The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-05-28

will be terrible disappointment 10
such as have mostly spent this life in
wickedly preparing themselves for
future residence in that smokey and
unsalubrious resort. What in - will
become of them?
The Pension Laws need revising.
There is large class of soldiers who
gave some of the best portion of their
lives in their country's service, who
need and deserve pensions, and many
of them have permanent disabilities,
more or less acquired in the service,
who are entirely unable to obtain pen
sions under the present laws. Sick
ness and suffering are the portions of
many an unrequited soldier, and death
is rapidly thinning out their ranks.
All worthy and needy soldiers should
be pensioned, and with no delay.
The most simple, equitable and hon
orable way would be to pension all
surviving soldiers and the surviving |
widows and minor heirs of all deceased |
soldiers. The time has come when |
such action should be considered, and |
if found to be possible and practicable, |
it should be done.
1t is true it will be a heavy tax on
the broad shoulders of Uncle Sam, but
then Samuel would have been in a
Stoto of h0 if thaSa nat |
riotic, underpaid men had withheld
their services and their sacrifices in
| time of sorest national peril.
Let the national policy be one of
strength and courage. Let our busi-
ness resources at home and abroad be
extended and developed, both on land
and on water. Let the government
economist by curtailing and withhold
ing from the grasping demands of the
menopolies. Let the soldiers have
| their reward. 1t will place money
where 1t will do the most good.
What has the government done in
the past twenty-five years? Let us
see. Look at the Indian Territory, fol
instance. If we take the five States of
Ohio, Vermont. New Hampshire, New
Jersey and Rhode Island, we must still
add two counties of the size of Portage
to make as much territory as the
Indian Territory contains. This great
territory Jis described by those who
have seen it as being the very garden
of the world. A large portion of it is
most fertile, sufficiently timbered,
splendidly watered, and in climate it
is the Italy of America. Italy, with
her thirty odd millions of people, oc-
cupies less than double the space of
our Indian Territory. England could
be put inside of the Indian Territory
and have room to spare. This beauti-
full territory is nominally held by the
government for the use of few thou
sand Indians, 1t would seem as
though our unpensioned soldiers might
say, "Would that l were all Indian"
But still worse feature is the fact
that large portion of this great terri
tory nominally held for the Indians is
really in the hands of both American
and foreign monopolists, who are
largely the practical beneticiaries of
our government, as they arbitrarily
monopolize, and occupy millions of
acres of this choice land.
The Oklahoma boomers-while a
nuisance, perhaps-have yet served a
good purpose in calling attention to
the real state of affairs in this Terrific
ry. The Indian Territory problem
needs attention. There is something
wrong and very dangerous in the drift
of events there. We seem to be foster
ing a foreign nation within our bor-
ders. In time we shall have rebellion
and war there on our hands. The In
dams and half breeds melted and
moulded by the mOnOpOlists, are sure
to become u dangerous factor, and one
quite incompatible with the spirit of
our institutions. But it is said that
the Indians have a right tn the terrific
ry. On the same prinGiple, perhaps,
the Indians might claim to own the
whole United States. Yet it is not for
the interest of these few Indians TO
allow them to nominally hold this
vast territory, while they are a. now
juggled with by the monopnlists who
actually hold and occupy the main
portion of it. The monopOlists having
got foothold will not let go easily,
and in time they will find way to
claim the main portion of the Territory
| Probably the muaL Just solution OF
the matter would be for the Govern
ment to deal literally with the Indians
by giving them legal titles to u certain
moderate portion of the land, giving
each Indian enough amply for his
needs, and then rescue the balance
promptly from the monopoliats, and
open il up for sale only in homesteads
to acsual settlers, or at least adopting
some measures to keep it out of the
hands of the wealthy foreign and
American land grabbeis.
/ have not space to allude to the
millions of acres elsewhere turned over
to the land sharks. many of them for
eigners-indiYidua aud corporations.
But it is a bad record.
A judiciOus system of handling and
disposing of our public domain, and a
general reform of the Wholesale prOdi-
gality and folly of throwing the public
lands into the hands of the land sharks
and corporations, although it comes
/ late, would still enable the govern.
ment to hereafter protect the interests
of the people, the Indians and the
honest settlers, to pension every sol