Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-30
The Coming Land Question.

oU. LOUIS OlODe. DtmVcElt
Several things 90 to show that the
irrepressible conflict between the
ranchmen of the plains and the small
farmers, who are constantly pressing
westward and southwark, is coming to
a head. A few years ago 1t was wide
ly believed that the country would al
ways have room for both. Now this
is all changed. The public land avail.
able either for grazing or agriculture
Is no longer an unknown or an indef.
mite quantity. 1t 10 beginning to be
realized that farming, even in the
''boundless west" must before many
years become intensive rather than
extensive. By parity of reasoning the
time Is not far distant when cattle
ranges can no longer embrace whole
counties and even states, but must be
limited to comparatively restricted
| areas.
When stock raising began on large
scale In western Kansas and Nebras-
ka, Colorado Texas and Wyoming,
only q few years ago, the region be.
yond Missouri and Iowa still enjoyed
Its fabulous reputation as ''the Great
American Desert" The public do.
main was u~nsurveyed, unoccupied and
undesired by tillers CT the soil. There
was nothing whatever to hinder herds
from roaming at will v 81 a thousand
hills, or rather over thousands of
square miles of plains. The pioneer
ranchmen collected a w~atercourse for
their rendezvous, and from 1t as a
center let loose their stock, knowing
well that no neighbor would tresspass
on the area thus pre-empted, while
perhaps no neighbor existed within
fifty or a hundred miles. Stockmen'f
rights then and now, too, for that
matter-were sacredly recognized,
Did q range become "worn out2" 1
was only necessary to move to some
other stream, and there establish
! claims anew. There was room enough
for all comers No rent had to b.
|, paid, no taxes, no tribute of any kline
to civilization.
immigration of farmers under tn,
liberal provisions of the Homestead
laws, prompted by the progress o
surveys and railroad development, ha
already made considerable inroads OF
these vast open and unclaimed lands
Fresh ranges to occupy-the frontier
synonym of ''more worlds to conquer
ARE no longer easy to find. Tn
scarcity Of water courses in man.
counties enhances the difficulty
, Squatters are constantly settling il
: the midst of desirable areas, with tn
l speculative purpose of obliging tn
v cattle men to buy them out, or with
, bona 6de intention Ct cultivating tn
soil. Two forces ere thus brough
. squsrely against each other, and muc
bitterness of feeling, If not actua
money loss to N party or the other
4 ia the result.
Dat of this condition of things hs
grown the desire on tho part of tn
cattle kings to acquire leases OF part
y of the Indian Territory. In the state
and other territories everything
against the stock men. The law an
~ the practice of the interior depart
ment discourage everything that inter
~ feres with the operation of the homt
stead laws. 1t is the sound policy {
.. the government TO reserve the publ
, domain for actual settlers upon sma
! farms. This policy works hardship I
" the cattle %raisers, but there really
no help for them. Leases viii NJ
D. be given them, ven Of unsu.
a vsyed areas, where the gu
veyor Is liable to GENE tomorrow M
g the husbandman with his plow an
10 harvest tools the day after. In IL
/. Indian territory, however, the soil
"a theoretically reserved from settlement
= and less objection Is apparent to leas'
10 with the consent of the tribes.
- The controversy between the riv
Ia interests bids fair to grow tiercer an
r. ~isrcer. Ultimately 1t will result
a. favor of the farmer. There is I
:, doubt of that. Now pethods OF stoC
d raising must De discovered If this In
s. portant business Is to maintain
ground. A natural process OF evolt
ia ton Is at work.