The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-04-17

SDAY, APRIL II, 1881.
peoplc2 They hnvo hccn from tho beginning,
not only the cause and tho source uf pros
perity, but, more than that, the cause OF tho
unex sampled internal and domestic uuietud0
and repose we have enjoyed, under tho
shelter Of which our greatness has been
achivcd. Where In NIL the worlds history
have people throut h moro than century
been go arcatly exempt tonly excepting the
inheritance of African slavery from inter nal
strife2 How seldom through all these years,
though prolonged criOds of commercial ana
industrial depression have often occurred,
has labor, even In limited fields and Tor a
brief period, like swarthy giant In d, spair,
sirdcd up It's loins for struggle agninst
oppression. Yet Nd times y loud
cry for bread has icen heard
III our cites, and no o,ern astcr'nr
army has stood ready 10 strike. do not as
icrt that tie absence OF dlsovdcr and unrest,
which In other nat ons has organized stand.
ing armies nnd nnyics, IL with ns Ia 10
attributed exclusively 10 tho existence Of
our public domain and tho hope md conn
dencc IL inspired, for other great causes
have contributed to that end; but | do assert
thnt In the greatest degree tho internal
peace, ordcr and wcllbcinv OF our people
tan aud must DO traced To this great common
wealth of lands, which from tho bcainnilH
has arrested tho attention, animated THO
courage, and inspired the hopo OF tho labor
ing men Of this country. Cheap lands, tho
hope OF home ani frcsidc, and independent
manhood have been our standing army and
watchful navy, gl ardinx for more than =
century tho rcpose and order Of tho Amcrt
can people.
r,o. .,.,.c.oty,,,. t,.r tc,vo. a,a o,tso. .,,d
mining regions east Of tho Alleg hcnes, and
In more recent years westward of that
ancient landmark, have swarmcd with
workmen in tho countless industries
of the forge the loom, the mine, and
the work. hop: tho overcrowdcd rural
population have swarmed into your towns
and cities; everywhere thousands upon
thousands Of Industrious and sti Ong men
have becn barely able to keep the wolf from
the door. Have gentlemen considered tho
humane and hope-inspiring influence of tho
great public domain on the lives Of this great
and ever growing multitude of our people?
Follow tho weary workman into his rentea
ind cherries tenement. furnished with tho
bare necessities OF lifc;, see him ~ he sits
mocdily at the flreside with his poorly clad
and scantily fed wife and children around
him-how dreary and chccrless. But In tho
midst Of his hopeless dcspondcncy let the old
hope revive, hear him talk OF the oft-consid.
cred plans by saving and scrimpinK year
after year tchccso-paring, II you pleasc, even
on the bare necessities OF liic), to raisc
means necessary to cmigrato to the FREQ
fields OF tho West: and SEQ how Poverty and
wrctchcdncss vanish and hope reviycs, while
visions Of blessed homestead with its cheer
full fireside, Nh honest and manly freehold,
| with green Gclds and lowing herds, and,
| above all, happy and hopeful children and
prosI erous and peaceful old aye, give new
| courage to the man and bring gleam Of
| sadness to the weary heart Of tho carcworn
| wife. Who shall say how many millions
OF laboring men, huoyed up by the
hope your grand public domain inspired,
| have thus through tho patient savings OF
years, gOne westward, and as independent
and prosperous freeholders aided In develop
| ing that widespread neld OF human happiness
stretching westward from the Allcghenies,
| whore the public domain began; or how many
more have toiled on. inspired at least by the
blessed promises of horcg Yes, sir, far be-
yond tho hopes ever realized. your public do.
main has been source Of energy, industry,
and ICacc.
The bllghting curse Of land monopoly Is
the outRrowth Of your legislation Of tho last
twenty-five years: tho grants began under
the new system In ls6. md terminated In
/ 1915. The States formed ard settl. within
the public domain prior to that tune are and
have been from the beginning alikr remark
their landed wealth; those formed
and forming under your legislation
OF the last twenty-five years are
| smitten with tho deadly blight OF the old
world the curse OF the middle age-iand
monopoly tho hope OF labor blasted by i,s
| wealth stalks into tho COUNCIL chambers OF
the Government at its own yolition. and
manhood. rs in tho old world, stands silent
and abashed.
but gentlemen say the country pcrmcated
by these grants is prosperous, marvellous In
the wealth which is now being developed
with such startling rapidity under those
| grants Is the wealth of the few? That thesc
great private fortunes not only IN bonds and
stocks. hut in the more precious wealth OF
land far more precious than money or bonds
or stocks to the people and to this republic
these vast esta0o greater than have ever
before been formed In the same leriod Of
time In the history Of mankind, belong TO
monarchy but are the harbingers OF wee and
tlcmcn know that this vast wealth which
attends the apparent prosperity Of this period
is not the wealth that gives greatness aud
strength to republic, but tho wealth that
builds palaces, undcrmines tho foundations
OF free government, and wrings from the
heart of labor the cry Of despair With tho
public lands exhausted, with tho remnants Of
the Indian tribes dcspoilcd OF their rcsorva-
tions, and the lands seized uron by capital
lists and mcrciless spcculatOrs tcxcCpt ~ far
AS you have pledged them In advance TO tho
railroad coriorationsl, and lands every
where advanced In price beyond the reach Of
laboring men, with the hope of better fortune
and of INDEPENDENT homes dying out of the
heart of labor, with men fully conscious of tho
wrong you have dope them by your leaisla-
tion, tan the peaceful order Of society he
hoped for as OF olds am not astciiiehcd that
Gentlemen deem this carly hour an oppors
tune moment 10 urge the policy Of a great
navy: II will come, IL 1t does come, In the
natural order before u great army. Capital
II timid and full of suggestie ms; the navy II
the most remote, but am not surprised that
here aud there comes also the intimation tha,
your army Is too small. These, too, may be
some of the bitter fruits of your imperial
grants. l fear that 1t will be secn soon
enough that when you have destroyed the
| very foundations of security and hope upon
which labor has rested so long, tho old-timc
rcpose and peaceful order will bc no more
Gentlemen should not fol get that the wrCna
that has been done to lahoring men and thcil
children by giving over their natural inherit
ance 10 An acenrsed monopoly will In due
time he cons dercd blythe most intelligent
body of lahoring men who ever debated
, public wrong-mcn fully aware OF theil
, rights and capable Of asserting them.
l have been unintentionally led into thi'
discussion OF the results OF the land-gran
railroad policy by the assumption OF gentle
, mon that that POLICY was wise and tcnchccns
and that the Government should treat witt
. kindly consideration the corporations which
!. have obtained the benefit Of these grants
but know OF no subject which 50 imper
atiyely demands the earnest consideration o
Congress: and this House has I think mos
, wisely given this great question of tn
public lands and forfeited Y, ants \ command
ing position. Tor my eI, | demand In tn
name of every laboring man In America tina
! these corporations whose railroads were huil
, and equipped by your bounty shall bear pub
lie burdens on the basis of the benefits yol
have so lavishly bestowed on them. Thes
i corporations TO the extent they fulfilled tia
, terms OF the grants will hold them until on
, eycr-swelling population and the labor of on
l millions Of laborlng men In every 6ch Of hu
, man industry shall have enhanced their value
! To this extent there Ii no remedy for the eyl
done. But common justice To the whole pee
r pie and tho highest public policy dcmAn
/ that TO the extent that default has oee
! made by the land-grant corporations th
! forfeiture should he sternls declared and III
/ lands restored tn the pubic 4. main. l Ii