Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-03-15

shall be issued for the same" etc.,
''to assure the tribe or nation that the
United States viii further secure and
guarantee this to them and their heirs
the country so exchanged" This
was given them in the language of
the treaty, TO be a permanent home, !
and which shall under the most sol
emn guarantee of the United States /
be and remain theirs forever, a home |
that shall never be embarrassed by !
having placed over it the jurisdiction
Of a territory or state, nor be pressed
upon in any way by any of the limits
of an existing territory or state" The
government made all these treaties
in the most solemn manner and they
should be respected.
''Then I object to many Of the pro
visions of the bill and one in particu-
lar which requires settlers to pay for
land secured from the Indians at the
price fixed by the government of 81 %
per acre. There is not the slightest
reason why this burden should be
forced upon the settlers who will be,
of all our citizens, the least able to
bear it. My observations upon the
frontier have taught me how incap-
able these people will be to make this
payment. It is the man with limited
means who undertakes the privations
of frontier life. The first year he can
do but little more than erect his
buildings, possibly break a few acres
of ground, upon which, in the most
favorable season, he will secure not
more than some feed for his stock
through the coming winter. The
second year he can hope but for little
more, and the same with the third
year. No man can hope to raise suf-
fcient crops upon a new farm to sup
port his family with breadstuff within
five or SIX years. The grass which
covers that country is Of such a char
acter that the dust having been
tramped into che Toots has erected a
covering that is impervious to water
Hence the ground has never been wet
and after the sod is broken and mois-
ture is allowed te enter the earth, it
takes from five to six years to extend
to sufficient depth to supply the roots
of vegetation with sufficient moisture
to mature the growing crop.
''Now this bill provides that these
settlers who are redeeming that coun-
| try, undergoing all these privations
and burdens, shall, at the most diff
fcult period, pay for these lands at
the price mentioned, when they alone
! are not receiving the benefit Of such
| developments.
E'The strenuous efforts being made
by the citizens of Wichita, Topeka
and Kansas City are prompted by the
commercial value of that country to
their trade. In fact, the commercial
interests of that territory will be OF
material interest to the entire United
States. The people along the south
ern line Of Kansas seem anxious fol
the passage of this bill, for they know
that they will be able to furnish them
with their corn and wheat and Other
grains for the next five years, and will
perhaps furnish them with the great
er part Of the -four they consume il
the next ten years. Other men are
prompted to the support Of this mea-
sure for the gigantic field of town
site speculation they see opening tc
their view. All these people viii be
served by the opening of that terri
tory, still they pay no part Of this
81. Is an acre. And while they are
, receiving the benefits the Sixth con
} gressional district Of Kansas viii nee
essarily suffer by immigration being
z attracted down into that country anC
Z having once started southwest It vii
continue down into Texas. For the
same selfish reasons that prompted
others to support this measure, fo1
? the advantage which would accure tx
the people OF their localities, I wa
: prompted to oppose it. The north
: western part Of Kansas is just In tina
. condition of development that need
D immigration. 1t needs the monez
that is generally used to purchase tn
] improvements of the frontiersman
j and make the improvements that EN-
= baIIish DermaDent home The drift
j OF immigration will have departe,