The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-14
Salvation Army Commander
Stops in Topeka
On His Way to the Semi.Arid
Western Lands
WHERE A BIG COLONY
Is to Be Started Under Saliva
tiOn Army Auspices.
Must Be Colonization or Revo-
luton, He Says.

| colonization or revolution. The Unf@
ted States must carry out the former or
! prepare for the latter
! This is what Booth-Tucker, cornman-
! der of the Salvation Army in the Uni
| ted States, said to reporter for the
Journal today.
! He was in Topeka from noon until 4
| o'clock this afternoon, when he left
over the Santa Fe for trip through
| Kansas, Colorado, Arizona and New
Mexico. The purpose of his trip is to
inspect lands with the view of estab-
| fishing colonies of deserving poor.
| Especially will the commander of the
Salvation Army inspect the semi-arid
lands in southern Colorado, Arizona
and New Mexico. The scheme which
| he hopes to carry out by the aid OF
| eastern capitalists is to buy up these
| semi-arid tracts, make them fit for hab-
itation by means of irrigation and colo
niZe them with deserving poor from the
great cities of the country. These tracts
| are to be divided into small farms and
| houses built upon them, and for these
| homes nominal sum will be charged
After man takes possession of such a
| home he will pay for it as he earns
| money and pay back to the colonization
| society the money advanced for his
| transportation and the transporta ton of
| his household goods, if he have any.
| Booth-Tucker is enthusiastic over the
| scheme. So Interested is he in his plans
| that he could not refrain from mention
| ing colonial ton during a short prayer
| meeting he held at the Santa Fe shops
| at noon today, a few minutes after
| alighting from the train. He did it by
comparing heaven to a great colony in
| which he pictured peace, prosperity and
| happiness to the fullest extent.
| colonization is the only solution of
the social problem confronting us with
terrible intensity today" said Com
mander Booth-Tucker, as he sat in the
| Santa F'e private car rendered him for
| the trip at the Santa Fe depot today.
1T is the only way out of the diff
culties which are growing more seri-
Gus every day. The country is in n
state of unrest and unless measures OF
| relief are taken at once we can read
| the history of our country in the his
tories of Rome and of France. Rev
| olution is the natural result; revolution
| will be the result unless something is
| done.
1T is not only the solution of the So
cial problem in this country, but 1t is
| the solution of the great problem of
immigration as well. Instead of let
| ting the people of other nations crowd
| into this country and go where they
| please, meet them as they land and tell
them where to go. Have colonies
| ready for their reception, where an
| honorable living may be earned, in
| stead of sending them into the great
| cities to suffer destitution and produce
J crime.
"a poor man at the present day and
! under the present conditions is not
| worth as much as a ground-squirrel
i
| 1.-The limit of subsistence is gradually
| growing narrower, and it is only a ques-
! ton of time until human endurance
| gives way and the great masses of peo-
/ pie rise up and overthrow government
| Such a result is certain under such
! conditions. We have only to read his
| tory to secure the proof.
| What we propose to do is this We
| propose to take the three million of de-
| serving poor in the United States today
! and give them the right and the means
of earning an honest living. We pro-
| pose to buy tracts of land and divide
| the tracts into small farms, and on
| these farms build houses. Then the col
| nization will be commenced. The poor
| of the great cities will be brought out
| and given homes They will be given a
| footing in the world from which they
| can climb upward. Our government is
| good enough and no change is neces-
| sary. They will simply secure subsist-
| ence as other men,
| 'fI am sanguine of the results There
| is no reason why colonization cannot be
| carried out. There is plenty of land in
| the United States on which to colonize
| not only the poor of our country but
| thousands of immigrants from other
| countries as well. 1 have no fears of
| overprOduction. The price of land will
| increase. The entire condition of the
| country will undergo a change
| Il called upon President Mckinley
| continued the commander, "and talked
/ with him regarding the colonization
| scheme. He is deeply interested in the
matter and whatever may be done in
L
| support from the president. The de-
| partment of agriculture will assist me
| as far as possible, and eastern capi-
| taliStS will furnish the money neces-
| sary to set the scheme in motion. Col
| onies will be established in all parts Of
! the country, but the largest colonies
| will be in the west and southwest where
| the greatest tracts of unoccupied land
are located.
| Some think that the plan of coIoni-
| cation which 1 am interested in is the
| same as proposed by Eugene " Debs.
1 This is a great mistake. I don't know
| Mr.. Debs and I don't approve of his
| scheme. There are no sociaIistic prin-
believe that the government of the Uni
/ ted States is the best government in
| the world and that there needs to be
| no change. I frankly say that in my
| opinion Mr.. Debs scheme will fall
| through. This communitive ownership.
| where everybody owns everything and
4 nobody owns anything is something in
my opinion that will not stand"
Commander Booth-Tuclxer is accom-
| panied by Industrial Commissioner
| Davis and Land Commissioner Frost of
| the Santa Fe, and Judge ]. S. Emery of
/ Lawrence, national irrigation lecturer.
Judge VIM. Thompson is in Topeka to
| try the ''pro tenn cases. He will be here
] for two or three days. He will hear the
cases in which Judge Hazen is disquali-
/ fed for one reason or another from pre-
| siding.
l A. NJ Thomas, the colored lawyer is to
| be married in Kansas City July 28 to Mrs.