Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-09

makes the home, and the homes of our people
are the citadels of our liberty. 1t is there
that respect for law and the love of freedom
are fostered until they become so much part
of the nature of the child that when he
reaches manhood he is a useful portion of the
pehtical fabric. The Chinese know nothing
Of this American home culture, and we be-
lieve they are incapable of compromising
it. Hence they never can become American
citizens in the true sense of the word. Bound
in servitude, they differ radically from the
class of immigrants for whom our ancestors
entertained so friendly feeling. and whom
we have always received with hearty well
come. A new evil arises, for which we must
provide new remedy; that remedy we be-
leve is to restrict the immigration of this
class of people; and it is for the Federal
Government to apply it. The expression of
opinion through the vote lately taken was in
tended for the purpose of influencing such
action, and it is to be hoped that it may have
| that effect
While we must look to the General Gov
eminent IOT Tie CullplcIc TtuTtSS Vi ILLS evil,
the people have attempted, in the new Con-
stitution, to find some relief through the ac-
ton of the State Government, by directing
certain measures TO be applied. The atten-
ton of the Legislature is therefore respect
| fully invited to this subject, with the assur-
ance that whatever can be properly and le-
gally done in this behalf by the State shall
| have my hearty cooperation. Nothing should
be done in anger, nor in a spirit of race
prejudice, but everything with the fairness
and dignity becoming a sovereign State
of the American Union. Undoubtedly
the time is rapidly approaching when
the Importance of this question will be recog
nized by the people of the United States, and
then the public opinion of the nation will find
expression in wise remedial measures. Surely
the National Republican party, which has
always been the champion of free labor, which
had its origin in the struggle against slavery,
and has heretofore so jealously guarded all
the interests of the people, cannot long re-
main Indifferent to this question, nor fail to
recognize the necessity of speedily erecting a
barrier against this danger, which threat
ems the very existence of our civilization.
LAND MONOPOLY.
One great source of our success and pros
perity as nation is that, under wise sys-
tenn, the public lands have been disposed of
in small tracts to actual settlers. Attaching
men to the soil by ownership creates an indie
oDl in+allfnapt y,o,plafiNn Wbi1a
there are large areas of dry and desert lands
that cannot be cultivated without large ex-
penditures for costly works of irrigation, and
large areas of swamp lands unavailable for
agriculture until vast sums are expended in
their reclamation, yet, wherever by legisla-
ton men have been enabled to monopolize
and reduce to private ownership large tracts
of farming land for purposes of speculation,
it has been in opposition to the wise policy of
the founders of the Republic, who sought to
as much land as would support him and his
family, and no more.
In the acquisition of California from Mex
leo we inherited the evils of different sys-
TEN. Vast tracts, measured not by acres,
but by leagues, of the best land, had Seen
granted to private individuals and secured to
them by treaty. However much the public
prosperity would be promoted by division
and sale of these large tracts to actual set
tiers, know of no mode by which they
can be divided and sold without the consent
of the owners.
The State could not exercise her right of
eminent domain, and condemn them, for it
would be an appropriation of private lands
for private purposes; something unknown
under our system of government. This evil
must be left to time for its eradication. We
can have no law of primogeniture and entail
therefore, the evil will not be perpetual.
The fiuctuation of business enterprises, the
certainties of taxation, and the laws of inherit
ance will in few years divide and subdivide
these great possessions.
The new Constitution requires that cult
waited and uncultivated land of the same
quality and similarly situated, shall be as
sessed at the same value. This, with equal
taxation prevailing to such an extent that the
owner OF his leagues of land shall be assessed
the same value per acre the owner of 100
acres, providing the land is of equal quality,
and the few will soon realize the fact that it
is not profitable to monopolize the lands Of
the country As to the large bodies of pub
lie lands within our State still remaining the
property of the United States and of the
State, that can be cultivated without large
expenditures for irrigation and reclamation, l
am in favor of such disposition of them only
as will provide for their conversion into
homes of not exceeding 100 acres for actual
residents thereon.
But while l consider the policy OF taxing
uncultivated lands equally with cultivated
lands of the same quality to be not only a
step in the right direction, but one of the |
most important reforms in the new Consti-
tuition, yet the carrying out OF this important |
trust will devolve upon the Assessors of the |
different counties and the State Board of |
Equalization and if they faithfully perform
the duties assigned them there is no doubt in
my mind that the immense tracts of uncul- |
tivated lands now held for speculative pur-
poses will soon be matter of history.
1t is estimated by the United States Sur
veyor-General that there is yet in this State
about forty million acres of public lands
unsurveyed Our Senators and members of
Congress should be requested to urge Congress
to make the necessary appropriation to have
these lands surveyed, and conveyed to actual
settlers only, as it can but conduce to en-
couragement of immigration to this State of
intelligent, thrifty and sturdy farmers from
other States and countries, to come and
settle in a State which possesses such I'M
bounded resources. 1 shall be pleased to
give my hearty corporation and concurrence
to any legislation which favors policy of
conveying our public lands to actual settlers
only, and the discouraging of holding large |
landed estates. 4
HABBoR COMMISSIONERS.
Rrhe Board of State Harbor Commissioners |
reported to the late Legislature bill which |
provided for new water front for the city Of |
San Francisco, and recommended that the |
lands reclaimed by their proposed plan, if |
adopted, should be sold.
The Legislature confirmed their sugges- {.
,x;salrv dac1ipad fn authorizes tha !