The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-10
UNCOMPAHGRE LEASES
KING KNOCKED OUT SUBSTITUTE
FOR SENATE PROVISION.
Labor Conditions In New England
and Among Southern Cotton OPP
eratives-Eddy of Minnesota In
Support of Free Homesteads-
Sherman Backed By Bliss.


stages in the adoption of the final con-
ference report, and the remainder Of
the day was consumed in the consid-
Grafton of the\senate amendments to
the Indian appropriation bill. The sub
stitute for the senate provision regard
ing the opening of the Uncompahgre
reservation was knocked out on point
of order. and the amendment goes back
to conference. The desire of the con-
fereeS to non-concur in the senate free
homestead clause encountered bitter
opposition, and an arrangement was
made whereby four hours are to be de-
voted to debate a proposition submit
ted by Mr.. Eddy of Minnesota. Mr..
Sherman, chairman of the Indian COM
mittee, declared that the free home
stead provision would cost the govern
ment So, 900, 600. He desired to elm
mate it from the bill, and has the sup
port of the secretary of the interior.
THE UNCOMPAHGRE.
When the amendment relating to the
opening of the Uncompahgre reserva-
ton was reached, with the amendment
agreed upon by the conferees to permit
the leasing of the mineral lands, Mr..
King (Dem., Utah) made a point of
order against the amendment offered
by the conferees to the senate amend
ment.
After a long debate, Mr.. Hepburn
(Rep., Ia.), who was in the chair, sus-
tanned Mr. Kings point of order to
the conferees' substitute for the senate
amendment.
Mr.. Shafroth (CoIo.), therefore,
moved to concur in the senate amend
ment. The motion was contested by
Mr.. Lacey (Rep., Ia.). who thought the
conferees should be allowed to fix up
provision which would permit the gill
sonite lands on the reservation to be
opened TO leases. These valuable de-
posits should not be allowed to fall
into the hands of spectators. The
house had Overwhelmingly endorsed
this position at the extra session.
LABOR CONDITIONS.
At this point Mr. Williams Dem,
Miss.) got the floor, and, under the lati-
:Ide allowed for. debate in committee,
answered a speech made some time
ego by Mr.. Dingley, contrasting the
condition If the cotton industry in the
North and south. On that occasion Mr..
Dingley, he said, had spoken of the pos
sible necessity of a constitutional
amendment to regulate the hours of
labor so as to remove the disadvantage
under which the northern operatives,
with their shorter hours of labor, suf-
fered. The talk of such an amendment,
u
was forced TO the conclusion that the
purpose or Mr.. Dingley's speech was
either to arouse the southern operatives
to strikes as compensation to the
northern manufacturers, or to create
hatred ii the north against the cotton
operatives of the south. MIR. williams
read letters from many southern cot
ton nliiis, explaining the advantages
they Possessed over their northern ri
Vals,
NEW ENGLAND OPERATIVES.
IIr. Moody (Rep., Mass) replied to
NJ. " -HiaIns. recounting the condition
of the New England mill operatives
anil the code OF laws enacted for their
protectl0r. He did not believe the New
England cotton factories would go
down lefore their southern competitors,
but if they did, the people of New
England, taking inspiration from their
gilnite rocks and the cold cruelty of
their cast winds, would find way to
work out tbei. salvation. He COM
mended The labor laws of Massachu-
sets 70 the people of the southern
states.
The debate then drifted back to the
motion Ct Mr.. Shafroth to concur in
the senate amendments. 1t was finally
defeated, @s-i2. The vote was equiva-
lent t ncr concurrence.
FREE HOMESTEAD.
When the free homestead amendment
was reached Mr.. Eddy (Rep., Mimi
moved concurrence. AS many mem
bers desired to debate this proposition,
an arrangement was made by which
four hours were to be given for debate
Mr., Sherman, who led the opposition
to the amendment. said it involved di-
rectly and indirectly an appropriation
greater than congress had just made
for the national defense. 1t involved
he said, direct appropriation of $l2,-
0OO,OO. and an indirect appropriation
of S25,000,000, and a future expenditure
of probably SIC, 600, 600. The lands which
this amendment proposed to turn over
to settlers under the homestead laws,
free OF cost, were of two classes.
First, lands coded to the government
by Indians, to be disposed of by the
government There were IA. 0OO. OoO
acres of these lands, upon which the
government still owed 2,259. coo. Sec
ond, lands purchased Of the Indians
were to be reimbursed upon the sale Of
the land to the settlers. These lands
aggregated 100000 acres, and cost
$25. 100000
The amendment would compel the
government to pay the Indians for
lands turned over free of cost to set
tiers, and thus commit the government
to a policy which. in the future. would
cost the government many millions
more. There were nine other Indian
reservations, with an acreage of IL, 49,
663 which might be opened to home
stead settlement.
Mr. Sherman read a letter from the
secretary of the interior setting forth
these facts. While expressing sympathy
with the poor and homeless of the
country. the letter opposed the free
home clause, saying it would. in effect
the benefit of the few.
SUPPORTED HOMESTEADs.
Mr. Eddy (Rep., Mimi. who advo-
Gated the free home clause. made a
vigorous speech in support of it, He
referred to the beneficient results OF the
general homestead act of 1853, under
which a million happy homes had been
built up in this country. When the In
dian reservations were ceded to the
government they became part of the
public domain, but when thrown open
to settlement the settler was required
20 pay Sl.25 per acre. This burden i'm
posed upon the settler. time had shown,
was more than he was able to bear,
and year after year congress had ex-
tended the time of payment. as it was
proposed to do in the house provision,
for which it was proposed to substitute
this free home provision When he re-
ferred to the oklahoma free home bill,
passed largely through the agency OF
Delegate Flynn, Mr.. Steele (Rep.. Ind
asked him if Mr.. Flynn had not been
beaten after securing this great boon
to the Oklahoma settlers.
SMART RETORT.
lie was" answered Mr. Eddy. "but
he ran LOCO ahead OF his ticket. and If
Won do NOT adopt this amendment aod