Gloucester County Democrat., 1878-12-03
TUESDAY DECEMBER ), 1877
Pnblic Lands..Hard Times.

perity ave either agriculture or manu-
features. With US for ma.y long years
to come, agriculture must continue to
be the principal source of dependence
for home consumption, and the means
Of paying for the productions Of for
eign countries. Hence it must be clear
to every intelligent mind, that it is our
policy to foster and encourage its pur-
suit BY every legitimate means in our
power. The government OF the Uni
ted States is now holding in trust, for
the people, one thousand four-hundred
millions of acres, stretching across the
continent, embracing every variety of
climate and soil, abounding in agricul-
tural, mineral and timber wealth, every
where inviting to enterprise and capa-
Bile of fielding support to man. OF
this, a large portion has been surveyed
and prepared for the market Every
one will acknowledge that it should be
the duty of the government to dispose
of these lands. SO as to promote the
general welfare, but, with few excep-
tlons, the government has sold to the
highest bidder, and to huge corpora
tlons and private companies, who have
in the end generally used the land for
speculative purposes; and when it
comes into the hands of the cultiyators
1t IS at greatly enhanced price. Thus
the actual settler, intending to cultivate
the soil, instead of getting his land at
the government price of $I.as per acre
IS, in most cases, obliged to buy of
spectators at prices ranging from S.
to even $4o. The result is, that men
OF small means cannot obtain desirable
lands, and consequently remain in large
cities and towns, and engage in petty
pursuits not necessary to the public
good, or Of advantage to themselves,
leaving thousands Of acres Of fertile soil
unemployed, which could undera prop
er sense be cultivated, and greatly con-
tribute to our national wealth and pros
perity. Our cities are overcrowded
with men engaged in the occupations
OF city life.>N There is a surplus of pro-
fesslonal men, mechanics and mer-
chants. Employment to many of them
is unprehtable. The pay of the labor
ing classes is insufficient for their sup
port. Our public leaders do and should
view this matter with deep concern.
Some plan in political economy should
be devised that will tend to draw off
this surplus force of operatives from
the cities, and direct their attention to
the prolific valleys and prairies OF the
Western and Southern states and Ter
ritories, where they can become produ-
GERS as well as consumers, and thus
much will have been done towards pre-
venting another such collapse in the
business OF the country that we have
now to deprecate. This will not prove
a general panacea for all its ills that
embarass the country, it is true, but its
tendency will be in that direction, and
If the proper measures are adopted by
the government, and accepted in good
faith by the industrial surplus popula-
ton of the cities, and especially the en-
igrant portion, It INTELLECTUALLY pre-
vent the necessity of the laboring cIas-
ses being reduced to the terrible state
OF desti.ution now existing to IN alarm
ing extent among them. Then emf.
grafton from the crowded seaboard to
the open pralrles Of the West will take
a fresh impetus. Small companies with
limited capital ahd having agriculture
as their chief aim will be the first 10
emigrate. These will demand larger
installment of other workmen to answer
the demands Of growing country.
The population will increase-new
towns be started and prosperity and
wealth be added to the common coun-
try. Tie seaboard towns and cities
will increase their business by impor-
tation of the wants of the growing
country, and expectation of their prod
ucts. The government would be wise
to even give public lands everywhere
to actual settlers, as every new town
and county added TO our number adds
TO the revenues of the country. aud