Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-09-28

First, the increase p the nrmJer Of
government officials Nud employees
from year TO year, greatly exceeds the
increase in population. Thus the in.
crease in officials and employees for
1882 over 1881, And for lsSs ovei
lss2as provided by tins Cdngress
runs from 2 to Is per cent, while The
annual increase IN population, includ.
ing migration, is less than 81 pei
cent.
Second, the increase in the pay OF
officials and employees has been, greatly
in excess of the increase In national
wealth, The pressure to ge. Office is
only exceeded by the pressure 70 ge,
more pay after they get in; more pay
and less work. less work and more
pay is the constant demand Of incum
-bents in Office. TCf y
/ The speaker then referred to other
and more serious causes for this alarm
ing increase, among others the navy,
army, public buildings etc; - - :
" WASTE OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Perhaps of all the measures. unwise
or orrupt, that have passed the Con.
gress of the United States, none are
so far-reaching intheir effect as the
squandering of the public lands.
From 1852 to 1871, l92,0Sl, l55
acres os the public domain were grant
ed to corporations for railroad pur-
poses. This is 59,000,000 of acres
more than is contained in the entire
German Empire and 81, 600, 900 more
than is embraced in the French Re.
public, and twice and a half the area
of Great Britain. embracing England,
Wales, Ireland and Scotland.
1t is truethat much Of this land is
barren; out it is also true that these
companies have sold l4.500, 600 acres
for over 100000 of dollars, and
have l64, 900, 900 acres unsold. The
average price of railroad lands sold
was $4.l2 an acre, but to the settler,
in most cases the price is much higher;
while last year. the government sold
l5,699,S48 acres for which it received
$S,36l, ,00l, or an average OF about 81
cents an acre. ...s--.-.
| How many millions Of dollars may
]yet accrue to these railroad companies
from their enormous land holdings,
cannot be told, but certain it is that il
will amount in the end to many times
the cost of the railroads. =
4 Here was where the aid of govern
ment was lent to enrich corporations
and create powerful monopoliea.. The
Democratic theory Of government de-
mands equality of opportunity, equal.
| ty in privileges, equal rights, the free.
dom of all to better their condition,
the equal protection of property in
whatsoever hands it is rightfully held
But never should wealth once accu-
mulated, or influence however great,
have potency to, command the aid Of
the State to help to further gains, OF
to turn the scale Of advantage to the
side of any individual or corporation,
but how often has this been dhne un--
der one gulse or another, as in the
grants of these lands in aid of rail
roads. We want railroads, they arc
as necessary now for the business Of
the country as wagon roads are. They
equalize advantages that would other.
wise exist in naturally favored dis
tricts; equalize markets, and help to
improve and enrich the country. But
steam power and railways, powerful
though they may be as servants, mus
not be allowed to become masters
And for myself, / am in favor Of Fed
eral regulation Or inter- State railroads
to prevent extortion or discrimination
land to compel the just recognition d
all rights and interests.
RIVER AND HARBoR BILL. F
The reason assigned in the Presi
dents veto message for not approving
this bill have beer. judged by the peo
pie and the press as sound and salts
factory. The rule long observed was
4 that where work was Of national
Importance, and where it was neither
| the interest of individuals nor of sin
gle state to take up its construction
the general Government should as.
sumo the work. OF such are the i'm.
provement of harbors on the sea coas
and the great lakes, the improvement
of the great navigable rivers and theil
important tributaries For such i'm.
fprovements I am in favor Of liberal ap
preparations. I believe the time hal
come when it is demanded. Wher
Gwo or three hundred millions in ,
year are expended.by private Interests
i for the construction and improvement
y Of railways, few millions q year vel
Espent on our great water highway
would not be4outsof proportion to th,
4 growing needs of commerce, ant
would help to hold in check the mon
opolizing tendency Of railways. Bu
that is not the case of the vetoed Riv
er and Harbor Bill.
A The number Of harborsa APPROPRIATED
for in this bill is l56. The total mum
Der ofastreams, classed by name o
.Erivers, wholly Or mainly within sepa-
rate states appropriated for, includml
those to be surveyed, is 254; the mum
ber Of creeks and inlets provided TO