122 THE GREEN RISING 



land states than a division on party lines. This is 

 undoubtedly accounted for by the fact that the latter 

 were either the beneficiaries of the act or expected 

 to receive similar grants in the future. Of twenty- 

 six votes for the measure, eighteen were cast by sen- 

 ators from public land states, while of fourteen votes 

 against the measure, only two came from this group. 

 One of these was cast by Chase, of Ohio, the only 

 Freesoiler who voted, and the other by Yule, of 

 Florida, who for years had opposed land grants for 

 internal improvements. On party lines the vote 

 stood as follows : For the measure, eighteen Demo- 

 crats and eight Whigs; against the measure, six 

 Democrats, seven Whigs, and one Free-soiler." 4 



Opposition to land grants to railroads continued 

 somewhat persistently until 1856. The sentiment 

 seems to have changed completely on this subject 

 about this date. The next decade was one of reck- 

 less and profligate land grants. The following quo- 

 tation from Orfield reflects the change in opinion 

 regarding land grants: "The country went railroad 

 mad and Congress but reflected the general craze for 

 immediate development of rapid means of com- 

 munication. The Civil War also served to empha- 

 size the importance of the railroad for military pur- 

 poses and was one factor in extending the policy to 

 the Pacific roads." 5 



4 Federal Land Grants to the States with Special Reference to 

 Minnesota, Bui. of Univ. of Minn. (1915), p. 105. 

 6 Ibid., p. 106. 



