Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-05-21
THE FREE HOME BILL.
FEW PEOPLE KNOW WHAT 1T
REALLY MEANS.
Poxsessioas OF uneie sam-Mhere Lands
Tnas fnyits tine settler Liev-if fhs
min Becomes Law u wiii Cost the
Government sss.ooo.ooo.

There IL today Ia the procession 81
embryo laws slowly ding before the
legislators AT Washington bill which.
IL II ever reaches Anal passage. will
stand out as one OF the most notable
features of the legislation Of the cen
fury. People have occasionally heard
OF the free home bill. but they are few
indeed who know what II really means.
Taken all in all. il is ono Of the most
Interesting measures thar has yet made
ITS bow to the public. A free home,
under the Interpretation of the words
as used in the bill, means quarter sec
tion OF land. 100 acres. upon which a
citizen OF the United States can settle.
file claim. and at the expiration OF
Ave years prove up his claim and a 10
gal residence thereon, and obtain q pa
tent for the land. the only cost entailed
being the legal fees for legal formal.
ties. Most people have an idea that
there Is nothing really valuable in the
nature Of free home left for . citizen
OF the United States. but The proposed
law, which has already received the in-
dorsement OF the senate and 0niy
awaits the action Of the house. elbows
that instead OF the supply 81 the unset
tied land being exhausted, there are
at present lt.s74.s74 acres % land 10
which only rneie Sam owns title aud
upon which the Indians have no lien.
Despite the fact thar these lands are
government property. they are not sFee
homes. Every settler must nag for
them a. fixed rate per acre. ii Ii this
payment that the free homestead bsls
proposes 20 wipe out BY ab0lsahlng the
trust feature Of the lands. and making
them open 70 free entry BY settlers. ~
the trust feature IL meant that these
lands are held Ia trust by shs unised
states 20 be sold for the InAlaus. These
TWO trust reservations are the great
Sioux OF North pakota. South Dakota
and Nebraska and the Chippewa ves~r-
walton in northern Minnesota. The
nrst was open 10 settlement as 4 tr1.st
reservation March 2. 1855, and ths see.
ond. Jan. II of the same year. Th.~s
lands we're divided into .hrsc divisions
those disposed Of durtng the Flrst shres
years after the opening 81 tho rsnerva.
ton being valued At 81 rs par acre For
the next two years the land vas valued
AZ ~ cents per aeFe. and now any oas
can buy tat 50 cents per acre. provided
ne be a citizen Of the United States
without knowledge % tbs rtrcurn.
stances u might be Supposed that about
all the desirable land la thsMn truxt
reservations had been bought 10 but !
quist Investigation has shown that this
u not the case. indeed, II il apsnelY
stated tn Washington that q PARTY 81
spectators. veil supplied with money
have discovered what they believe Il
Be a Klcndiks scheme the xlss ~ Il
being the passage Of such ! law by
congress and the immediate occupation
OF emissartss % the spectators az atl
the desirable lands thus opened ID frrs
settlement.
when one takes the maps OF IN. ~.
srlor department. that show Just whas
OF the public lands free to tho settler
have been taken up. and the conditions
that surround the sections rsmatnlnS
unnccupled. Il NJ once becomes evfa.nt
that IN these two trust reasrvatlnna a..
aside from military lands. the only
homes worth having open to settle.
ment.
Nothing valuable Il left for ,he
homesteader outside % grazing lana N
Oklahoma. and the same ID true ~ ,ha
Old Lake Traverse reservation. and the
fankton and Fort Berthotd reserva.
lions In tho Dakotas. the Crow rear.
walton In Montana. and the a.tsts vnwsr.
walton In Oregon. From time n ,t,ra
these were opened to the free hn,ne.
steadeFs and now what remains Ia az |
no value. on the nearly IL 600 600 N |
acres OF land which the proposed tav
could tnrn into free homes perbar.
one-eishth have been bought and orr,,.
pied ~ settlers. The rest ID VIRGIN anil
much Of Il fairly well tInbersa "a
goodly portion susceptible 10 cnltiva.
ton. Here. then. are tho remaining
opportunities for the man who "a ,oa,,,
ing for free home through Uncie sam
When these lands we're secured fron,
ne Indians by the government i, was
With the understanding and agreement
hat just ~ fast as the money w,s natd
or them BY settlers IL should beeau.
'art OF fund 20 feed. ciothe ana ear.
ate the original Indian owners or their
descendants. Therefore. IL theaa taras
'ecome open to free settlement ,ha IN.
isatlon devolves upon the government
y paying the original Indian own.rs
= their descendants the aggregate au,n
which the lands would have brourh. n
Old at fixed price. This would ma,n
nat Just as soon as the free Homestead
III became law the government,
you'd owe the original Indian owners
= their descendants the total amo,,r,
ne Great Sioux and Chippewa ressrva.
ion unallotted land would be worth !,
ne uniform price Of 50 cents an acre
the ieast-a tidy sum for the taxpav.
rs to meet. but which the advocates
the bill declare would be more Than
ia In al L.. d A.