The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-09
WANT FREE HOMES
Continued From First Page.

hence the government is receiving for
the lands in the Cherokee strip from
the settlers thereon, after Teserving
some Of the choicest land for public build
ing purposes solely at the expense Of
the people in the Cherokee strip, the
ssum OF $7,SS5,59S, and as the govern
ment paid IS, 300, 900 for this body of
land, 1t is loser by the transaction.
figuring purely from standpoint of dol
lars and cents, in the amount Of s414, 4oS.
AN UNEQUAL BURDEN.
The Cherokee outlet, however, fur
nishes all the land, o. e sections Is and
33) from which the revenue Will be de-
rived that will be used 10 erect the
various public buildings that viii be
built in as many different towns
throughout the entire Territory of Okla
homa, and from which no direct benefit
VIII accrue TO the settlers of the strip
country. Yet, they are made to Shout
der this enormous burden that the bal
ance Of the Territory may grow and
prosper; not that the writer deplOres
the reservation of these lands for the
purposes indicated, but that the eX-
pense of acquiring them should be
charge up against the settlers in the
Cherokee strip. This certainly is
great injustice TO the homeStsaders in
the strip, for instead OF the general gov
eminent supporting our Territorial gov
eminent, as il is presumed IL does, the
spectacle presents itself, of one part OF
the Territory being forced by an OBJ
noxious and unwholesome law, TO ere
ate a revenue while yet territory, that
viii in the future be used to erect the
various public buildings throughout
the entire future state of Oklahoma.
I'VE say that this is being done while
we are yet a territory for the purpose
of calling attention to the fact that a
territorial form of government Is main
tained because the general government
does not believe that Oklahoma as a
state would be self-supporting, hence
it extends its aid. protection and finan-
cial support in the main tenarce of a
territorial form of government, and ii
takes all the credit for such support,
yet in the very face Of such a presump-
ton it openly compelS one portion OF
the territory to create a fund for the
future benefit of the whole state, and
yet the general government suys that
they are supporting Oklahoma. This
is the quintessence of folly, farce and
fC0lishness.
eff all of sections Is and SO in the
strip were thrown open to homestead
settlement, as were those same sec
tions elsewhere in Oklahoma, an addi-
tional sum would be acquired from such
sales for in the 81 land district there
are 179, 200 acres Of land in sections 13
and SO, which would aggregate S179.200,
while sections Is and SO in the $3.50
land district amount to 121, 600 acres,
which, at S1.50 per acre, would bring
$1S2, 400 There are ir sections Is and
SO in the $3.50 land district about $4,000
acres, aggregating the sum of S160,000
This would bring for sections 13 and 80
~, trim b. h-on. tl1e
settlers for land therein S521, 600. This.
added to the amount charged settlers
for the balance of the land, which is
$7,SS5, 59S, would make a sum total of
IS. 407,19 and as the government paid
$500, 900 for this land it would make a
clear profit of s107, 1893.
KICKAPOO LANDS.
"On May 20, 1895, the Kickapoo reser-
walton was opened to homestead entry
and of the 206, 1856 acres in that body of
land q, 529 acres was allotted to 2S3 In
dams. 479 acres for agency and mission
purposes and sections Is and 36, aggre-
eating 1850 acres, reserved for public
schools, making a total of 81, 16S acres
reserved, leaving III, 29S acres open to
settlement. The price paid by the
government for this land was $64,650,
while, at 81 % per acre, the settlers pay
into the United States treasury S214,122,
leaving a nice, snug profit to the gov
eminent of s149,472.
ITO close, allow me to state that of
this vast sum of money not one dollar
of land office fees is included and this
in itself would amount to hundreds Of
thousands of dollars.
''The total cost to the United States
government for ali lands in Oklahoma.
excepting original Oklahoma, for which
the government receives nothing in
return, is SO, 755, 900, while the total re-
venue derived from the sale of these
lands TO the settler is S14.113.14S, leaving
a clear profit to the government, made
directly from the enterprise. honesty
and industry Of our citizens. of s., 1885,
AS.
I'm all fairness. the writer asks II
this right? Is il just? Should not
the men who brave the trials Of a pio-
reer life in this new country be en-
titled 10 the same considerations that
our government has accorded TO all
settlers upon public domain from 1862
to 1S91-a free home
(Sigued) &C. z. HUNTER"
Catarrh indicates impure blood. To