THE PERIOD OF BEGINNINGS 53 



irked on every page of the history of the effete and extinct nations 

 \i the world ; in the impoverishment of the land, and in the waste of 

 le resources of nature for the support of animal life, which goes on 

 )day in every section of the country. ... I am of those who believe 

 that nothing which has been granted by nature is more essential to 

 the comfort, to the health, to the prosperity, and to the increase of 

 the human race, except the preservation of the soil itself, than the 

 preservation of the forests. This bill is a proposition to invite all the 

 speculators and adventurers of the country to enter upon the work 

 of destroying the forests of the country." 



Senator Boutwell's amendment was attacked on all sides. Senator 

 Howe of Wisconsin frankly admitted that he was not interested in the 

 needs of posterity. "Mr. President," he announced, "I am, as well 

 as my judgment informs me, ready to labor by the s^de of the Senator 

 from Massachusetts for the welfare of the government today, and of 

 the generation now existing; but, when he calls upon us to embark 

 very heavily in the protection of generations yet unborn, I am very 

 much inclined to reply that they have never done anything for me, 

 and I do not want to sacrifice too much." Senator Windom of Minne- 

 sota thought that only sale of the lands could ever secure their pro- 

 tection, and that Boutwell's amendment would hasten forest destruc- 

 tion, while the appraisal would be too expensive. As he expressed it, 

 there would have to be "as many appraisers as there were locusts in 

 Egypt." 



After some debate. Senator Boutwell's amendment was rejected, 

 and the bill itself passed both houses, the South voting almost unani- 

 mously in favor of it.*^ Thus Congress opened up to sale vast tracts 

 of the rich yellow pine forests of the South, and during the latter 

 eighties these lands were rapidly taken up by timbermen and specu- 

 lators. 



RAILROAD LAND GRANTS 



While the history of the railroad land grants is too vast and com- 

 plicated a matter for such a treatise as this, some account of it must 

 be given, for the railroad land grants were the most important factor 



89 Stat. 19, 73. This bill was not signed by the President, probably because he 

 did not approve it. 



