The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-10-21

: the people, and against the monopoli@s-
For a while the attitude of the Republican
party in Congress seemed to be, that th
appropriation bill should not pass, unles
: it contained this wasteful item. From tina
position they We're driven bv the power o
public opinion and D,'mocratic determine
ton.
1 mentioned awhile ago how the Pension
| Office had been purified iand made to d'
service it was intended to do, and how tha
service had resulted in the number of case
disposed of monthly. The increase of th'
roll, ani the increase of the amount pai'
e in certain cases caused n great increase il
the amount of the annual appropriation
for pension purposes. The one-Iessed vet
Grams, the one-armed veterans. those wht
had lost an eye, and those otherwise dis
abled to a serious extent have had their nj
. lowance increased very appreciable, thos'
receiving so before. now get s2i, md thost
receiving s2i, now get $50, etc.
: The widow of soldiers entitled to a pen
sion are hereafter TO receive SLIPPER month
inst eau OF IS. This Democratic House o
Representatives cheerfnlly did these things
and voted sixteen million dollars more
than was ever appropriated before with
which to pay pensions the coming year.
Does this verify the predictions OF Repub-
iican demagogues, that, if n Democratic
President were chosen, the disabled SOL
diers of the war for the Uunion would be
In danger of losing their pensions?
Let us read another short paragraph from
nored. ave believe that labor is best re-
\ Is fraoc nd ,OSfa liol,f
ened. 1t should therefore be fostered and
cherished. We favor the repeal Of all laws
restricting the free action of labor and the
enactment of laws b. which labor organi-
cations may be incorporated" bill to
legaiiZe the Incorporation of national
trades unions was passed early in the ses-
sion. In this law, the term Trades Unions,
means any association of laboring people,
having tie good objects and purposes Of
such organizations generally. 1t was not
used in a limited or restricted sense. A
little later and the bill providing the
means and methods foi the voluntary ar
bitration oil differences between railroad
companies ard their employees, reported
| from the House COMMITTEES on Labor, re-
ceived the endorsement of the Democratic
! party. Other measures OF like character
have passed the House snG now await the
a-tisn of the Senate.
The bill TO protect mechanics, labcrers
and servants in their wages. The bill to
prevent any officer, agent or servant of the
Government of the Emitted States 10 hire or
contract out the labor of United States
prisoners.
One against the employment of convict
or alien labor upon public buildings and
other public works. or on material being
prepared for public buildings or work. And
another to amend with stronger restrictions
and more effective provi ions the law pro-
hibiting the importation of foreigners un-
der contract to work in this country. Cey-
tainly fair showing to contradict the
statement that we have ignored the wishes
of labor, or broken our promises in that
respect. But these are not all the measures
in which our party in its legislative course |
gave due consideration to the interest of
the toiling masses. Emphasizing the |
proposition that the public lands should |
he kept for actual settlers. we repealed the |
laws which had been used'to enai.le spec |
ulators and svndicates, es,to'accumulate large |
tracts of new lands by means Of fraudulent
pracbicSs. INV HsSouuhiSsionei VI W."
eral Land Office has been busy couunuaiy
since he entered upon the duties Oh DIS
office in correcting the many abuses which
had thriven during Republican misrule. |
The Secretary of the Interior has sustained
such action heartily. The 550,Ooo acres
reclaimed from the Texas and Pacific Rail
road Company which had deem Improperly
reserved was not very large matter' out
it would not have been saVea 10 tEe people
by the Republican commissioner VINO
1nistakingly yielded IL 10 the e.IorporaIion
The 100000 acres wresfed from the Attain
tic and Pacific Company, because never
earned even according to the law under
which their grant was mare might possibly
be worth considering Our own dear De-
lano allowed The claim OF that company 10
TINS iahd ana reservoir IL ior 'hein oeiore
they had built mile OF fhe road whose
was to earn them. Ahhoush
the corporation never construceed hiiie
OF the road 1t fought against giving up tho
steal, almost es hard as II II hao peeh justly
entitled TO II. Ihese are out examples
chosen from several cases In which the
Land ONCE under Democratic rule mas .
oeen struggling 10 restore 10 .he Pe0Pie
their own. Millions OF acres 1or the use Oh
Actual settlers Will De the result OF tnese
struggles. But the good fight has not been
confined to the Executive department
alone, while land grabbing IN all its 'hri- {
Gus forms mas oeeh geltihe ciecAeu anu ,
suppressed by the interior department. the ,
House OF Representatives mas peeh waeins ,
battles with the corporations ana their Z
lilses, for Inc recovery OF otner mihiohs Vi
lnearned lands. These vast tracts were ,
gwen away to these corpora1ors during Z
Republican supremacy. In several lnstah- I
'es the lands were certined 10 the conpa- I
MES years before thelr foaos were nhisne", l
although the time for the completion Oh =
he road was liked III the law MAKING .he .
he grant, and was condltion precedent r
% their grant. Both parties declared IN IA
7or OF restoring these uhearheu iahus 10 +
he public domain. Let US see wh1ch one =
las the more faithfully Kept It's promise. ,
But bear in mind all the time that 1t was g
he Republican party that impro'ioehliS I
,ranted them away. From July l, ls62' 10 ,
March 3, 1871, that party voted away 10
OF one kind anu ahe'he' Z
ieariy lio,VVo,coo acres OF Pupiic iahos' .
-ast area.
The simple ngures give no adequate idea :
If its magnitude. They have earned, that
S, they have fulfilled their side OF the con-
ract as to be entitled to little more than
OF the whole amount. The rest
If IL should be by them yielded back
o the people for their own use. Let me
uote a sentence from the first II mesSage of
President Cleveland on this subject. 81
cSnactfpllv recommend that fOrfeitureS
cspec.'uhy 'eoo'ninen nc o
we're not com pleted in the manner and
within the time prescribed by law; and