The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-11-18
WHOLE NUMBER 1920.
EATON OHIO THURSDAY NOVEMBER s 1885, N
HELPING THE OPPRESSED.

HELPING THE OPPRESSED.
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 q
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 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
posed The possession by the Government oe
large area of arabic lands has contributed
keep up the wages of American labor in this
country. So long as the citizen might &C.
Guire a home for himself and his family it
was impossible to reduce his wages below
certain point. Prior to 1852 there never had
been granted by the Government single
'poration. During ali the years preceding the
war when the Democratic party generallv
held majority in both branches OF ConSress
repeat, there was not an acre of your pub
lie lands granted to any private corporation
It is true that Mr. Sherman has frequently of
late made the statement that the POLICY OF
party part BY a grant of land. as he states Il,
to the Illinois Central Railroad Company. In
making this statement, gentlemen, MT. Sher-
man does himself very gross injustice, be
cause he knows very well that the Dem3cra,n,c ans
nois Central Railroad Company or any other
railroad company. In 1850 Congress passed
not to the railroad company, but to the State
of Illin,is-to ali the people of that great
State. With this land the State of Illinois sue
railroad within the Central Illinois Railroad
Company by which the company was to pay
CERTAIN ne pereentase 90 On me net ear earninss and nn
already received about $1,000: 900, and are re
| required to defray the expenses of their State
Government.
THIS, then, was not a grant to any, private
of Illinois for the benefit Of all its taxpayers.
| They received one mile of railroad for every
| time in the legislation of this country. tho
policy was inangurated by q Republican Con
gress of granting your public lands to private
time. granted to twelve of the States for the
/ purpose enabling them to construct or as.
acres sS Of land. and they I succeeded in having
| constructed out of the proceeds of tn land
| 0a2S miles of railroad. or one mile for each
C,EJ u.
friends took control by acts passed from
1862 to 1865, when there was scarcely
Democratic vote in either branch o.
road con Companies s. So ,sso acres Of land
These companies constructed under these
railroad @ % only s for each 7,ssS acres Of your pub
lie Glands. These companies, according to theiI
own reports, have sold those lands at an aver
received for each mile Of railroad instructed
by them, x3S,9W. In addition to this. the Gov
payabIe semi-ennualiy, r to the amount Of Ss4.
83,512, and delivered them to six OF thest
same companies upon which the Government
from that time to this, SO that to day thes'
| six great corporations are indebted to tn
people of the United States more than SlOJ.
| 0J0.000. So that the Government gave to then
| in its own bonds at par. TO say nothing OF tn
| interest. SIS, ,45o for every mile OF road con
struggled Therefore re tn they have received iron s,I
of road constructed. and u .46O in bonds 10
each mile of road constructed; so that the
sss,sso for every mile Of road constructed
| And yet our Republican friends profess TO o
% the 6e % n of
J this land to the public domain. and preserv
, ing these lands for homes for the people.
Gentlemen, speak by the record when
.. tell you up to the beginning of the Fort!
eighth Congress. over whose deliberations
was my fortune to pres'd not one acre Q
pie [Applause.l In addition to the min
| railroad companies about which I hav
, spoken, there was large number OF Other
, | claiming grants under various acts OF Coz
gress. passed by our Republican friend
, | cia ming about ,010 acres of lands, b.
! an area Ave times as large as the whol
4 State of Kentucky. These companies CLAIM
, | ing those ITO. 600 600 acres had not construc
ed their roads within the time required b
Congress. yet when went into that chair Q
: | the first Monday of December, 1sSs. not or
acre of these one NJ tbe nsone amd e
A Committee on Public Lands was appoin
eaon wn,of of hess 4. ecs subjects and the result
n | that up to the present time we have succeede
. in forfeiting and restoring to the public d
! Of Congress, So 4s2. 900 acres, or 7s. s7S squa
miles of territory, twice as large a tract
> the whole State of Kentucky. tApplause
wronsfSiIy r % Claimed M % BY % these raiiroad cor
u pan:es. we have now succeeded in restorir
one &c congress SsGes' and half Of another Besid
- tn s. gentlemen. we have passed through U
q House of Representatives bills forfeitng al
~ which the Senate has not yet agreed to. ma
II ing an area of 20. 128 square miles. And the
}, are now on the calendar OF the Hous
Al | with favorable report of the Committee {
e next session. bills forfeiting about 2o.C
70 on, If we succeed in retaining control
y the House of Representatives, in the exec
W ton of this policy of justice and right TO T
II people until every acre of land improper
granted away and improperly held by pr.ya
l. corporations shall be restored to the pub
g. domain and kept for homesteads for the pt
"a recent session proposes to restore to the pu
e, lie domain over thirty-six million acres
m land which the House claims have not be
~ earned by the railroad companies now clai
ce ing it. but the Senate has refused to conc
in it; in other words. has agreed to it W
such an amendment as will make the Dill 4
felt only two or three million acres OF la1
giving to the railroad company about thir
| two million to which 1t is not entitled.