, 1891-03-05
IT WAS 4 GPEAT DAP.

What a fine mess OF it congress has
made OF the public land laws. With the
pre- emption and timber culture laws
wiped u the desert land law so changed
that few men could comply with its pro-
visions aud fewer still would be disposed
10 pay the exorbitant price demanded;
with the homestead law so modified that
no one can take advantage Of 1t who is
already the owner ofl6O acres. the land
business Of the entire West is dealt a
blow which is not simply stunning, but
absolutely paralyzing, In public land
matters on and after March 3, 1891, it
will be almost impossible to move a wheel.
This latest law reverses what has been the
settled policy of the federal government
since its very inception. The settlement
and reclamation OF the public land was
the encouraging and liberal policy which
constantly tempted the early settler iarth-
err and farther beyond the well defined
bounds of the earliest civilization and was
one Of the greatest, if not the greatest
factors in later days which pushed the
the advancing and adventurous hosts of
pioneers farther and farther West until
thew Joined the gold seekers of the Pacific
coast aud brought the scattered members
Of the union into one homogeneous whole.
And now after literally throwing away
the public land by layishinR 1t upon rail-
roads. CORPORATIONS and greedy parasites
on the body polite, after having DIS
posed of all the choice lands and leaving
nothing but the arid stretches from whose
GrudginE bosom costly irrigation can alone
wiring a crop, the Republican party, the
grand old Republican party, rushcs into
the breach with a war whooD and wells
that the poor but honest settler must be
saved his inheritance at any price. The
profound and monumental hypocrisy of
this party is almost beyond human belief
What do its promises, what do its
most solemn pledges amount to2 The
West cries for free silver and our "
representatives combining with the gold
olaters of the East refuse to grant us the
POOR boou-retuse to restore to the poor
people of the whole country the equities
which the constitution itself literally en-
titles them to. We have been told again
and again that the Republican party w0s
the only friend Of the West and that in
land matters especially its genius equalled
II it did not actually transcend omnisci-
ence itself. 1t has been n fsvorits sub.
iect for the Republican press Of Wyom-
ing to harp upon; the junior senator
from Wyoming has dilatcd upon it
IN heavy and halting periods, while the
senior senator with his Pecksnifian plati-
tuJes. his robustious air, his ominipresent,
eternal and everlasting |, has fairly sweat
blood as he pictured the woes following
land legislation and its official construction.
And what Of it alp
1t is the same old story Of broken
promises and pledges which have strewn
their public path Eay during the score Of
years which they have held public office
and misrcpreseuted the people who had
honored them.
1t was a great day for Wyoming and
the West 1t was a great day for Wvo-
minR's senators and Congressman who
after having literally sold themselves body
and soul to their Eastern business ~associ-
ates couldn't avert what was a calamity to
the West and so save at least a shred Of
their public character. 1t was a great
day indeed, for from 1t will date the day
of retribution, the day when political
debts must be settled, when the selfish
and prostituted representatives of Wyo-
ming will stand pilloried in public opinion
and 90 down to that political oblivion
from which, happily, there will be no re-
call.