Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-11-18
HELPING THE OPPRESSED.

HELPING TIE OFFnGSSGD.
What the Democracy, During It's Short
Lease of Power. Has Done to Reclaim
the Land for the People Which Has
Been 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 CoviEgton, KY. from which the fol-
lowing extract is taken:
The policy of the Government of the United
States in relation to the disposition of the
public lands is of very great Importance to
the great masses of the people. especially to
those who work for wages. much more Inn
porlant, gentlemen, than is generally sup
posed The possession by the Government of
a large area of arabic lands has contributed
perhaps more than any one other fact to
keep up the wages of Amer can labor in this
country. So long as the citizen might ac-
quire home for himself and his family it
was impossible to reduce his wages below
certain point. Prior to 1862 there never had
been granted by the Government a single
acre OF your public lands to any private cor
poration. During all the year, preceding the
war when the Democratic party generally
held majority in both branches of Congress,
i repeat, there was not an acre of your pub
lie lands granted to any private corporation.
1t is true that Mr.. Sherman has frequently of
making land grants to railroad corporations
was inaugurated by the Democratic
paft6 e IN Pnos r Central Raiiroad Compame In
making this statement, gentlemen Mr.. Sher-
man does himself very gross injustice. be-
cause he knows very well that the Democratic
party never made anv land grant to the llli-
nois Central Railroad Company or any other
railroad company. In 1880 Congress passed
not to the railroad company, but to the State
of Hin 1is-to all the people OF that great
State With this land the State of Illinois sue
ceeded in having constructed LIZ miles OF
railroad within the Central Illinois railroad
Company by which the COMPANY , was L 10 pay
certain percentage on net earnings. and I'M
der this contract the people OF Illinois have
already received about Sl0.GOo0oO, and are re-
cefving every year large part Of the revenue
required to defray the expenses of their State
This. then, was not grant to any private
corporation, but grant of land to the State
of illinois for the benefit of all it's taxpayers.
1855 acres of land. But in 1852, for the first
time in the legislation of this country, the
policy was inaugurated by a Republican Con-
gress of granting YOUR public lands to private
corporations. There hal been. up to that
time. granted to twelve of the States for the
purpose f enabling them to construct or as
sist in constructing railr ads about 81, oO luoo
acrSs of land, and they succeeded in having
constructed out of the proceeds of tbs land
10, 92S miles of railroad. or one mile for each
1920 acres of land. When our Republican
friends took control by acts passed from
Democratic vote in either branch OF
Congress- they granted to nine great rail
road companies 81. S64 280 acres of land.
These companies constructed under these
acts 4,25l miles of railroad, one mile of
railroad only for each 1850 acres of your pub
lie Glands. These companies. accord ng to their
own reports, have sold those lands at an aver
age price of s. per acre. At this price they
| received for each mile Of railroad C Instructed
by them, S5S9JO. In addition to this, the GOV
eminent issued its bonds. bearing interest
| payable seni-annually. to the amount OF $64.-
! Az 512 and deliVnred them to six of these
| same companies. upon which the Government
from 0Gf that time to this SO that to day these
| six great corporations are indebted to the
| people of the United States more than S10O-
| in its own bonds at par, to say nothing OF the
! interest. $25, 400 for every mile of road con-
struggled Therefore they have received from ON
| of road constructed. and $2'. 400 in bonds for
| each mile of road constructed: so that they
| So, 900 for every mile of road constructed.
And yet our Republican friends profess to be
! the friends of the working people OF this
| this land to the public domain, and preserv-
ing these lands for homes for the people.
tell you up to the beginning of the Forty
| eighth Congress. over whose deliberations it
and so to
| Pile. Applause In addition, to the nine
| railroad companies about VIII ch have
| spoken, there was large number of Others
| claiming grants under various acts of Con-
gress, passed by our republican FRIENDS,
| ella ming about !10.0W.00 acres of lands, be
| sides those to which have referred, aking
| an area five times as large as the whole
| State of Kentucky. These companies claim
| ing those 10 0O0, 600 acres had not construct
| ed their roads within the time required by
| Congress, yet when I went into that chair on
| the first Monday of December, 1883 not one
| solitary 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
| ed, which at once began thorough inVeSCl-
! cation of these subjects, and the resnle is
| that up to the present time we have succeeded
in forfeting and restoring to the public DO
| main, by acts which have passed both houses
of Congress, So 4e2. 900 acres, or GS.SIS square
! miles of territory, twice as large a tract as
the whole State of Kentucky. lApplause
| This amount of your publ lands: which was
| wrongfuly claimed by these railroad com
| panies. we have now succeeded in restoring
one Congress and half of another Besides
| this. gentlemen we have passed through the
| House of Representatives bills forfelf1ng ana
restoring to the public domain 50 40 "a acres
| which the Senate has not yet agreed to. max
ing area of TO, Us square miles AND there
are now on the calendar of the House
| with favorable report of the Committee on
| Public Lands. awaiting action OF the House
| next session. bills FORGETTING about 2l.00U
square miles more And thus we expect 70
go on, if we succeed in retaining control OF
the House Of Representatives in the execu-
ton of this policy of justice aud right to the
people until every acre of land improperly
| granted away and improperly held by private
| corporations shall be restored to the public
domain and kept for homesteads for the peo
| pie. a single bill passed by the House at
! recent session proposes to restore TO the pub
lie domain thirty-SiX million acres OF
land which the House claims have not c, neen
ing it, but the Senate has refused to concur
in it; in other words. has agreed to It with
such an amendment as will make the bill for
feIt only two or three million acres of land
giving to the railroad company about thirty
two million to which it is not entitled