Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-02-09

F
1 party ever granted an acre Of land To a
/ private corporation:
Nix. SIITENAN-Let us see how ride
ulOus such claim is. \ great party can
not stand in that position. senators
Here II IS: The first grant Of public land
ever made 10 aid the construction OF rail
roads was TO the state If Illinois i'll trust
for a particular company to build a rail
road on a defined line and because Con
greSS lnterpOSed q trustee between the
grant and the beueticidrieS III a State is
that dodge OF distinction the Democratic
party VIII stand behind: dOnot believe
it. sir, nor did they dOit. UptO 1861 there
were no grants made to Territories eX-
cept to one. Minnesota. and that was of
doubtful authority. But i'll 1861 it be-
came necessary to grant lands to build
railroads in Territories. Were Territories
TO stand us trustees between the restUi
| que trust and the government? No: be-
cause those Territories We're mere tranSi-
ent agents Of local authority. Therefore
! Congress created corporations, and it was
done by the voice and the act of Demo
Gratis and Republicans alike. When am
arraigned here for any mistakes that were
made in that legislation, | beg leave to
tell my honorable friend that Mir. Hen
vocate of the law organizing the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company. The re
cords will show it, although | have not
looked over them for years: but there
they are. So with Reverdy johnson, and
so with all the Democrats. There was no
difference between parties then on that
question.
Mr.. KENNA-Oh, Mr.. President, the
! Senator will hardly say that.
Mr.. SYSTEMATICALLY all, think.
! Mr. kENNA-IIe has named every Dem
Ocrat he can name who supported that
measure Can the Senator say there was
no difference between the parties on that
subject?
! Mr.. SHERMAN-My impression is that
the records will bear Inc out in the state
ment have made.
Mr. kENNA-The records do not show
! it.
| Mr.. SHERMAN think the records will
show that the vote was almost unanimous
on those bills, and remember well that II
was the active agency of Mr.. hendricks
in regard to the Northern Pacific bill,
which | thought was not well enough
! guarded, and also the active agency OF
| Reverdy Johnson. who contributed, | be
! lieve, more than any other man to the
passage OF Ile SeCOlll llIOll L 6tCliiC lt'tlI-
road act in 1864.
You can not shield yourself behind any
subterfuge. OF any trustee. or any mere
/ form of law. That grant was made b.
! consent of the people of the United States.
| by and in pursuance Of a resolution of the
! National Democratic Convention of 1850
and OF the Republican Convention of 1850.
! 1t was made by the common consent of
! the people. and by the common will OF the
people without regard to parties, North
/ or South. Even before the war the South
! had a project also for a Southern Pacific
! Railroad. and that was favored as well as
/ the rest. No; let there be no lodging be-
| hind the trustees. When the lands were
within a State the State was naked truS-
| tee. and when within Territory the lands
were granted to corporations created by
! Congress. and this formula was adopted
| in grants By both parties.
| As to the vital question that divides the
! two parties. it is this: We still stand upon
| the position that | stated III 1867, that it
was better to do away with the internal
revenue taxes as rapidly as possible, and
! they were at last swept away, with the eX-
ceptions have stated, by the Forty-elghth
! Congress. the last Congress Republican III
! both branches which existed i'll TINS coun-
| try. That was III 1882; and there is quoted
to us what was said by Arthur i'll 1882, and
by his Secretary of the Treasury, Mr.. Fol
ger. What they recommended was right;
it was entirely consistent with what said
at tile time: it was entirely consistent with
what the honorable Senator who sits near
me Mr.. Morrill, and have cndeavOred to
carry out: and Republican Congress did
it. The difference between the Demo
cratic party and the Republican party is
that when Arthur and the executive au-
thorities, Republican in character, called
our attention to the necessity of reYlS-
ion, we went and did it, ard passed the
law OF 1885.
That is precisely what you have not
done, and that is precisely what | want
you to do You take the responsibility
Of power, make your plan, and then we
will meet you and discuss it with you at
your pleasure.
There is a broad line of division between
the two parties as they exist now and as
they will exist in the future, The I'reSi
dent says, retain all internal taxes and re-
duce the duties on imported merchandise
that come in competition with home III
dustrieS, We say we will not strike down
any proSpering industry of our country:
that where manufactures have sprung up
in our midst by the aid OF duty, this pro
lection, as you call it, we viii not intro
dace; we will not derange contracts, III
dustrics, CT plans, or lower the prices OF
labor, or compel laborers OF manufacture
erS to meet any sudden change or emer-
gcncy. We say thatWe are willing to Join
with YOU in reducing the taxes. We will
select those taxes that bear most heavily
upon the people, especially internal taxes,
and repeal those. We will preserve the
spirit of protection by tariff duties just
50 long as it is necessary to give our peO-
pie the benefit of a home market and dl
Versified productions fair chance i'll the
trade and commerce of our country, but
we will not invite into our country foreign
imp0rtatiOnS to compete with and break
down cur home industries.
The Senator from West Virginia has
quoted a law. | do remember that law
| do not remember to have had anything
to do with the passage of the law TO which
he refers. But ] will not speak of that
Mr.. KENNA-I will furnish it the Sen
ator, if he will permit me.
Mr.. SHERMAN will look 1t up for my
self.
Mr.. KENNA-I have here the page and
date and entire proceeding, which will
show the Senator had charge of the bill
throughout its consideration.
Mr.. .S!IEEMAN-Wh year was that in ?
Mr.. KENNA-In 1854, and the act was
approved July 4 of that year.
MR. SHERMAN-Ah. l thought the date
would disclose it. That is sufficient;
want no other reason. The law was en-
acted in 1864, in the midst OF war, when
two millions of our people were down
South. That was a sufficient justification
for that or any other law which would in
yite people here to help ur make good the
absence OF those brave Union soldiers of
the army. | thought the date OF some |
thing would disclose it. The language
quoted III that law was not con
sistent with my feeling, ana ! thought
there must be some explanation OF it. |
have no doubt that | supported it then. |
Indeed. | would have passed any kind of |
a law at that time. | would have done |
what said afterward | would do, any
thing to beat the Democratic party, be-
oagse the success OF that party was the |
,IiccplI- inn of thp Union | did not py-