Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-02-27
the FRONTIER QUESTION.

the FRONTIER QUESTION.
4 Mastery and Unanswerabls
Address
To the President, the Department, and
Congress, With the Remedy.
BY Win. II. StAntlisl,, of Bartlett, Dakota.
Having the utmost confidence in the
good intentions Of his exrellency, the
president Of the United States, the hon.
orshle commissioner of the general land
office. the secretary Of the interior and
congress, and believing they have been
misled by the reports Of the special
land agents, who are compelled to paint
matters to show u necessity for their re-
trntion in Office; and having lived for
seven years on the remote frontier, We
take tho liberty to lay before you some
statements regarding settlers on public
lands and frontier matters, the truth of
which will be apparent, or what, with.
out expense and at very little inquiry
by you, can be substantiated or dis.
proved and III doing this we are actu
ated by no motive other than to aid you
to rectify wrongs that have been done,
and that will bo done. unless a radical
Change in our land policy shal! be
adopted.
Flrst-The land laws and the rules
and regulations and practice of the land
department in force priorto April, 1885,
we, Q about as near perfect ~ it is possible
to make them, to stop fraud and meet
the wants Of frontier settlers and the
wants of tho future, with this exception:
Settlers on prairie claims should never
have been required TO live on their claims
in the winter, say from Nov. l 70 April
l. because during his time, o. most Of
it, the ground is frozen, no labor can DO
performed. and if they shall be permit.
ed to vacate their claims. between these
dates, they will save in their expenses
and be enabled to school their childron,
and not in the least ret,rd the settle.
ment and cultivation Of the frontier, but
accelerate it.
Second--All our coal lanl laws should
be repealed orso amended us to require
every grant or patent, in the conveyance
Of the title, to except aud reserve to the
government al! the coal contained in
the land, with the right to discover and
mine the same under such rules ana
regulations 81 the government may from
time to time establish. This will make
the coal lands available 70 he taken for
agricultural purposes. rim the public
lands yet in the possession os the gov
ernnent it is believed there IL enough
coal to supply the United States with
fuel for domestic, transportation and
manufacturing purposes, for thousands
of years yc; to come, at tho nero cost
uf mining, which does not exceed 81 Il
ton and freight, while onv coal lands 10
Gated over fifteen miles from any rail.
way realize the government only $40 an
acre, the interest Of which to the gov
ernment is only thirty cents a year.
This would be according to the policy
adopted by the State Of New York many
years since in relation to its salt wells at
Syracuse, tho beneficent result Of which
to the state and the public has been
such as to place ;ts wisdom beyond all
question.
Third-Located here in tho west il
the !argcs, exp,nse Of fertile prairie u
be found IN the face Of the globe, des.
tined soon to possess Il greater popula-
ton and moro wealth than any one OF
the present powers Of Europe. These
people will need cheap lumber az we'll
as cheap fuel. Bordering upon this
prairie are several million acres OF tim.
bered lands, in Minnesota, some OF
which al ctFor. is now being made in
congress to remove treaty Indian rights
from. That Of itself is all right, but as
soon as such treaty rights shall be re.
moved these lands viii! be covered with
scrip, or By settlers especially employed
by the Minnesota timber ring, and no
rules that Can he devised by congress or
the department will prevent this. This
timber ring will not benefit the north.
we.t, and they will bring to the treasury
only sl.25 An acre, though worth double
or treble what they would be # located
in Michigan. After these lands shall
have passed to private parties this re.
lgion, for all time to come, will have to
pay for al! the better grades Of lun,be,
the mort extor.ionate prices. For the
Requirement Of these lands ;. ring has
existed in the Republican party Of Min.
nesota, aud nov exists. composed OF
such men az the Plllsbury Bros. Of Min.
neapol!s, Senator s,bin, W. D. Wash.
burn, T. B. Walker and few others
whose power has been most potential.
They are in fact the party Of the state.
The only effectual remedy .ha. the
writer can see is for the people of this re.