mr.. Wright, but the workingmen c
Luzerne will appreciate his noble efforts i
behalf of their guild and when the mex
| icsoiOndi cItCtlOu COIileS T0uDu lDe
will show what they think of their fearles
champion. They will re-eect him by trt
mendous majority, and Mr.. Wright will b
just as happy as though his bill had passe
the committee unanimously and both House
of Congress. His constituents will tax
him at his word, and will accept the will IL
, the deed. Then what will Wright care fi
the ridcule of the rich or the contempt
Congressman They may call him kin
among beggars, but he will be too proud {
be a beggar among kings. He wi
walk back into Congress with host of th
sons of honest toll at his back, and will be
sort of Jack Cade, or Rienzi, or Nassau
clio, or village Hampden, "guitless of h
| country's blood" They laugh best VIII
laugh last, and Wright will be able to laug
Justify lin his sleeve) after the election. II
is "The Old Man Not Afraid to be. called,
Demagogue," and he knows what he's abou
, Let him alone.-Phiid. Record.