SUPPLEMENT.
MAKING UP THE HECORD.
' > '
THE HON JAMES LAIRD'S WORK IN
CONGRESS.
<
A Sturdy , Nteadfant antl SucceNHful Champ.
Ion or Western Intercut * A Friend of the
Farmer , The Defender of tin ) Soldier , a
Leader uml u Tower Among the Nation' *
Law Maker * .
[ From Daily Gazette-Journal , Si t. 20 , 1888. ]
It is not an unpleasant task to write
the record of one who is able , earnest
and who has been unusually successful
in public station. In reviewing the
congressional work of the Hon. James
Laird , for public reading , we can but
touch here and there upon the more im
portant matters in which he has con
cerned himself. All data given below
have been verilied by the public records
and the writers' intimate acquaintance
with the man and his measures enables
him to make this review an accurate
and a truthful one.
HIS WOKK FOR THK FARM Kit * .
Taking first the bill making appropri
ations for the agricultural department
for the year ending June 30th , 1888 ;
this bill appropriated 89iH5(580 , to be
expended through that department for
the benefit of the farmers of Nebraska
and the whole country. This appropri
ation was voted for and : idvoeated by
Mr. Laird. Whether his vote for this
expenditure was for the benefit of the
farmers of Nebraska can best be judged
by a consideration of certain objects of
the bill. One of the items of the bill
was 8500,000 to be used to prevent th e
spread of pleuro-pueumonia and other
contagious and communicable diseases
among domestic animals. This law
authorized the "commissioner of agri
culture to employ as many persons as
he might deem necessary , and to ex
pend any part of this sum in the pur
chase and destruction of diseased or ex
posed animals , and the quarantine of
the same when essential to prevent the
spread of the disease. "
"When this act was passed there were
$1,200,000,000 , worth of cattle endang
ered by a disease then raging in ten
states and five great cities , namely ,
New York , New Jersey , Delaware
Pennsylvania , Maryland , Virginia ,
Ohio , Kentucky , Missouri , Illinois and
in the cities of New York , Brooklyn ,
Baltimore , "Washington , D. C. and Chi1
cago. The farmers and stock men of
Nebraska had 1,844,5(53 head of cattle '
valued at $47,437,0(53 , exposed to this
disease.
The danger to Nebraska farmers
from the spread of this plaguewhich it
was the object of the appropriation to
check , and which it did check , may be
argued from the loss sustained by the -
cattle owners in the states where the out- \
break then existed. The loss sustained by t
cattle owners in Ohio was put at +
81,000,000 ; in Missouri at S2.000,000 in {
Kentucky at 810,000,000 ; and the loss to \
Illinois no one presumed to estimate. f-
The enormity of the danger of this .
disease , if it once got into the herds of
this country can be better understood , j
when it is known that from 1842 to
c
18(59 , England lost from the same plague i
5,549,7S0 head of cattle worth 8400,000 , - t
000. In fortv vears the loss of Great t
Britain , with oiilv (5,000,000 head of catt
tie , ran up to 8500,000,000 ; at this ratio t
in the same time , the loss of the United s
States with its 45,000,000 head would j
have reached the extraordinary total of ,
83,500,000,000. | s
Unless congress or the states paid
for the cattle belonging to private per-
sons , and slaughtered to prevent the -
spread of the disease , the loss would j-
fall upon the farmer owners alone , and c
hence the importance of this appropnar
tion to every owner of a head of stock.
With this money , and the authority of j
ongress , and the consent of the states , c
this disease is under control and will be
p
eradicated without ruin to the farmers
c
of Nebraska or other states. Had the
c
policy of prolonged investigation been g
pursued in this country as it was in
England , and the disease been thereby f
permitted to spread through the west , „
no limit short of utter ruin of our catj j { ,
tie ownprs. could be set to its ravages. . j. .
The making of this appropriation t
was opposed by the democratic party in '
congress and only passed the 48th con- , ,
gress by a very small majority. The n
measure was advocated by the agriculj
tural states and it was owing to the en-
# ergy , advocacy and votes of western e
men. among whom Laird was one of §
the foremost , that the law was enacted j
and is to-day continued on the statute n
books. The appropriation of 8500,000 c
for the suppression of this disease was
reported for the fiscal year 1SS8-9 by the o ,
committee on agriculture of which Mr. y
Laird is a member , and through his exv
ertion a portion of this sum is set apart
for the purpose of further investigating sl
the hog cholera until lately so destructn
ive in Nebraska. f (
In this connection it will be remenip
p
bered that when the hog cholera broke [ : ]
out in Nebraska , Mr. Laird caused
v
government experts to be sent to Ne- : ]
braska to investigate the disease and
give what aid it was then in the power :
of the department to give. \
The agricultural appropriation bill
for the fiscal year ending June 30th , v
1SS9 , reported'by the agricultural com- :
mittee , of which Mr. Laird is now a
a
member , carries 81,555,297. Of this sum c '
over a million dollars is to be expended rj
directly for the benefit of the farmers of .
c.
the United Strtes , Nebraska included. -
a-
This is the largest annual appropriation j\
ever made for agriculture. And not
only did Laird vote for it but was one
of its strongest advocates both in the
committee and on the floor of the house , tl
8500,000 of this sum goes to the bureau n
of animal industry to be used in supc : <
pressing diseases of animals , the other tl
large item , 8595,000 is to be given
equally to aid state agricultural experi
ment stations and schools , of which
Nebraska of course gets her share.
An other item of great importance to
Nebraska and the west , carried by the
appropriation bill , is one for 8100,000 to
be expended by the commissioner of
agriculture in completing and perfect
ing experiments already made for the
manufacture of sugar from sorghum.
The first appropriation for this purpose
was 850,000 in 1885 and 895,000 for
188(5-7. Mr. Laird was one of the pio
neers of this legislation and as such
can with reason claim that some por
tion of the last appropriation shall be
expended in experiments in Nebraska.
So far the experiments have been con
fined to Kansas and New Jersey.
The importance of every practical
.step in the direction of the western
growth and manufacture of the sugar
supply of the United States will be seen
from the following facts : In 1887 the
sugar consumed by the people of the
United States cost 8142,707,103 , and to
this the cost of transportation , charges
of refiners and profits of jobbers and
merchants , probably twenty per cent or
over , 828,000,000 , and the aggregate cost
to the consumer runs up to 8171,248,523.
Of this only 181,123,870 pounds were
produced in the United States and
3,13(5,443,240 ( pounds were imported and
paid a tax ot about two cents a pound
equal to nearly 8(5(5,000,000. ( (
Less than one seventeenth of all the
sugar consumed in this country is pro-
duced in the United States. If this can
be changed , and we successfully make
suflicient sugar at home to supply our
wants , not only would the price of
sugar be made much cheaper to the
consumer , but the millions now paid
into the pockets of foreigners for sugar
would go into the pockets of our own
people and to that extent our own
country be enriched. The question
whether this can be done is now praci
tically settled. It can be done , not in
the south , but in the west , in Nebraska ,
Kansas and the states where sorghum
can be grown successfully. The pro
cess by which commercial sugar can be
made from sorghum cane has been dis-
covered'experiments made by the
government in Kansas and New Jersey ,
with money appropriated as in this
item. "When the further experiments
and demonstrations now in progress are
made by the government , the money
for which is already provided , western
enterprise and capital can be trusted to
do the rest ; and with the rise of this
new industry will rise the value of our
farms and the prosperity of the farming
classes be greatly promoted.
Professor M. Swenson , who has had
charge of the Ft. Scott , Kansas , govern-
ment sugar experiments , concludes his
report with these words , "I say without
hesitancy that sugar can be produced
as cheaply in Kansas as in Louisiana. "
The interest of the Kansas farmer in
this production is demonstrated by the
following facts : One man and team
can care for and harvest fifty acres of
cane , the average yield in that state is
put an twelve tons per acre , this gives
GOO tons of cane which sold last year at
two dollars per ton , giving him 81,200 ,
for the labor of himself and team and
the use of fifty acres of ground. The
crop can be grown and harvested in
four months ; time. Clearly what can
be done in Kansas can be duplicated
in Nebraska.
FIGHTING FOR PURE FOOD.
. The evidence taken during the lard
investigation before the house agri-
cultural committee at the present r
session of congress , showed that the t
effect of the manufacture of compound
lard composed of sixty per cent hog's f
lard and forty per cent cotton seed oil ,
and other cheaper fats , was to lessen t
the 1 value of the farmers' hog crop from \
this 1 cause alone from 813,000,000 to
815,000,000 ; per year. Mr. Laird voted
to report a bill from that committee to
inspect and tax compound lard , and r
compel its makers to sell it for what it a
really is , and thus protect the producer , t
which bill is now on the calender , j
ready for the action of the congress. c
In this connection it will be borne in t
mind that in the Forty-ninth congress o
Mr. Laird voted for and was one of the f
most active workers for the advocates f
of the passage of the Olemargerine bill , >
the passage of which by a close vote t
opposition mostly southern democrats ) a
was the means of saving the dairy ini
terests of the United States from loss t
and , destruction.
On the 25th of August , 1888 , Mr. t
Laird from the
reported agricultural t
committee his bill 11,2(5(5 ( ( for the estabj
lishment of a pure food division in +
the department of agriculn
hire , to provide for the inspecS
tion of live stock , about to be slaugh-
tered , at slaughter houses , canning , H
salting , packing and rendering estab- \
lishments , the carcases or products of ;
which , are intended for human con- 0
sumption in any state or territory other
than where slaughtered , or for exportad
tion to foreign countries , and to pret
vent the introduction of adulterated or
branded food or drugs , into any state 0
or territory lrom any other state or ter- a
ritory , or foreign country. n
In his report accompanying this bill , jr
it , appears that most of the countries of ; '
continental Europe , have restricted or )
of Ameri- *
prohibited the importation -
can bacon , hams , and various forms of jc
cut meats ; notably , Germany , France , i "
Switzerland , Italy , Denmark , Kouma-
nia , Turkey and Portugal. The reason
for this exclusion is that the American a
products are suspected of being un- j
healthy , principally because they are ° ?
never subjected to competent inspec- J1
tion by disinterested authority at the J1
time of for exty
slaughter or preparation ex-
port. This embargo , based on suspicion.w
lias resulted in a heavy reduction of the y
American export trade , which at one
time included about one-fourth of the
entire swine product of the United ° '
States. The tables of statistic show a uj
" " "
lecline in the exports of bacon and *
tiamsof 340,000,000 pounds or 45 per st
ent in the last seven years. In 18S7
the American hog crop fell off 1,474 , - U1
207 in numbers and the decrease in . ° ie
value of the product in the last six 0 !
years amounts to S(5(5,97(5,301. e >
Unless something can be done to re- j11
store foreign confidence in American la
neat products , this country may look [
forward to the destruction of her ex- j11
iort trade in food commodities , and if l
his calamity should come it would insl
rolve the loss of millions of dollars by P' '
he farmers and producers of the coun-1te
Ty. It is to save these markets , and'ai '
hese losses , that this bill prepared by • tx
Mr. Laird is presented. |
He is endorsed and supported in his 'tl ' .
position by thousands of letters , petiiJ
ions and memorials from farmer , labor
ind trade associations and leading agri-1 -
mlture journals all over the union. . .
rhe passage of the bill will set at work I J11
auses that will add millions of value | a
mnuallyto the meat output of the te
farmers of the west. S1
AGRICULTURK IX THE CABINET.
Mr. Laird voted for and advocated di
he passage of the bill making the Comfe
nissioner of Agriculture a cabinet ofiim
er , thus giving to any farmer holding
hat office as much importance as the oi
-
secretary of war , state or navy , and
tending to give a standing aud conse
quence to agriculture as a calling such
as it has always deserved , but has never
received before.
He also voted for and advocated this
law in the and
Forty-eighth Forty-
ninth congress where it was beaten
principally by democratic votes. This
measure was supported by the officers
and representatives of the state grange
of Nebraska , and by leading agricul
turists and journals generally.
Up to the second session of the Forty-
ninth congress any creditor not a resi
dent of Nebraska holding a claim , note
or mortgage against a resident of the
state , for 8500 could sue on such claim
in the United States courts at Omaha
or Lincoln , and thereby put his debtor
to an expense sometimes equal to the
debt i to defend it. Largely through Mr.
Laird's bill , and instrumentality , a law
was passed in the second session of the
Forty-ninth congress , providing that
no action should be brought by a non
resident of Nebraska against a resident ,
in the United States courts , unless the
debt i sued on was 82,000 or more. The
effect i of this will be to save thousands
of dollars taxed against farmers on
mortgage suits made doubly expensive
by being brought in a distant and ex
pensive court. And further the pas
sage i of Mr. Laird's bill to establish a
term of the United States court at
Hastings and Norfolk , Nebraska , will
be of advantage in saving expense to
litigants i by bringing the court hun
dreds ' of miles nearer to them.
PRIVATE RELIEF BILLS.
Our representee , among other things
of < local interest , introduced and proj
cured < the passage of a bill for the re-
lief 1 of Wesley Montgomery of J Tastings ,
Nebraska , allowing him without set-
tlement j 1(50 acres of land in lieu of the
like ] amount entered by him in Illinois
in i 1874 , the title of which failed , be-
cause < of a prior entry of it by another ,
which entry did not appear on the rec-
ords < when Montgomery took it.
He also introduced and procured the
passage ] of a bill for the relief of W. II.
Tibbits of Crab Orchard , Nebraska ,
who entered and lived on land that af1
terwards 1 proved to have been patented
to 1 the railroad. Bills for the payment
of losses sustained by Indian depreda
tions 1 by James Painter of Spring
Banche ; , Clay County , Nebraska , and
by l John M. Comstock of Elkton , Nuck-
oils county , Nebraska , and several
others ( amounting to some 835,000 , were
introduced j by Mr. Laird and favorable
reports ] procured by him , each congress ,
from 1 the committee on Indian affairs.
He also voted for and actively sup-
ported ] the "Witthorne bill providing for
the 1 reference of these claims to the
court of claims and the payment of all
sums found to be due by such court.
The men who will get the benefit of
this work are Nebraska farmers and
pioneers.
Among many other private bills in-
troduced and passed through the house
for the benefit of Nebraska applicants
for pension , by Mr. Laird , was one for
Mrs. Juliet G. Howe of York. Nebras-
ka , and also for Mrs. E. Painter of Linj
coin , each of whom had rendered long
and valuable service without pay , as
nurses m the field during the war , and |
had contracted disability in such ser-1
vice , These bills fortunately escaped
the veto. Speaking of pension matters
the amount of this work done by your
representative is extraordinary. Taking
the requests of applicants for pensions ,
for pay , bounty , remuster , land entries
and contests , and other subjects of in- ,
terest to soldiers and settlers , he has i
made over ten thousand personal calls |
for action in the departments and has |
written over twelve thousand letters.
this year , and for that matter , for each |
year during his service. 11
THE KNEVALS BILL. S
In the second session of the Forty- .
ninth congress , Mr. Laird introduced ]
and procured the passage of an act for j ;
the relief of settlers and purchasers of 11
public lands in Nebraska and Kansas , j j
commonly known as the Knevals bill , j -y
the effect of this law was to pay 8250 , -
D00 to some three hundred settlers and , a
farmers in Clay , Nuckolls , Thayer , Jef-11
ferson , Fillmore and Adams counties , ' i
Nebraska , who had lost their homes , r
through conllict between their patents ( t
and a prior grant of the same lands to (
the state of Kansas for the benefit of d
the St. Joe & Denver railroad. 0
The bill , II. K. 7,901 , repealing the g
timber culture and pre-emption laws of t
the United States , recently considered v
in the housewas , amended in some parn
ticular , by Mr. Laird , and other amend-
tnents of great importance to western ii
settlers ( , offered , by him were defeated a
jy a democratic house. He offered an o
imendment to allow any entryman who t
ookland { by homestead entry under tl
his bill , to pay out on the same after
me year of settlement and compliance
bvitli the law. This was opposed by the
lemocrats and defeated , so that now if a
he ] bill passes the senate no title can
je obtained to government land short tl
f a continuous residence of five years , P
condition of things that will make it "
learly impossible for poor men to get a
and at all. Had such a law as this re-1 v
ently passed by the democratic house , ' a
revailed prior to the settlement of the | J
iountry west of the Missouri river , it i P
s highly probably that we would have ( P
md no west as we know it to-day. i a
To the same bill Mr. Laird offered an ' ; (
imendment allowing any honorably '
lischarged union soldier the right to i f
leduct his service in the army from the i
ive vears'settlement ' required to obtain ,
itle to a homestead. He also offered'r
r (
wo other amendments to this bill , that
vere debated at great length , and in ' tl
he course of his remarks on which , Mr. i
liaird took occasion to review the' ' [ ,
sparks land policy , and point out the • '
mtrages perpetrated by that officer ,
ipon the long-suffering settlers of the'r '
vest , the amendments were in sub-
{ u
tance as follows : ,
"And no settlers on the public domain , ,
inder the provisions of this act , shall
deprived of his title to any lands u ]
lased upon a receiver's final receipt b ]
xcept upon an open and public trial cc
inder and according to the forms of w
aw relating to contest cases. " be
' • That after final proof is made and a it
inal receipt issued to the settlers by tli
he local land officers , such receipt oi
hall be proof of title , and all innocent ai
mrchases thereunder , shall be proai
ected. And the burden of proof in tl
ny action or proceeding to vacate such T
itle shall be upon the government. " fc
These amendments were beaten by w
he democrats under the lead of Mr. ; ti <
lolman of Indiana.
Two other amendments offered by Mr. si
jaird to this bill were adopted , namely. ' m (
In an action between a settler claimoi
tig title to land through any existing gi
and law and a railroad or its guarantli
ees , claiming the same land through a b\
rant congress , to allow the settler to tli
efend on the ground that such raile
oad had not complied with the conm
itions of the grant , or make any de a
ence which the United States might a
aake. , te
Allowing settlers to purchase withse
ut settlement fractional pieces of land > gc
laying in streams abutting on their
claim.
THE SCHOOL LANDS.
It is claimed that the state of Ne
braska is short from 30 to 40 thousand
acres in her quota of school lands and
that she cannot make this good under
existing i law , which requires indemnity
land to be selected in the same land dis
trict where the shortage occurred. This
rule would defeat the claim of the state ,
and therefore Mr. Laird offered a bill
to allow the state to select any unoccu
pied government land within its limits.
This bill is hung up in the democratic
committee ' on public lands.
MORE WORK FOR SETTLKIW.
In the course of the consideration of
the sundry civil bill Honorable Mr.
McShane , democratic M. C. from Ne
braska , moved to amend the bill by
striking , out an item of 893,000 for the
pay of special land agents , engaged un
der , this administration in hunting
down , honest settlers on the public do
main. The McShane amendment was
beaten by the vote of the democrats
after ; several hours of vigorous and bit
ter debate participated in by both Mc
Shane j and Laird.
In the recently considered bill for the
organization , of the territory of Okla-
hama , Mr. Laird advocated and voted
for two amendments of great impor
tance to every person contemplating
settlement in this new territory. The
bill as presented , proposed to compel
all settlers to live on the land three
years and then pay 81.23 per acre for
it , the 81 23 per acre being the estimated
amount ; of the Indian claim to the land.
Air. Payson of Illinois offered an
amendment ; to compel the United
States j to buy in the Indian title and
allow the land to be taken by settlers
under , the homestead law without other
costs ( than the fees now charged , this
having ] been the hitherto settled policy
of the government under the republi
can , party. The amendment was op
posed j by the democrats and beaten ; 57
for ] to 107 .against.
The other amendment was to allow
honorably 1 discharged union soldiers
the 1 benefit of their service in making
settlements on this land , and to relieve
them 1 from the payment of the 81.25
per ] acre. This amendment was also
opposed by the democrats and beaten.
DISABLED SOLDIERS' HOMES.
Early in the session Mr.Laird offered
a bill to pay to the states and territories
maintaining homes for disabled soldiers
8100 per annum for each soldier cared
for. This bill was referred to the com
mittee , on military affairs , and there re
ferred to Mr. Laird , and by him favor
ably \ reported to the house , where he
afterwards called it up , had charge of
it in the debate in the house where it
was passed , had charge of it afterwards
in the conference , and followed it
through until it became a law. This
act will relieve the farmers of Nebraska
of J one-half of the tax necessary to main
tain a disabled union soldier , will se
cure homes and comfort for the dis
abled veterans of Nebraska , many of
them farmers , and its passage ought to
be a source of congratulation to every
lover of the country , who believes in
protecting for life the men who pro
tected the life of the republic. The
money carried by Mr. Laird's bill is
8230,000 , but it commits the nation to
the policy of aiding the states to care
for their broken down veterans , and
will involve between this time and the
death of the last helpless defender of
the nation the expenditure of millions.
"Who < objects ? They loyally gave their
lives. Shall we less loyally and liberally
give our money ?
Speaking of the soldiers , Mr. Laird
also introduced , reported from his com- '
mittee , and caused to be passed , a bill ,
giving 8150,000 to enlarge the accom-1
modation of the existing United States [
homes for the care of disabled exunioni
soldiers and sailors.
"When the urgent deficiency bill was
under consideration in the house , Mr.
Laird offered an amendment appropri-
ating , 81,320,000 to pay the claims al
lowed to soldiers and sailors for back
pay and bounty , &c , during the inter-
val in the passage of these appropria
tions. Under the present system the
accounting officers will allow a claim ,
but as there is no money for payment
until : congress appropriates it , the
man who has waited nearly a genera-
tion already for his two or three hun- ]
dred dollars of bounty , or forty or fifty
dollars of pay , has to wait another year "
or two , on the doubtful action of con- ,
gress. Under the old republican rule , j
these appropriations were made in ad
vance , and Mr. Laird sought by this
means to save his old comrades the
agony of longer delay. His effort was ]
in vain. The amendment after a day's 1
argument was beaten on a point of i
order made by a democrat and susc
tained ; against a fair construction ' of c
the rules by a democratic speaker. j (
GOVERNMENT SUPPLIES. P
I T
During the consideration of the [ c
army appropriation bill in the house , j
Mr. Laird added an amendment to 'j
that bill , of great importance to the r
farmers of Nebraska namely requir-
that the for the
ng supplies bought s
irmy be purchased in the district r
.vhere the stationed cost
troops are , r
md quantity of course considered.
Heretofore the practice has been to i
nirchase these supplies near some sup-1
ly depot , such as Jeffersonville , Indij j
ina , otfjNew York and then ship them i
o the troops. The adoption of this
imendment is in the interest of econoj
: j
ny to the government and prosperity .
or Nebraska '
t
Another effort of this gentleman for t
lis constituents and comrades will be
e
emembered favorably. At the request i
f various sufferers from deafness con- '
racted in the service , Mr. Laird drew .
md introduced a bill increasing the '
ate of pension allowed for total deaf- ,
less ( ; this bill was favorably considered
y the committee on invalid pensions , t
eported , passed the house , and is now :
law.
t :
BELIEF OF SETTLERS.
A bill for the relief of such settlers r <
ipon the public domain as took lands , f <
iy homestead entry and afterwards fi
ommutted. the same to a cash entry , h
ras introduced by Mr. Laird for the ri
lenefit of western settler , the result of a
ts : passage would have been to secure ti ;
he repayment of those who had paid tl
ut on homestead entries provided they h
fterwards continued their residence ci
nd complied with the homestead law h
he same as if they had not commutted. a
'his bill was argued by its author bew
ore the democratic land committee , tl ;
diere it is pigeon-holed for future actl
ion. h
One of the most vexatious and expenri
ive incidents of settlement on governtl
lent land in the west , is the liability tl
the settler to be contested on the s <
round of alleged failure to comply with w
lie law. but often in reality inspired ' o ;
y anger or the hope of gain. The fact j tl
fiat the contestant risks nothing , not | tl
ven the costs of the contest , tends to f <
aultiply these expensive suits. To put' b ;
check on this business. Mr. Laird has ' d :
bill pending before the land commit- '
ee , requiring contestants to pay or give u
ecurity to pay all the costs if the case ' fi
oes against them. If the democratic I c <
house will pass this bill , there will bo
an end to fraudulent contests.
Some years ago the supreme court of
Nebraska decided that a contract in a
note or mortgage to pay an attorney's
fee. in addition to the debt in case of its
collection by suit , was illegal and could
not be enforced. The united States
courts allow judgments for attorneys'
fees in addition to the debt , which
is manifestly a great burden
to debtors owing mortgages that
are large enough to be brought bo-
fore the federal court. To remedy this
Mr. Laird early in the present session ,
introduced a bill providing that no
judgment shall hereafter bo given for
attorney fees in suits for the fore
closure of mortgage on real or personal
estate , or for the collection of money
on promissory notes or other contracts
in writing , lie is promised the favor
able consideration of this bill by the
judiciary committee and will no doubt
be able to secure its passage to the
great relief of litigants now compelled
to pay certain of the expenses ot both
sides.
The sale of land , in the foreclosure of
mortgages in the United States court
is not under existing law and the rules
of the court , required to be advertised
in the county where the land is situated
an advertisement where the court is
held being sufficient. As a conse
quence of this practice several in
stances or great hardship and ex
pense , have happened in the district
represented by Mr. Laird. To remedy
this evil , he has a bill now pending
requiring sales to be so advertised as
to give the owner and those interested
knowledge of the fact , so that they can
come in and protect themselves , if they
desire. As it is now , their land may he
sold and deeded away before they know
it. This bill is pending before a sub
committee of the judiciary committee ,
they having agreed to a favorable re
port.
FOR THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
There is a sum variously estimated
from 83,000,000 to 815 , < * XMXX ' ) claimed
to be due to them from the Tinted
States by men employed by the govern
ment under the eight hour law. Dur
ing the entire term of Mr. Laird's
service representatives of the Knights
of Labor and other labor organizations
have attended the sessions of congress
and asked consideration of the bill for
the payment of this sum. They have
found in Mr. Laird an able , loyal and
active friend. He has always spoken
and voted for justice in their behalf
and for that reason is regarded
by the labor representatives
here as one of their truest and
strongest friends. The reason why ac
tion is not had on the claims of these
laborers is not the fault of the republi
can party. The non-action is charge
able to the democratic committee on
rules , which refuses to give the labor
man a day for the consideration of
their matter , because the committee on
rules fear that if they report any rule
allowing time to any measure , they will
have to allow the consideration of the
disability < pension bill also. For this
reason , the laborer and the soldier suf
fer together. The democratic party in
the house stands in this position : They
will not do justice to the laboring man ,
because 1 they are afraid to do justice to
the soldiers. They dare not consider
one i of these bills without the other , and
they i dare not consider both , because
Cleveland < would veto the pension bill.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH BILL.
Over six months ago the committee
. on ( commerce of the house reported fa
vorably a bill for the construction of a
postal ' telegraph by the government.
From the day the bill went on the
house j calendar , March 8th , to Septem
ber ] , not an effort was made by the
democratic . majority to get the bill up
for consideration. September 3d Mr.
Laird offered a resolution demanding
;
that some action be taken on this meas
ure. His resolution was referred to the
committee . on rules controlled by ( lem
ocrats , where it will be strangled to
death , as the laborer and soldiers bills
are , and with it will die the last hope of
] legislation on these subjects for this
congress. The postd telegraph bill
dies because the democratic party is too
cowardly to attack the great corpora
tion that stands behind the present sys
tem , and whose manager contributes
810,000 to the Cleveland campaign
fund. The labor and dependent pen
sion bills are doomed , because , in the
one instance the democrats dare not
trust the liberality , and in the other.the
loyalty of Mr. Cleveland.
RAILROAD LAND FORFEITURE.
On the 9th of January , 1888 , Mr.
Laird introduced a bill to forfeit all
lands granted by congress in aid of rail
road and telegraph lines wherein the
conditions of the grant had not been
complied with , and upon which , the
cost of surveying , selecting and con
veying , has not been paid , and also
providing for the protection ot pur
chasers in good faith of such railroad ,
prior to the forfeiture of the grant.
This bill with others went to the com
mittee on public lands and was consid
ered , reported in substance , in the sub
stitute of Mr. Stone of Missouri , which
received the support and vote of your
representative.
HIS WORK M'MMARI/.ED.
In looking up this record we find that .
Mr. Laird has been one of the hardest
workers in congress , that he is recog
nized as a power in the important com
mittees on which he serves and in the
liouse ; that he has voted for and ad
.
vocated every bill offered in behalf of
the settlers of the west , standing up for
their interest and honor , without refer
ence to party , under all circumstances
and 'igainst all comers and that in the
iffort to secure them , he has presented
md procured the passage of manv
measures of great importance ; that he
aas been the firm friend of the farmers
yf the country and particularly so of
hoseof ] Nebraska ; that he has voted
tor and advocated every bill introduced
o aid them generally with others , or to
ldvance their interest as a class , being
recognized as a pioneer of legislation
for their benefit ; that he has been a
faithful friend of the labor interests ,
las voted for and advocated their
ights whenever opportunity offered ,
md is recognized by their representa-
ives on the ground , as an advocate of
he labor cause on its merits ; that he
ms toiled early and late working to se-
ure justice for the high and the low of
lis comrades : that there has never been
task imposed by a sense of duty to-
vards the ex-soldiers of the country
hat he has not done , or tried to do " ;
hat his hand , his voice and his heart
lave been felt in every contest for their
ights during his service ; and generally ,
he writer of this article , has found
hat this member has modestly , con-
icientiously and fearlessly done his
vork and done it welltliathe has been
me of the most radical supporters of
he right to reclaim for the benefit of
he whole country , the grants of land
or railroads that have not been earned
y a clear compliance with the con-
litions of their grants. That in these
vays his public career proves him an
intiring worker for and an unchanging
xiend of the people of his state ana
iountry.
