New Hampshire Rhode Island Vermont : Delaware California Colorado 276,531 780,773 The 3,582,660 souls provided with homes | creating profitable markets for those indusunder this beneficent law exceeds the number tries, and thus increasing the wealth and of inhabitants of the thirteen Colonies when power of the States and Nation to a degree they achieved their independence, and is immeasurably greater than the value of the greater in number also than the population, as lands to the Government when thus donated. per census of 1880, of the following fourteen And this has been and is being done by States and Territories:this great and beneficent Republican measure POPULATION. despite every sort of Democratic opposition 346,991 in and out of Congress; and of late, - since 332,286 the Southern Democrats have again attained 146,608 full power in the administration of President 864,694 Cleveland as well as in the popular branch of 194,326 Congress, the General Land Office has been 174,768 turned into an engine of oppression. Every 62,266 effort is being made there to hinder, vex, and 269,493 harass the settler in securing title to his 40,440 lands. Little technicalities, such as delight 39,159 the souls of shyster attorneys in police courts, 20,786 are being used by a great government to prevent one of its citizens from obtaining a home for himself and his family; and the head of the Land Office issues a campaign document glorying in his shame, actually boasting of the number of homestead entries which he has cancelled from March 4, 1885 to May 12, 1888. Minnesota Oregon Nevada Florida Arizona Idaho Montana 32,610 3,581,731 Thus adding a hardy, intelligent, industrious, and patriotic population to the States in which these homesteads were located, enhancing greatly the value of the lands of those States, enlarging their productive industries, CHAPTER X. The Public Lands - Grants, Forfeitures, etc. "It [the Democratic party] has reversed the improvident and unwise 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 100,000,000 acres of land to be sacredly held as homesteads for our citizens." Democratic National Platform, 1888. "The restoration of unearned railroad land grants to the public domain for the use of settlers, which was begun under the Administration of President Arthur, should be continued. We deny that the Democratic Party has ever restored one acre to the people, but declare that by the joint action of Republicans and Democrats in Congress, about 50,000,000 of acres of unearned lands originally granted for the construction of railroads have been restored to the public domain, in pursuance of the conditions inserted by the Republican Party in the original grants. We charge the Democratic Administration with failure to execute the laws securing to settlers titles to their homesteads, and with using appropriations made for that purpose to harass innocent settlers with spies and prosecutions, under the false pretence of exposing frauds and vindicating the law.". Republican National Platform, 1888. PART I. Land Grants and their History - What the records show-The first land grant- Land aid to Railways adopted as a policy - The trans-continental Railways - Speeches of Morrison and Hendricks - Votes, etc. The Republican party pleads guilty to But the Democrats claim the Republicans have "wasted the public heritage," and Presi credit to itself for having "restored vast bodies of land to the public domain," for the benefit of the people. What the Records show - The Land Surplus and how it was disposed of. A concise history of the land grants of the United States, taken from the official records, with the reasons for the grants and the results of them, is the best possible answer to these Democratic outcries. In the early days of its history the United States was not troubled with a surplus of money in its treasury, but it had an immense surplus of land within its boundaries, and one of the earliest policies adopted was to give freely of these lands to aid in the building of roadways and canals that would assist in the opening-up of new countries, thus rendering the lands valuable, or that would cheapen the interchange of the products of the different sections, or the moving of armies and material in times of war. The First Land Grant. The first grant of this kind was approved March 3, 1803, and it gave 3 per cent of the public lands in Ohio to aid in building "wagon roads" in that State. A little later large grants were made for building canals, then the most approved methods of artificial transportation. The invention by Stephenson of the railway created a revolution in the modes of trade and travel. The iron roadway and the locomotive superseded the turnpike, the canal, and even the natural water ways. None recognized this more promptly than the American Congress. In 1833 it authorized the State of Illinois to divert to the building of a railway the land granted to the State to aid in the construction of a canal. oceans with bands of iron. Almost from the day when California became a part of the nation, and the budding of a new empire was seen upon the Pacific coast, statesmen favored binding the oceans together with bands of iron. Benton and Douglas, Breckinridge and Buchanan, in the Democratic party, Fillmore with the Whigs, and all the grand leaders and founders of the Republican party, favored the building of a railway from the Missouri to the Pacific by national aid. In 1856 all the party conven-. tions, Republican, American, and Democratic, declared in favor of such action, the latter declaring that "it was the duty of the Federal Government to exercise all its constitutional powers in that behalf;" and all the Presidential candidates, Buchanan, Fremont, and Fillmore, wrote letters favoring it. In his message to Congress of December 6, 1858, President Buchanan suggested that after companies were incorporated "Congress might then assist them in the work by grants of land or money, or both, with conditions and restrictions as to transportation of troops and munitions of war, free of charge, and the carrying of the mails at a fair price." This was the first suggestion of giving money to aid in the construction of a railway. There was a wide-spread belief that great danger existed of a secession from the Union of the people on the Pacific coast, and the formation of a separate republic. Shortly after this, and before any action had been taken, a new condition arose. The war of the Rebellion came, and it was believed to be of supreme necessity to secure the construction of a railway to the Pacific. The bill to aid the construction of the Union and Central Pacific was passed by the Thirtyseventh Congress in 1862. There was no partisanship on this question in the Senate; Land aid to Railways adopted as a policy. the vote was 35 to 5, 11 Democratic senaIn 1850 Congress adopted the policy of tors voting for and 2 against the measure, giving from its surplus lands a portion to whilst 24 Republicans favored and 3 opaid in the building of railways, granting al-posed it. In the House 18 Democrats voted ternate sections, while at the same time the in favor of and 25 Republicans against the price of those retained was doubled, so that bill. in fact the government received the same amount of money for the retained sections that it would have received if none had been given to the railroads, and the building of the roads caused the immediate sale of the lands. It was the knowledge of this feeling on The policy was a wise one. The States the Pacific that made every one who dewere made trustees, and grants given to forty-sired to preserve the Union the more ready seven railway companies, and these grants by to vote aid for a railway that would bind the the Democratic party were more liberal in sections together. fact than any since made, because they were within the limits of the States and within organized communities. Unfortunately the companies to which grants were given south of the Ohio, could not avail themselves of the splendid donations made by Congress. The same curse which prevented all other progress there, blighted the efforts to construct railways, even with the cost of the roads given to the companies. The trail of the serpent of slavery was over them all, and Notwithstanding the liberal aid offered by the law of 1862 capital could not be found to build the railway. The result was that in 1864 still better terms were offered, under which the Union and Central Pacific, with their branches, were built. What a distinguished Democrat says. Col. Wm. R. Morrison, of Illinois, now one of the Interstate Railway Commissioners, but in 1864 a member of the House, amongst The 3,582,660 souls provided with homes under this beneficent law exceeds the number of inhabitants of the thirteen Colonies when they achieved their independence, and is greater in number also than the population, as per census of 1880, of the following fourteen States and Territories: POPULATION. 276,531 780,773 creating profitable markets for those industries, and thus increasing the wealth and power of the States and Nation to a degree immeasurably greater than the value of the lands to the Government when thus donated. And this has been and is being done by this great and beneficent Republican measure despite every sort of Democratic opposition 346,991 in and out of Congress; and of late, - since 332,286 the Southern Democrats have again attained 146,608 full power in the administration of President 864,694 Cleveland as well as in the popular branch of 194,326 Congress, the General Land Office has been 174,768 turned into an engine of oppression. Every 62,266 effort is being made there to hinder, vex, and 269,493 harass the settler in securing title to his 40,440 lands. Little technicalities, such as delight 39,159 the souls of shyster attorneys in police courts, 20,786 are being used by a great government to prevent one of its citizens from obtaining a home for himself and his family; and the head of the Land Office issues a campaign document glorying in his shame, actually boasting of the number of homestead entries which he has cancelled from March 4, 1885 to May 12, 1888. 32,610 3,581,731 Thus adding a hardy, intelligent, industrious, and patriotic population to the States in which these homesteads were located, enhancing greatly the value of the lands of those States, enlarging their productive industries, CHAPTER X. The Public Lands - Grants, Forfeitures, etc. "It [the Democratic party] has reversed the improvident and unwise 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 100,000,000 acres of land to be sacredly held as homesteads for our citizens.' Democratic National Platform, 1888. "The restoration of unearned railroad land grants to the public domain for the use of settlers, which was begun under the Administration of President Arthur, should be continued. We deny that the Democratic Party has ever restored one acre to the people, but declare that by the joint action of Republicans and Democrats in Congress, about 50,000,000 of acres of unearned lands originally granted for the construction of railroads have been restored to the public domain, in pursuance of the conditions inserted by the Republican Party in the original grants. We charge the Democratic Administration with failure to execute the laws securing to settlers titles to their homesteads, and with using appropriations made for that purpose to harass innocent settlers with spies and prosecutions, under the false pretence of exposing frauds and vindicating the law.” — Republican National Platform, 1888. PART I. Land Grants and their History-What the records show-The first land grant- Land aid to Railways adopted as a policy The trans-continental Railways - Speeches of Morrison and Hendricks - Votes, etc. The Republican party pleads guilty to in the face of violent opposition from the Democratic party, to homestead settlers, and to having provided that every soldier who fought to preserve the Union should receive one hundred and sixty acres of land as a home for himself and his children. How this was done and how Democrats opposed it is shown in Chapter IX., "The Homestead Question." But the Democrats claim the Republicans have "wasted the public heritage," and Presi credit to itself for having "restored vast war had stricken the shackles from the bodies of land to the public domain," for the slave. benefit of the people. What the Records show The Land Surplus and how it was disposed of. In the early days of its history the United States was not troubled with a surplus of money in its treasury, but it had an immense surplus of land within its boundaries, and one of the earliest policies adopted was to give freely of these lands to aid in the building of roadways and canals that would assist in the opening-up of new countries, thus rendering the lands valuable, or that would cheapen the interchange of the products of the different sections, or the moving of armies and material in times of war. The trans-continental Railways linking oceans with bands of iron. Almost from the day when California beA concise history of the land grants of the came a part of the nation, and the budding United States, taken from the official records, of a new empire was seen upon the Pacific with the reasons for the grants and the re-coast, statesmen favored binding the oceans sults of them, is the best possible answer to together with bands of iron. Benton and these Democratic outcries. Douglas, Breckinridge and Buchanan, in the Democratic party, Fillmore with the Whigs, and all the grand leaders and founders of the Republican party, favored the building of a railway from the Missouri to the Pacific by national aid. In 1856 all the party conven-. tions, Republican, American, and Democratic, declared in favor of such action, the latter declaring that "it was the duty of the Federal Government to exercise all its constitutional powers in that behalf;" and all the Presidential candidates, Buchanan, Fremont, and Fillmore, wrote letters favoring it. In his message to Congress of December 6, 1858, President Buchanan suggested that after companies were incorporated "Congress might then assist them in the work by grants of land or money, or both, with conditions and restrictions as to transportation of troops and munitions of war, free of charge, and the carrying of the mails at a fair price." This was the first suggestion of giving money to aid in the construction of a railway. The First Land Grant. The first grant of this kind was approved March 3, 1803, and it gave 3 per cent of the public lands in Ohio to aid in building "wagon roads" in that State. A little later large grants were made for building canals, then the most approved methods of artificial transportation. The There was a wide-spread belief that great danger existed of a secession from the Union of the people on the Pacific coast, and the formation of a separate republic. The invention by Stephenson of the railway created a revolution in the modes of trade and travel. The iron roadway and the loco- Shortly after this, and before any action motive superseded the turnpike, the canal, had been taken, a new condition arose. and even the natural water ways. None rec-war of the Rebellion came, and it was beognized this more promptly than the Ameri-lieved to be of supreme necessity to secure can Congress. In 1833 it authorized the the construction of a railway to the Pacific. State of Illinois to divert to the building of The bill to aid the construction of the Union a railway the land granted to the State to and Central Pacific was passed by the Thirtyaid in the construction of a canal. seventh Congress in 1862. There was no partisanship on this question in the Senate; Land aid to Railways adopted as a policy. the vote was 35 to 5, 11 Democratic senaIn 1850 Congress adopted the policy of tors voting for and 2 against the measure, giving from its surplus lands a portion to whilst 24 Republicans favored and 3 opaid in the building of railways, granting al-posed it. In the House 18 Democrats voted ternate sections, while at the same time the in favor of and 25 Republicans against the price of those retained was doubled, so that bill. in fact the government received the same amount of money for the retained sections that it would have received if none had been given to the railroads, and the building of the roads caused the immediate sale of the lands. It was the knowledge of this feeling on The policy was a wise one. The States the Pacific that made every one who dewere made trustees, and grants given to forty-sired to preserve the Union the more ready seven railway companies, and these grants by to vote aid for a railway that would bind the the Democratic party were more liberal in sections together. fact than any since made, because they were within the limits of the States and within organized communities. Unfortunately the companies to which grants were given south of the Ohio, could not avail themselves of the splendid donations made by Congress. The same curse which prevented all other progress there, blighted the efforts to construct railways, even with the cost of the roads given to the companies. The trail of the serpent of slavery was over them all, and Notwithstanding the liberal aid offered by the law of 1862 capital could not be found to build the railway. The result was that in 1864 still better terms were offered, under which the Union and Central Pacific, with their branches, were built. What a distinguished Democrat says. Col. Wm. R. Morrison, of Illinois, now one of the Interstate Railway Commissioners, but in 1864 a member of the House, amongst and in the 49th Congress, when he was the acknowledged leader of his party, defended his act and vote. In the course of his remarks he said: Why, sir, in 1862 a grant had been made to certain parties; yes, to any parties or anybody who would build a railroad to California and tie it fast onto the Union. Nobody under that legislation put a spade in the ground or built any road. Two years afterward, and after we had tried in vain to obtain the building of the road under the first grant, it became apparent to all that the capital of the country would not take the risk of the enterprise. It substantially declared the capital of the country will not stand second; if you, the representatives of the people, want the railroad built, the Government must take the second place and the first risk.... The gentlemen charged with legislation then (the majority) were on the other side of the Hall. They were especially charged with, or took to themselves, the control of legislation affecting the conduct of the war. They said from the other side, this grant has been made and offered to the capital of the country and is yet unaccepted. Nobody will under this offer build a road to the Pacific Ocean. us and California were a people alien to us in religion, allowing them to unite with the South, as many of their leading men desired to do? ... this. settlements by the construction of some work like There was no party vote upon the grants to the Atlantic and Pacific, or to the Texas Pacific. All these great trans-continental railways were aided with land or money, not as partisan measures, but because the representatives of the people and the States, irrespective of party, believed that their construction would be of benefit to the country, and that they would not be built unless the aid was granted. It is true that the Republican party was in power when these grants were made and these roads built, and if it were possible to blot out all the past, leaving only these completed railways, with the results that have followed their construction, as the sole record of the existence of the Republican Party, that alone would entitle it to the undying admiration of the country. PART II. Land Grants by Democrats, compared trolled the policy of the country. I agreed with those who wanted to bring them The same year (1864) the grant was made to construct the Northern Pacific, the vote on the passage of that bill in the House was 74 yeas to 20 nays, and among the votes in its favor were those of the following Democrats: Allen of Illinois, Baldwin of Missouri, Boyd, Coffroth, Eden of Illinois, Eldridge of Wisconsin, Heall, King, Knapp, Lazier, McAllister, Nelson, Noble, Odell, Pruyn, J. B. Steele, W. G. Steele, Sweat, Voorhees of Indiana, and Ward. Several Republicans voted against the bill. In the Senate the bill passed without a division, and, in discussing it, the late VicePresident Hendricks said: The bill before the Senate proposes to encourage the construction of a very important railroad to connect the waters of Lake Superior with the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Everybody can see at a glance that it is a work of national importance. It proposes to grant lands in a northern latitude where, without the construction of a work like that, the lands are comparatively without value to the Government. No person acquainted with the condition of that section of the country supposes that there can be very extensive set tlements until the Government shall encourage those Grants prior to 1861, to 66 ⚫poses wagon-road pur- 66 purposes. Grants as swamp lands... Total anterior to 1861- Grants since 1861 to States 66 poses purposes. Grants for railroads to corpo rations.... Totals since 1861 1,975,593 1,975,593 163,643,944 13,454,111 -acres. 186,624,177 29,272,437 These figures show that under laws passed by Democrats eighty-five million acres of land have been certified or patented to States for such purposes, while, under the laws passed by the Republicans, less than thirty million acres have been certified or patented. |