The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-06-15
Official Press of King County,
Saturday, June Is, 1878.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO LAND
SETTLERS.

go, 1000. 900 for 5000 loans to actual
settlers on the public lands to start
them in farming. was reported from the
Committee without recommendation,
but we are not sure but it is a wiser
measure than many that have been re-
ported with favor. As the case now
is, though land is free, yet unimproved
land does not constitute a farm. and in
reality it requires man to be some
thing of capitalist in order to become
q farmer. Therefore there is now
really no outlet of escape or resource
for the helpless and destitute. the
stranded wrecks Of these hard times
to retire upon and recuperate. Thus
the chief coign of vantage" that is to
be derived from disaster Of this kind,
in bringing about the development of
waste lands. is lost.
The highest Office of government is
to extend its protecting arm for the
defense of the weak. They that be
whole, need not q physician" The
strong can take care of themselves.
The need of legislative aid is to foster
interests which, if left uncared for,
would be smothered. To prevent death
aud arrangement in those clements of
the States strength, which, happening
to DO thrown out Of activity, stagnate.
but being aided and brought again
into 0mbination, become potent con-
tributing factors to the general we'll
being
The Roman Republic neglected to
act OH this principle, and to recognize
the fact. that as all growth is from the
ground upward, Legislation as well as
art, to succeed, mast work from the
foundation toward the top, instead of
ere rersa. else it will not stand. In
consequence it persisted.
Agriculture is the basis Of every
State. Whenever the superstructure
overbalances its base, the edifice will
fall The farm is the shop from which
all the rest are fed. With prosperity,
solvency, and healthy financial &C
tivity prevailing throughout the farm
ing districts. then prosperity is sure to
flush all the main departments of bust
ness, aud cannot do so otherwise. The
farms are the sources, and to them
legislation ought to apply its reviving
assistance. A little direct encourage
ment would be moth pc as an outlay
compared with the benefit that would
be created. For the government to
withhold it in the case OF the destitute
tramp, who would become . house
holder. or il to attain that status be
beyond the reach of his means. will
perforce DO transformed by penury and
famine into an incendiary communist
and despsrado, 10 species of economy
which " not enriches' the nation, while
it leaves him poor indeed"
The case was manfully stated in the
House few days since by Blu tler, OF
Massachusetts. as follows:
One ought not to be told that too
many shoes are produced in the East
when the barefooted men. women. and
children of the West do not wear shoes
because they cannot get them. The
productions of the country are never in
excess when the non -consumption OF
them is enforced upon the people by
necessity. Men may be starving in the
midst of plenty. as they are now. and
bread riots are the logical results.
Looking through the volumes of the
statutes from the beginning. / find the
homestead laws TO be the only direct
legislation in favor of the indnstria
classes. But the lands donated were
quite beyond the reach of the men who
should occupy them; for it is useless to
tell man laboring for wages which
will not support his family that he can
have farm in distant territory. thou.
sands Of miles away, which he is utterly
unable to reach. To offer man place
for home. while before hs can possibly
even bnild a shelter for his family upon
1t, he must starve with his wife and
children around him, or while waiting
year at least before his gift farm can
be made TO produce food. is like the
water held in the sight of Tsntalus,
which he may never reach or taste.
Some means must be found 10 bring
the laboring-man and the land together
aud to enable him TO support himself
until he can make the land self sup
porting, or the gift Is only pretensc.
The homestead laws. with all their
faults and inability TO relieve the pres
ent distress, give one hundred and sixty
acres of the public lands 10 the settler
upon them. Those lands are public
property rs much rs the public money
in the Treasury. Why have We not the
power 10 do something TO make that
gift of land remedial in this time of
present distress
Ipoint 10 the innumerable bills in
PRODUCED for the appropriation of public
moneys for private corporations, steam
ship companies. railroad grants and
guarantees. deepening hsrbors. impro-
wing the navigation of rivers, protec-
ton OF private lands from overflow OF
rivers. relief granted TO the sufferers
from the overflow of rivers, as was done
Q few years ago in the South; payment
OF private war claims. generally to one
section of the country moneys. credits