Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-09-15

WIZ ivy SOooO " hui ibiO tuOiu, iCt
it withhold its patronage; and they
soon close up doors, take an ac-
count of stock and disappear. They
care nothing for the city; as soon
as it becomes impossible for them
to live on it, they spread their
wings and fly away. And SO it is
in all cases.
The truth which l have so far
been endeayoring to inculcate, is
this: that ..the town, or the. city,
is no mans job, but a spontaneity
that springs up in the presence of
population and commerce, and en-
tirely independent of human de-
sign.
Nor is the place upon the earth's
surface where a town, or a city,
grows, matter of discretionary
selection on the part of mankind.
No man, or set of men, not even
the government of the United
States, can say effectually. There
shall be city here, or city there,
or city yonder;;" or that a city,
even after it has been already
founded, and been, for many years
in a state of prosperity and power,
shall continue to live and prosper
upon the same site. The sites,
where towns have to sit, are mat
ters altogether dependent upon
the shifting currents of commerce,
and the fortuitous movements of
population. The place for a town
may be here today, there tomor-
row and next day somewhere else.
This is eminently the case in new
countries, like the United States,
especially the western part it. By
consulting the map of this country
it will be seen tina. since the in
PRODUCTION of railroads, those great
channels that shape the course of
commerce, and direct the flow of
emigration, many places that were
once fourishing burghs, have been
deserted of their inhabitants, and
have fallen into hopeless decay,
simply because the current of trade
has been diverted from them; and
no human power, not even the au-
thority OF the government, can
command and compel those inau-
spicious sites to maintain flourish
ing municipalities. That destiny
which presides irresponsibly over
the affairs of men, has determined
otherwise; and from that decree
there is no appeal.
And this, now, leads me to
speak more particularly of that
townsite heresy which has, of late
years, characterized the policy of
the government in reference to the
disposition of its public lands.
In the early ages of the world,
when civil governments were pre-
vailingly despotisms, and the peo-
pie were slaves, the monarch had
it in his power to ordain that a
city should be here, there, or else
where, and so it had to be; the
population and commerce needed
to make it a fiourishing place,
were furnished by royal edict.
But in a free country like this,
where the liberties of the people
are respected, Cor supposed to be,)
and where the movements of COM
merce and population are directed
by natural laws instead of arbi-
trary authority, an attempt on
part of the government to fix the
location of towns and cities is not
only unwise, but inexcusably alb
surd. 1t may be claimed, how
ever, by way of avoidance, that
the underlying idea of the town.
site policy is not to ordain where
towns shall be; but simply to FORE
cast and betimes reserve from
common settlement those choice
tracts only which seem to be
pointed out for that purpose by
the controlling laws of trade and
population. Yet this view of the
case would hardly better the state
of the case; for civil government
to engage in scheme of specula
ton, especially upon its citizens
is equally unbecoming as an ac
tual display of tyranny. Tn,
proper functions of free govern
ment are few, simple, and well de
fined: Namely, to maintain tn,
peace and protect the rights of th,
| citizen. Whenever it so far over
steps these plain bounds of dut,
and begins to meddle will
the economies of the people, it i
so far treading in the footsteps o
ancient despotism.
The settin 6 aside of public land
for the foun ding of cities, is
| practice of quite recent oripin il