Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1898-03-17
.EDDY'S GALLANT FIGHT
FOR FREE HOrlESTEADs.

| FOR FREE HOnEsTEADs.
The free homestead bill is proba-
bly, killed for this session, but it is
| not owing to any fault Of the congress
| man from the seventh district of
Minnesota. Mr.. Eddy made most
gallant fight for the measure, almost
turning the tide in its favor, thus
demonstrating that he possesses both
the ability and the sagacity necessa-
ry in legislator in order to make his
influence felt in the.councils of the
nation. The Pioneer Press in review
ing Mr.. Eddy's speech says
''lt was apparent when Mr.. Eddy
took the floor that the house had been
placed in temper Of fhosti]ity to the
measure by the gossip that has been
going on here for several weeks in re-
gard to the influence Of the proposed
Legislation upon the agricultural col
leges and experimental stations of the
country. These antagonistic points
were brought out by Chairman Sher-
man, of the Indian committee on the
opening of the debate. Indeed, it
was apparent that the house was i'm
pressed with the remarks made by
Mr.. Sherman whenein he asserted
that the cost of the free homes would
aggregate as much as the fifty mil
lions voted by congress for national
defense. In spite Of the efforts Of
Representative Eddy, Tawney, Nor
ris and others, to place the facts be-
fore the house during Mr.. Sherman's q
speech, tho New York man stuck to
fhis text and made d speech which
showed the points which Ire brought
forward by the Eastofn opponents of
the legislation. }. >.. d. >..s. .z:. .>..
! >Rspressntative Eddy spoke Tor half
! an hour. He Rsreza history Of the
pending legielatpn and spoke with
great warmth andAioe cling in calling
lattention 10 the fact That ali ]. .tttle polit-
lical platforms Of ths f iesin nation
}al convention in 1885 pledged the
parties 70 the passing of3 the free
homes bill. He explained what the
cost to the country would, be, making
Ethe figures mulch below those produc-
ed by Chairman Sherman, by show
Ling that onlya small part Of the In
dian lands proposed to:be opened to
free. entry under the homestead law
would ever be taken, whereas the op-
position insists that all lands, much
Of which are arid lands, will be taken.
In dealing with. the new question Of
influence of the bill,1pon the agricul-
ftural colleges, Mr.. Eddy WAS espe-
cially severe and to; the point. He
denounced the story az !. ~ =13=Es= S.
A TRICK OF THE oPpos1r1oN, :
i and said that the fact is no part of
the funds received from: the, sales of
Indian lands ever 20 into the public
lands funds and hence could never
become part of the fund from which
the agricultural colleges draw sup
port. He branded the claim made
on behalf of the colleges as unfair and
unjust. But he added that even if it
were true he did not believe the pu-
pills in the agricultural colleges de.
sired to draw the funds for their edu.
cation in agriculture from the bread
! money and shoe money Of the settlers
on the Western frontier. Mr.. Eddy
! paid high tribute to the Minnesota
agricultural college, ats faculty and
i its student body, but he insisted that
the pupils would fold their books and
go home if it were known that thei1
education is to be paid for by the
struggling settlers. Mr.: Eddy show
Fed that large part of. the college
funds do not now come from the sale:
of public lands, the total receipts
from sales being only $500, 900 a year
while the appropriation for the agri
cultural educational institutions ag
gregated about ST. 800, 600. He in
sisted that the cost Of this education
should be paid by the people in gen
eral and not by the settlers, &
Mr.. Eddy was frequently and yer.
} warmly applauded during the prog
rocc of h;c cv,<,oob <,e~,c,xSs.S ~ 1vy xv,lo,, h