Nevada County picayune., 1888-07-04

Republicans was earned in time. still, Mir. Chairman. the most impor- tant question for Us now to consider IS how to recover so much as was not legally earned. Instead of asking whether the grants should have been made or not. let Us ask how much has been earned. and. if not earned whether the Government should not enter and take the granted estate. If the Democratic party initiated the policy of aiding the railroads. it has alss initiated the policy of demand ing that the terms of the grants should be complied with. The Dcm- ocratic party stands pledged and ready to forfeit all not earned in time, That is the question to which We call the attention of our Rcpubli- can friends. call upon them now to show what they have done to re- cover the uncarncd lands so rcck- lessly granted by their party. 1 charge that party with favoring the railroads as against the settlers in this fight for forfeitures. not all the members. but particularly the Sen ate. which is under control of Re- publicans. l point with pride to the record of our party and the efforts of leading members.
 MT. Holman. of Indiana. a Dem- ocrat. now the able chairman of the House Committee on the Public Lands. on the 18th day of January. A. D. 1869, when the Republican party had full control of all the De- partments of the Government, offer ed the following resolution in the House:
 Resolved. That grants of the pub lie lands to corporations ought to be discontinued. and the whole of such lands ought to be held as a sacred trust to secure homesteads to actual settlers. and for no other purpose whatever.
 A Republican. Mir. II. D. Wash burn. with the House about two- thirds Republican. moved to table the resolution. and the motion was agreed to by just about that propor- tion, The vote was 10 yeas and 55 nays, and the gentleman from Indi- ana Mir. llolman). who was a mem Der of the Fortieth Congress, says he only remembers three Democrats who voted to table. With only q handful of Democrats in Congress. the leaders of that grand old party of the people that had acquired so much of of our public domain under took to stop such grants, and. if pos siblc. to recover some of the lands that had been rccklcsslv lv given to moneyle.s corporations for spccula- tive purposes. and they were met by the Republicans, then in power, by q vote to table, which in effect said to the country that the lands ought not to he held for settlers. but for cor porations as well and continue to make grants.
 In connection with this resolution desire to call attention to the platforms of the Democratic party of 1884 and 1888 upon this sub jcct:
 We believe that the public land ought, as far as possible, to he kept as homestcads for actual settlers :; that all unearncd lands heretofore improvidently granted to railroad corporations by the action of the Re- publican party should he restored to the public domain. and that no more grants of land shall he made to cor porations, or be allowed to fall into the ownership of alien abscntees. .- National Democratic Platform, 1884.
 The Democratic party has revers- ed the improvident and unwisc policy of the Republican party touching the public domain, and has reclaimed from corporations and syndicates. alien and domestic, and restored to the people, nearly 100, ,00O, ,000 acres of valuable land, tos sbe sacredly held as homcsteads for our citizens. Ma tional Democratic Platform, 1888.
 Now, Mir. Chairman, let us see what has been done to redeem these promises.
 The Forty-cighth Congress pass ed bills to forfeit the following ed land grants to railroad corpora tions. all of which bills were initiat- ed in and passed by a Democratic House in accordance with the policy of that party, namely:
 Acres. Oregon Central Slo,SSO Texas Pacific IS, 300, ,0OO Iron Mountain, of Mis-
 souri 300, ,0OO