Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-10-04
A MODEL STATESMAN.
from the sedalia Democrat.l'

The people of Missouri are asked to
make Nick Ford governor of the fifth
state in the union, because he IS a
statesman; because he has served in
and been let into the secrets
of state -craft. 1t is indeed true that
MI. Ford has been in congress, and
equally true that he made his mark
there. He was a member of the 10th
congress-, and q careful examination OF
the record shows that his chief SER
vice consisted of introducing bills for
the relief and granting of pensions to
his constituents; but it is not shown
that a single bill passed the house. His
influence on the legislation of the coun-
try was therefore about equal to what
might be expected fIom a brass mon
key.
However, upon the 9TH day of Feb
ruary, A. D. 1881, the Hon. Mich
olas Ford of Missouri, electrified the
house and tho world by introducing a
bill of which the following is a true
A bill providing for the distribution
of the public lands:
"Be it enacted by the senate and the
house of representatives of the United
States of America in congress assem-
bled: That the past remain undisturb-
ed and the landed possession ofpresent
owners be held as vested rights Gas a
policy if not as a p%rinciple) +; let the ma
tional domain that remains Git is album
dant for all time) be divided, not for
sale as heretofore, but for distribution
among the people, who are the owners
of the soil.
Sec. 2. The quantity Of the land for
each claimant to be fixed according to
q standard of sufficiency in money, and
the amount of the quality of the land
to vary according to money value of
the land.
Sec. 3. The quantity of land thus
fixed to be tho endowment of each ap-
plicant of every age, either sex, and
any condition of citizenship, complete
Or inchoate.
Sec. 4. Each applicant to relinquish
to congress in trust for the people, and
in case of minors by their guardians,
all right of inheritance in lands belong
ing to him or her at the time or accru-
ing in the future is at option to make
restoration of tho endowment because
of such future inheritance.
Sec. 5. Endowed land to be exempt
from all liability of debt or taxation to
the amount of the original money sufi-
cheney, and to be incapable of aliena-
ton or.transfer OF any kind, or for any
consideration, OF for any period of time
whatever, and such alienation or trans
fer if made be void.
Sec. 6. But the surplus value may
be added by the owner, to be his abso-
lutte property, at his disposal and sub
ject to his liabilities.
Sec. Z. The original suficiency in
h land always to survive an heir OF
devisee, unless such heir or devisce be
otherwise endowed thereafter, and
that in default of such heir or devisee
to return itself to congress to be gran
ted to another unendowed applicant as
above provided.
Sec. 8. When the amount of suffici-
ency in the land is increased threefold
Or over in money value it shall be sep
arated from the grant, if susceptible OF
division in kind, and returned to the
grantOr for similar use by another ap.
plicant. If not susceptible of division,
its money value shall be paid to con-
gress upon reasonable amount, Or if the
money value according to the rule OF
sufficiency shall be paid by the grantee
at any time to congress, in either o.
these casos the whole of the land shall
become the absolute property in fee OF
the grantee.
Sec. 9. The money thus paid shall
be funded and expended IN annuities tc
minors and tho superannuated within
certain limits Of age, in lieu of landed
endoWmcnts if desired"
Is there an intelligent man in thu
state who, after reading the above
would hesitate to vote for Mr.. Ford fol
governor? Ia there any man who doe.
not see i'll the foregoing the panaces
for all the ills inflicted upon the PEG.
ple2 Can anyone say that the stand.