The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-28
REPE.lL THE HOMESTEAD Law.
The Farmers View ct the GOvsrn menl's
Policy Of Almost Ei.iuS Away l.Ind.

IL.
f,oa tn C,H,try G.ndemun.
Farmers generally do not seem to realize that
the Homestead law is the whole cause of the
agricultural depression. and that the repeal Of
or even arrest the tide Of financial ruin which
that unfortunate act has brought upon farm
tillzing., and the, Government has by vir-
Of t h. M9r % LAZY the rna
100 acres. Twelve years after tn" Homcstend
worl ID that the United States was giving farms
to all anplicants. Thu. made spcn Il, rush for
hat in six oy yemrs acres as OF ths
cleared inn1 was settled. This brought these
inrti., lands into cultivation $" much faster
down the price Of produce below tho cost OF
production: causing farmers to go buck every
year in their financial accounts.
There was still. however. ono way. by which
Indebtedness. They could sell and buy small
there was no sale for land. All buyers got their
buying 1t of farmers. as they did before the
public lands were given away: and when far
fair price; financial ruin to the debtor class.
and hard times to thos" not in debt were, Of
Tns is the whole cause
sell and for fair price az long rs tn" Govern
m"nt gives, away land enough to supply tho
as long as the cleared land is rushed into
cultivation, by giving it away. hepeal the
Vii ssr giving a% 50 away an and baSsns
Yin d;dy ha thGr lana IF frmers o IS
but surely 60 IN, instead Of going down. as 1t
surely will as long as the public lands are
Dividing lhe public, cleared lands into 100
ner. lots FOR the heneASpf settlers was an act
w2ry % Greht AM tns 9oa nnyon sat n
selling it. Had each settler paid u fair price
f%E his anf mssqd Of hnyinE i for nothing
no overstocking tho produce market. no do.
crease In tn" prize Of Ian or farm nrodqcc
farmers Know that falmer wind be )" b sttr
oN to pay $40 an mere fol-. c!eat rd land and have
n fair PRICE for his produce, and have. n fair
than to have his land for nothing. and have n
very loT y, price for produce and no snle At n
who have. received FREQ homes. The Home.
stead law has brought down the price Of land
onc-hnlf whit it would il there had been no
homestead law: and there is no sale at all for
the market with TINT kind Of land FOR nothing.
1t is claimed. however. that tho rapid hcye!;,
tie ti"vernmcnt. tho people should not conf
h"napar,e did not ID; Too.o3o lives stnnI in
nations. Shall this Government ini,lre trmcrs
n,r'";iy, and al the gr%pls ndircciiy aaten
1t is clnmcd that ierausr the public cleared
% Will al bG GyHn ,Tny in fey years i
sands Of homes will be lost BY the time ali the
Iand is given away that would be saved II III;
would be benefited directly. and all tho people
would be LSne il; indirectly by its NTontn,;
repeal Tho law? People say there viii b" better
times when, tn" land Is all given away. Why
not repeal the law and have better times now
Hay. not fGrners been depressed long enough
1t is ARMED TINT f let farmers know tia, &c
would be distnrbi'g element in Il" Tr"si-
dental election But tho Homestead law never
has nsan and never can TO- raItiisan
q tho law. because all thought 4 oencNccn,.
people vii DO n iavorei It's repeal. and 1 con.
repeating the iawas It wns to bsiip f"rmcrs by
cnarting th" law whom ali h"licv'd II to DO Il
Selling liquor by tho drin; rnus"s tho fears
70 now. because IT makes ~ May families
homeless: yet n" nn' Is coml"lrl t. make bis
family homeless hy excessive drinking. But
the Homestead law causes the tears To flow by
making people Homeless wthou, any fault OF
II seems as though law that brings. 50
zens ms the Homestead law does should be-
like other public questions. instead of being
kcN. in Tho hnckg,r "und as 1t now s. =. ,
The homestead law has kept down the prices
OF farm produce for many v,'nrs hrlnw thr cost
of production. 1t has b.cn tho main cause II
covering the farm land ~ the country with
mortgages TO the amount OF two or three thou
sand million dollars. II has taken from far:
mers throughout tho country about one-half |
OF the landed property by lowering the price
of land one, half. and i has made and will |
homeless by the low price OF produce and by |
not allowing them to sell their over -mortg gagged
farms at all Tho question now Is. Sllall far: |
ners be delivered from the rninous effects Of |
the Homestead law l'y H., Immediate repeal?
or shall thelaw and the ruin he kc,i un only to
ing into this country. and TO briYg the cleared |
lands Of tho West into cultivation faster than
the x wsns; C 3, the w1rsox