The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-11-13
HELPING THE OPPRESSED.


what tho Democracy, During Its Short
Lease OF Power. Has Dopc to Reclaim
the Land for the People which Has
Bcen UnJustiy Donated to Corporations
by the Republican Party.
John G.. Carlisle, Speaker of the
House of Representatives and one OF
the most prominent and eloquent of
American statesmen, lately delivered a
powerful address to his fellow citizens
of Covington, KY, from which the fol-
lowing extract is taken:
The policy OF the Government of the United
States in relation to tho disposition OF tho
the great masses of tho people. especially to
those who work for wages. much more i'm.
portant, gentlemen, than Is generally sup
posed The possession by tho Government oe
u large area of arabic lands has contributed
perhaps more than any ono other fact to
keep up the wages of Amer can labor IN this
country. So long as tho citizen might nc.
quire home. for himself and his family IL
was impossible To reduce his wages below q
been granted by the Government II single
acre of your public lands to any private cor.
poraton. During all the years preceding the
held u majority in both branches OF Congress,
] repeat there was not an acre of your pub
Hic lands granted to any private corporation.
pate made the statement that the policy OF
making land grants TO railroad corporations
was innugurated by the Democratic
flo the Illinois Central Railroad Company. In
making this statement, gent emen, Mr.. Sher-
oman does himself very gross injustice. be-
cause he knows very we'll that the Democratic
ipnrty never made anv land grant to the ILL.
inois Central Railroad Company or nny other
railroad . company In lsSo 20 Go Congress passed
not to the railroad COMPANY, but to tho State
3f Hin is-to ali the people of that great
State With this land tho State of Illinois sue.
ceeded In having constructed 1922 miles of
railroad within the Central Illinois Railroad
Company by whlch the company was to pay
unto tho treasury of the State every year a
certain percentage on net earnings, and un-
der this contract tho people of Illinois have
already received about $1,000, ,000 and are re.
Sevs @ large pns OF It S ste
Government.
This. then, wns not a grant to any, private
of Illinois for the benefit Of ali its taxpayers
They received one mile of railroad for every
1,9B5 acres of land. But in 1862, for tho first
poey wss by S sns Conc
gress Of granting YOUR public lands to private
ee,orporations; corp There hui been, up TO that
purpose enabling them to construct or as.
sist In constructing railr ads about 81. 100000
acres of land. and thoy succeeded In having
ios miles Of s rSilroad @ or one mile for eaoh @
1920 acres of land When our Republican
frdends frae took ssk control by acts passed rom
Democratic. vote in either. branch Of
Congress. they granted to nine great rail-
road companies 3s,s64 $50 acres of land.
These companies constructed under these
acts 425i miles of railroad, or one mile of
raIlrond ONLY for each 1850 acres of vour pub.
liclands. These companies. accord ng to their
aee price of S. per acre. At tn g price they
received for each mile of railroad @ instructed
py them, S's.9)o In addition to this the Gov.
trnment issued its bonds, bearing interest
payable sem-annualv, to the amount OF $S4,-
fi3,5l2 and delivered them to six Of these
pane companies, upon which tho Government
from that time to this, so that to day these
Fix great corporations are Indebted to the
people OF the United States more than $100.-
kW.0O0 So that the Government gave to them
lin its own bonds at par. to sav nothing of the
interest," 81, $50 for every mile of road con-
ktructed Therefore, they have received from
bf road constructed. and Sc ,46O in bonds for
pach mile Of road constructed; 80 that they
have received altogether In bonds and lands
sAnd yet our Republican friends profess to be
the friends of the working people of this
country,.profess to be in favor OF restoring
ing these lands for homes for tho people
Gentlemen. speak by the record when I
tell you up TO the beg inning Of the Forty
the public land had been restored to the peo.
pie; lApplause In addition to the nine
spoken, there was large number of others
Claiming grants under various acts of Con-
gress. % passed BY on our Republican friends,
sides those to which have referred, making
an area five times as large rs the whole
State of Kentucky. These companies claim.
ing those 1l0.OOO.O0 acres had not construct
ed their roads within the time required by
Congress, yet when went INTO that chair on
the first Monday of December, 1888, not one
sol tary acre of these one hundred and ten
millions had been restored to the people to
whom they belonged
A Committee on Public Lands was. appoint
cation of these subjects. and the result ia
that up to the present time we have succeeded
in forfe,tlng and restoring to the public do
main. by acts which have passed both houses
OF Congress, 30. .4s2.0 900 acr 's or T8 S7S square
miles Of territory, twice rs large a tract as
the the whole State of Kentucky. Applause
wrongfully claimed BY those railroad com.
pan es. we have now succeeded in restoring
tot to- the Ga, people, to whom HON thcy belong, during
tn 8. gentlemen, we have passed through tho
House OF Representatives bills forfeiting and
restoring to the public domain 3s l.94l acres
which the Senate has not yet agreed to. max.
ing an area of 10, l28 square IN les. And there
are now on tho calendar of the House.
with favorable report OF the Committee on
Public Lands, awaiting action Of the House
next session. bills forfeiting about 2).OO0
square miles more. And thus we expect to
go on. II we succeed In retaining control of
the House of Representatives. In the execu-
ton of this policy of justice and right to tho
people until every acre of land improperly
granted away and improperly held by pr vate
corporations shall be restored to the public
donna n and kept for ho;nesteads for the peo.
pie. single bill passed by the House at a
recent session proposes to restore TO the pub.
lie domain over thirty.six million acres of
land which the House claims have not been
earned by the railroad companies now claim
Ing it, but the Senate has refused to concur
In It; in other words. has agreed to It W tn
fuch an amendment as will make the hill for
,e't only two or three million acres OF land,
giving to the railroad company about thirty.