The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-03-30
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Facts Concerning Uncle Sans
Land Policy.
Swell People on the Biey'
Gle.

| speaker A00Q w OuuO AaNO OOASAO S-
Adjourn June 1-Senator Palmer's
Fab-The Spanish Minister and
Cuban Question-Olney's Advice.
WASHINGTON. March 27.-[Special. J.
| Some exceedingly interesting facts con-
corning the public land system Of the
| United States were brought out in re-
! cent debate in the house on the homestead
| lands in Oklahoma. In speech Mr.. Lacey
| of Iowa, who has made a special study of
the land policy of the government, declared
| that upon territory bought by the govern
| ment at various times in the past there
| now lived a population which would be
represented in the next electoral college
| by 1913 votes, trif1e more than one
! third of the whole number. The Louisi-
! ana purchase cost 3-5 cents per acre. The
purchase from Spain in 1919 cost III
cents per acre. In 1S48 the Mexican pur-
chase cost AZ cents per acre. The Gads-
den purchase of 1858 cost "a. 8 cents per
acre. Alaska cost 1. 10 cents per acre. The
Georgia cessiOn cost 10.1 cents per acre.
The average cost of these entire purchases
amounted to At cents per acre. The total
amount expended in the purchase of lands
up to 1880 was $88, 1877, 389. 90. The actual
net cost up to 1850 of all the public lands,
after deducting what had been received
from the same, was 1921, 346, TAG. So, which
includes balance of expense of administra-
ton. The net cost, therefore, per acre is
II ,2-5 cents.
Mr.. Lacey also presented figures which
had been compiled at his special request
by the government commissioner of lands,
showing that from 1869 down to the begin
ming of the present year 4S8, 837 homestead
entries had been made on the public lands.
OF these entries 100, 61O have been COM
muted by the government-that is, their
have haan naFmitta6 6iSnOS0
of them on account of their own inability
to carry the contest for homes against
crop failures and hard times.
The Bicycle Craze.
Fashionable Washington is bicycle mad
For several days we have had in progress
a cycle show prepared in aid of a worthy
local charity, and all the swell people in
town have honored the affair with their
presence. Perhaps no other city in the
country has had the wheeling craze quite
as acutely as the national capital. The
managers of this show found no difficulty
in getting society young men and women
to ride in races, and some of these events
have been the cause of more or less sport
on the part of the fast set. For instance,
young Mr.. Cana of the Chilean legation
was made a marked favorite by the fash
ionable folk in his amateur race against
another well known young man. In
Washington almost everybody rides a
wheel. Government officials, society dew
otees, senators, representatives, members
of the diplomatic corps, even a justice of
the supreme court, may be seen spinning
about on the smooth asphalt pavements
which make this city the paradise of
wheelmen.
Speaker Reed still insists upon having
congress adjourn early in June. The big
speaker has an idea that an early adjourn
ment will help his chances as a presiden-
iol md lott 20 holt fh1 10 81
the country are tired of having congress in
session and that the national legislature is
looked upon by business men as a disturb
ing influence. Consequently Mr.. Reed
hopes to be given credit for rushing
through with the business of congress as
fast as possible. He insists that all the
appropriation bills can be passed in time
to permit of adjournment not later than
the first of June, and he even cherishes the
hope that everything may be got out of the
way by the middle of May. If the speaker
succeeds in his plans, he will make record
The Weather Map.
Senator Palmer of Illinois has fad. Tt
is watching the big maps which the
weather bureau spreads out in the marble
room, just behind the senate chamber.
These maps show graphically the state of
the weather in all parts of the United
States and are corrected up Ito the hour
of going to press,'' as it were, by teIe-
graph Senator Palmer goes to the marble
room every morning of his life to see what
sort of weather they are having in Illinois,
and particularly at his home town of
Springfield. He loves to add in letters to
his friends, 81 see you are having snow
todayf" or ''How did you like today's cold
snap? There are other senators who
take great deal of interest in Watching
this weather map every day, and in writ
ing about it pleasantly to their friends at
home. 1t is a good way to vary the bur-
den of their usual communications about
pensions and claims.
Two senators who appear to be unfor-
tunate in their treatment by the news
papers are Cullom and Wolcott of Illinois
and Colorado respectively. Perhaps there
are few men in congress better known or
more talked about than these two One
is candidate for the presidential nomina-
ton of his party, and the other is noted
far and near as perhaps the most eloquent
orator of the senate. Yet Mr.. Cullom's
name is printed 'tCollum" or ''Collom''
quite often it is printed correctly,
while Mr.. WOlcott finds himself in print
as "Walcott" with provoking regularity.
The Cuban Question.
Though Mr.. Morgan and other senators
have sharply criticised Senior Deputy de
LONE, the Spanish minister for resorting
to the public press as means of arguing
the Spanish side of the Cuban question be-
fore the American people, there is no prob
ability that NJ. de LONE will get into any
trouble over the matter. It is well known
here that he took the precaution before
making public his article of which the
senators complain to GO to the state de-
partment and consult with Secretary OIL
ney. The secretary of state advised him
to have the argument used in the news
papers, saying that it was dignifled and
respectful statement, and he did not see