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On May 27, a message to the Senate from | to defeat the bill, as it would have been imthe President of the United States, Abraham possible at that late date in the session to Lincoln, announced that he had signed the bill; and thus, amid the thunders of war, the Republican Party had kept its sacred pledge, and the Homestead Bill had become the law of the land.

PART IX.

Extending the Republican Homestead
Act in 1866 - Democratic Opposition
and Votes-The Soldiers' and Sailors'
Homestead Act of 1872.

have secured consideration in the Senate. Gen. Hawley begged Mr. Holman to withdraw his amendment, but the latter refused, and the Republicans voted it down, and passed the bill, which was at once signed by President Grant, and became a law on the 8th of June, 1872.

Democrats obstruct the law in every way.

That the Democracy since the Rebellion ciple as they were before "the war" is have been as hostile to the homestead prindemonstrated by their persistent and systematic efforts to cripple if not to wholly destroy the efficiency of the General Land Office. Appeals made again and again by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, supported by the Secretary of the Interior, to Congress for larger appropriations with which to secure more room and an increased clerical force absolutely demanded by the prompt and efficient execution of its increasing business, have been denied by DemoT. G. Bergen, B. M. Boyer, James Brooks, John W. cratic majorities in Congress; while, during Chanler, John L. Dawson, Charles A. Eldridge, Wil-reconstruction, as per reports of the generals liam E. Finck, A. J. Glossbrenner, Charles Goodyear,

In the House, Feb. 8, 1866, a bill was passed extending the provisions of the Homestead Act to the States of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida. The vote by which it passed was 112 yeas to 29 nays; all the nays being Democrats except two. The names of these Democrats

are:

Henry Grider, Aaron Harding, B. G. Harris, John
Hogan, James M. Humphrey, Michael C. Kerr, F. C.
Le Blond, Samuel S. Marshall, John A. Nicholson,
Samuel J. Randall, A.J. Rogers, George S. Shanklin.
Charles Sitgreaves, Myer Strouse, Stephen Saber,
Nelson Taylor, Anthony Thornton, and Daniel W.
Voorhees.

commanding the several military districts,
this hostility was developed in the violent
expulsion of settlers, who, under the Home-
stead Act, attempted to locate the lands of
the South.

The homestead principle a characteristically
Republican measure.

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The donation of the public lands to actual settlers, the homestead principle, - the "great beneficent measure of the day and the age," is a characteristically Republican measure, and no impudent or fraudulent attempt or claim of the Democracy can rob the Republicans of its authorship or of the credit of the beneficent results which through it have accrued to the nation and the people.

PART X.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Homestead Act More Attempted Democratic Obstruction. A number of amendments have been made to the original act, all favoring the settler; but the principal one was the act of June 8, 1872. This law is known as "The Soldiers' and Sailors' Homestead Act." It gives honorably discharged soldiers and sailors from the army and navy of the United States lands under the Homestead Act in any locality, and deducts from the five years' residence which is required to make title, their term of service during the war of the Rebellion. One year's residence and cultivation, however, are necessary; and the beneficiaries have six months from the filing of application to make entry, and commence settlement and improvement. This act contains another provision for the benefit of the soldier and sailor. It gives to each beneficiary who has already homesteaded for a smaller amount than 160 acres, the privilege of increasing his holding to that amount; and in by the Democracy, the wisdom and justice of the event that vacant land cannot be found alike to the States and Nation, may be seen the Homestead Act, its beneficent results, adjoining, it gives him scrip for the full amount of the difference between his home- by the following tables brought down to July 1, 1887: stead and 160 acres, which scrip can be laid on any of the surveyed lands of the United States.

The Beneficent Effects of the Homestead Act demonstrated in the Increased Population, Wealth, and Power of the Nation.

of the most demoralizing kind," as predicted Instead of being "fraught with mischief

Number of homestead entries made under
the act up to date
Number living upon such homesteads (at the
low average of 4.35 per family)
Number of acres entered under the act up

to date ..

823,600

3,582,660 .105,967,782

After passing the Senate, this bill was called up in the House, June 6, 1872, by Gen. Hawley. The agreement to adjourn on the 10th had already been made, but Mr. An area more than thrice the area of the Holman of Indiana insisted upon an amend-great State of New York, and greater than ment, claiming that it was in the interest of one-half of the entire area of the thirteen

lous, that it is almost incredible it should landed aristocratic slave-holding Democracy, have been seriously used by any man occupy-seceded, and through four years of unparaling the position of President of the United States.

leled slaughter and crime warred to build up a Southern confederacy with "slavery as its corner-stone," in which free labor-free white labor-would have been forever excluded from its lands whether public or

Other reasons given by him were, that the public revenues would be reduced, the land system unsettled, and land made so cheap as to demoralize the people; this idea being ex-private. pressed in the following words:

Any man can now acquire a title in fee-simple to a homestead of eighty acres, at the minimum price of $1.25 per acre, for $1.00. The honest poor man, by frugality and industry, can, in any part of our country, acquire a competence for himself and his family; and in doing this he feels that he eats the bread of independence. He desires no charity, either from the Government or from his neighbors. This bill, which proposes to give him land at an almost nominal price, out of the property of the Government, will go far to demoralize the people, and repress this noble spirit of independence. It may introduce among us those pernicious social theories which have proved so disastrous in other countries.

In their platform at Chicago, in 1860, the Republicans had adopted the following plank :

Resolved, That we protest against any sale or alienation to others of the public lands held by actual settlers, and against any view of the free homestead policy, which regards the settlers as paupers or supplicants for public bounty; and we demand the passage by Congress of the complete and satisfactory homestead measure, which has already passed the House.

Accordingly the Republicans, now in control of both Houses of Congress and of the Executive, hastened to redeem this pledge early in 1862 by the enactment of the HomeWe have seen that upon the passage of the stead Act, which has been such a blessing to Homestead bill in the Senate, only eight sen- our people and our country. It grants a ators, all Democrats, voted nay, and that hundred and sixty acres to every actual upon this Compromise bill, only two sena- settler twenty-one years or more of age, or tors, both Democrats, voted against the head of a family who is, or has declared his adoption of the conference report; yet, when intention to become, a citizen. That is its the bill came back with President Buchanan's main feature, independent of the grant of a objections, there were sixteen Southern Dem-hundred and sixty acres to every person, ocratic votes to sustain the President's veto, independent of the vote of Mr. Crittenden, Southern American, and that which was cast by Johnson of Tennessee for the purpose of moving a reconsideration, which motion, when made, also failed. Upon the question in the Senate: "Shall this bill pass notwithstanding the objections of the President?" the vote in detail was:

YEAS - Messrs. Anthony, Brown, Chandler, Clark, Doolittle, Durkee, Fessenden, Fitch, Foot, Foster, Gwinn, Hale, Hamlin, Harlan, King, Lane, Latham, Nicholson, Polk, Pugh, Rice, Simmons, Sumner, Ten Eyck, Trumbull, Wade, Wilkinson, and Wilson

29.

whether naturalized or not, and whether of age or not, who enlisted in the military service to crush the Rebellion.

On July 8, 1861, Mr. Cyrus Aldrich of Minnesota introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to secure homesteads to actual settlers upon the public lands, which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, of which Mr. Owen Lovejoy was chairman. Feb. 28, 1862, Mr. Lovejoy reported back the Homestead Bill with amendments, favorably. Mr. Potter demanded the previous question on the passage of the bill, whereupon Mr. Washburne demanded the yeas and nays, and the resulting vote was 114 yeas to 18 nays. Of the yeas there were 92 Republicans and 22 Democrats, a proportion of over 4 So the bill failed, not having received the Republicans to 1 Democrat in favor of the bill; of the nays there were 3 Republicans requisite two-thirds vote to pass it over the and 15 Democrats, a proportion of 5 DemoPresident's veto.* All the Republicans pres-crats to 1 Republican against the bill. And ent not paired with Democrats on the ques- so the bill was passed. tion voted solidly for the bill, but were not strong enough to effect its passage. It was defeated by the Democratic slave-holding

NAYS Messrs. Bragg, Chestnut, CRITTENDEN, Davis, Fitzpatrick, Green, Hemphill, Hunter, Iver son, Johnson of Tennessee, Johnson of Arkansas, Mallory, Mason, Pearce, Powell, Sebastian, Wigfall,

and Yulee-18.

vote.

PART VIII.

The Sceptre falls from Democratic Hands -The Poor Man's Homestead triumphs in Republican Success.

The vote by which it passed the Senate, May 6, 1862, was even more significant. It stood yeas 33 to nays 7. Of the yeas 30 were Republican to 3 Democratic; of the nays 6 were Democratic to 1 Republican. Thus the vote showed a proportion of 10 Republicans to 1 Democrat in favor of the Homestead Bill, and 6 Democrats to 1 Republican opposed to it.

Had they the power of numbers, it is hardly necessary to say the Democrats would have killed the Homestead Act of 1862, as they had treated similar measures in pre

On the 4th of March, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated President of the United States. A little later the Democracy, thevious years.

*It may not be amiss in this connection to state that on the 24th of February, 1859, President Buchanan vetoed a bill, passed mainly by Republican votes, giving the States twenty thousand acres of land for each Senator and Representative, to aid in the establishment of colleges" for the benefit of agriculture and the

On May 27, a message to the Senate from | to defeat the bill, as it would have been imthe President of the United States, Abraham possible at that late date in the session to Lincoln, announced that he had signed the have secured consideration in the Senate. bill; and thus, amid the thunders of war, Gen. Hawley begged Mr. Holman to withthe Republican Party had kept its sacred draw his amendment, but the latter refused, pledge, and the Homestead Bill had become and the Republicans voted it down, and passed the bill, which was at once signed by President Grant, and became a law on the 8th of June, 1872.

the law of the land.

PART IX.

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Extending the Republican Homestead
Act in 1866 - Democratic Opposition
and Votes-The Soldiers' and Sailors'
Homestead Act of 1872.

In the House, Feb. 8, 1866, a bill was passed extending the provisions of the Homestead Act to the States of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida. The vote by which it passed was 112 yeas to 29 nays; all the nays being Democrats except two. The names of these Democrats

are:

T. G. Bergen, B. M. Boyer, James Brooks, John W. Chanler, John L. Dawson, Charles A. Eldridge, William E. Finck, A. J. Glossbrenner, Charles Goodyear, Henry Grider, Aaron Harding, B. G. Harris, John Hogan, James M. Humphrey, Michael C. Kerr, F. C. Le Blond, Samuel S. Marshall, John A. Nicholson, Samuel J. Randall, A. J. Rogers, George S. Shanklin. Charles Sitgreaves, Myer Strouse, Stephen Saber, Nelson Taylor, Anthony Thornton, and Daniel W. Voorhees.

Democrats obstruct the law in every way.

That the Democracy since the Rebellion ciple as they were before "the war" is have been as hostile to the homestead prindemonstrated by their persistent and systematic efforts to cripple if not to wholly destroy the efficiency of the General Land Office. Appeals made again and again by the Commissioner of the General Land Office, supported by the Secretary of the Interior, to Congress for larger appropriations with which to secure more room and an increased clerical force absolutely demanded by the prompt and efficient execution of its increasing business, have been denied by Democratic majorities in Congress; while, during reconstruction, as per reports of the generals commanding the several military districts, this hostility was developed in the violent expulsion of settlers, who, under the Homestead Act, attempted to locate the lands of the South.

The homestead principle a characteristically
Republican measure.

66

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The donation of the public lands to actual settlers, -the homestead principle, the great beneficent measure of the day and the age," is a characteristically Republican measure, and no impudent or fraudulent attempt or claim of the Democracy can rob the Republicans of its authorship or of the credit of the beneficent results which through it have accrued to the nation and the people.

PART X.

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Homestead ActMore Attempted Democratic Obstruction. A number of amendments have been made to the original act, all favoring the settler; but the principal one was the act of June 8, 1872. This law is known as "The Soldiers' and Sailors' Homestead Act." It gives honorably discharged soldiers and sailors from the army and navy of the United States lands under the Homestead Act in any locality, and deducts from the five years' residence which is required to make title, their term of service during the war of the Rebellion. One year's residence and cultivation, however, are necessary; and the beneficiaries have six months from the filing of application to make entry, and commence settlement and improvement. This act contains another provision for the benefit of the soldier and sailor. It gives to each beneficiary Instead of being "fraught with mischief who has already homesteaded for a smaller amount than 160 acres, the privilege of in- of the most demoralizing kind," as predicted creasing his holding to that amount; and in the event that vacant land cannot be found adjoining, it gives him scrip for the full amount of the difference between his homestead and 160 acres, which scrip can be laid on any of the surveyed lands of the United States.

After passing the Senate, this bill was called up in the House, June 6, 1872, by Gen. Hawley. The agreement to adjourn on the 10th had already been made, but Mr. Holman of Indiana insisted upon an amendment, claiming that it was in the interest of

The Beneficent Effects of the Homestead Act demonstrated in the Increased Population, Wealth, and Power of the Nation.

by the Democracy, the wisdom and justice of
alike to the States and Nation, may be seen
the Homestead Act, its beneficent results,
by the following tables brought down to
July 1, 1887:

Number of homestead entries made under
the act up to date
Number living upon such homesteads (at the
low average of 4.35 per family).
Number of acres entered under the act up

to date.

823,600

3,582,660

. 105,967,782

An area more than thrice the area of the great State of New York, and greater than one-half of the entire area of the thirteen

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont :

Delaware

California

Colorado

Minnesota

276,531

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 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 780,773 174,768 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 3,581,731 for himself and his family; and the head of Thus adding a hardy, intelligent, industri- the Land Office issues a campaign document ous, and patriotic population to the States in glorying in his shame, actually boasting of which these homesteads were located, en- the number of homestead entries which he hancing greatly the value of the lands of those has cancelled from March 4, 1885 to May 12, States, enlarging their productive industries, 1888.

Oregon

Nevada.

Florida

Arizona

Idaho

Montana
Wyoming.

32,610

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.

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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 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.

66

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.

war had stricken the shackles from the slave.

The trans-continental Railways linking 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.

no

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 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.

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.

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.

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

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

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