Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-10-09
"The Peoples Heritage"

the hepuOllcan party are unmistakably
shown by the consideration of a few
facts in connection with the following
plank from its Chicago platform:
"The public lands are a heritage of
the people of the United States and
should be reserved as far as possible for
small holdings by actual settlers. We
are opposed to the acquisition of flarge
tracts of these lands, by corporations or
individuals, and especially where such
holdings are in the hands of non-resi-
dent aliens; and we will endeavor to OBJ
tain such legislation as will tend to cor
rect this evil. We demand of Congress
the speedy forfeiture of all land grants
which have lapsed by reason of nom
compliance with acts of incorporation,
in all cases where there has been no at
tempt in good faith to perform the con-
ditions of such grants"
Hon. w. d. Hill, in speech deliver
ed in the Forty-Sixth Congress, very
foreibly compares the attitude of the
Republican party with that of the DEM
ocratic party on this most important
subject. After proving by official doc
uments that of some sixty odd millions
of acres donated for educational purpos-
es over fifty millions were granted by
Democratic Congresses, he says: "Hav-
ing shown what disposition the Demo-
cratic party made of public lands when
it was in power, let me call the atten-
ton of the House for moment to Re-
publican legislation on that subject.
Since the election of Abraham Lincoln
to the Presidency there have been do
mated by Republican Congresses to rail-
road corporations and monopolies alone
thirty millions of acres ofland. Seven
teen millions have been given to five
railroad corporations, and nearly ten
millions to the Pacific railroads alone"
Just think of it. Six States, Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New Jersey and Delaware contain just
about one-half as many acres of land as
were granted by the Republican party
to corporations and monopolies. Yet
the party is opposed to the acquisition
of LARGE tracts of these lands by cor
porations," land will en-
deavor to obtain such legislation as will
tend to correct this evil" An "evil' is
it?
Thus the party frankly, but brazenly,
confesses that the legislation it has
passed is an "evil," and asks to be con-
tinued in power that it may correct"
that "evil."
The party is opposed to such acquisi-
tions especially where the holdings are
in the hands of nonresident Aliens"
yet, during its administration of public
affairs, foreign corporations and foreign
capitalists have acquired possession of
millions and millions of acres of our
choicest public lands, in many instan-
ces by forceably and brutally ejecting
settlers and burning their cabins.
Many of these companies have millions
of acres each, while one of them has an
area equal in extent to Massachusetts,
or five times as great as the smallest |
State, much greater than Rhode Island
and Delaware!
While demanding of Congress the
speedy forfeiture of all land grants
which have lapsed by reason of nom
compliance with the acts of corpora
tion,' the party placed in nomination
for the Presidency the man who, as
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, prostituted his official position by
"channeW in which him
self and others 'could be useful"-to
railroad corporation-in defeating such
a reversion of lands to the people, and
while the party in Chicago was making
demands of Congress for the speedy
forfeiture of all lapsed land grants" the
in the House were fillibus-
tering and employing every dilatory
tactic known for the sole purpose of
'reserving," not for 'actual settlers"
but for the use of railroad corporation
\ very large grant of this "heritage of
;he people,"
We believe the voters of this country
will not be deceived by such political
,lap-trap.
ssTurn the rascals out,n