The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-27
ghe aa1iea na;u gao Saturday qeorfmg january

ideals that is. so far as schools. Law and
order, etc, are concerned. Our stool Ia
cilities are better than many of the older
states. This country, once, the home of
the Daltons. is now as free from crime as
the states of Iowa or Illinois.
1 had intended TO leave the argument
in this case TO much ADLER and more
prominent parties. but cannot refrain
from touching tightly upon the moral
status of this subject. l viii first cnsider
the effect the sentiment of Oklahoma has
had upon the country at large. Governor
Barnes report shows that we raised 20
OO0,000 bushels of wheat and 10000
bushels of corn Estimating half of the
wheat as surplus. we have 1O.o0Ooo0 bush
els. valued at S5.0O9,00O. Probably 50,OoO.-
O00 bushels of our corn was converted
int meat product, valued at $3.50, 900,
making in these two items Sl7500,e0o.
which in one year was given in exchange
for manufactured products of other
states. I mention only these two main
cereals. as the list is too long and much
of it too -tiresome to mention here Our
cotton, however, is ali surplus, but I
have no cotton statistics. Has any OF the
older states produced less on account of
our exodus to Oklahoma? I think not.
Then all of our surplus goes to make up
increased trade aggregates and conse-
quently increased profits to manufactur-
ers and merchants of the east and north.
Then the going out of $4,000 people from
older cmmunities has relieved the conges-
ton there, and thereby proved a blessing
20 the laborer throughout the whole
country Hence it will be seen that the
opening of Oklahoma to settlement has
brought a double blessing on the older
communities.
Now as to congress- moral obligation TO
the homesteader of Oklahoma, I only
need to quote here one Of the blanks of
the declaration OF principles of each Of
the two great political parties as enunci-
ated in their respective platforms in 1856.
on the subject of free homes.
Republican plank of 1896: I'VE believe
in the immediate return 70 the free home
stead policy Of the Republican party and
urge the passage by congress of the sat
isfactory free homestead measure which
has already passed the house and is now
pending in the senate"
Democratic free homes plank Of 1896:
I'VE condemn the action of congress in
recent years in departing from the free
homestead policy and demand that all the
public lands be disposed of TO actual set
tiers under the provisions. of the original
homestead law. We demand the passage
of bill providing for free homes for
settlers on all Indian lands coded to the
United States. -"
Those two conventions represented the
expressed will of more than 100000 vot-
ers on the subject of free homes. Was
there any objection raised in either of
those conventions against the adoption
of the free homes plank? No! Then con-
gress can have but one duty 10 perform,
one course to pursue the people, being
sovereign, carry out their will. Let no
Democratic member '1ay the hattering
JUNCTION to his SOUL that the RESPONSE
bility rests alone with the Republican
party on account of it's majority in all
branches of government Your declaration
was as emphatic as ours. Mark Hanna at
banquet in Europe last year is quoted
as saying: Every pledge to the people
has been kept" Let his words be ver-
fed by the early passage of the Flynn
bill, now pending. This is the last session
before a new set of principles will be
formulated
Should congress fail to pass this just
measure a new endless chain will re-
suit. Those who have brought order out
of chaos in this country will be compelled
TO relinquish their homesteads for a mere
pittance and a new set of entrymen will
succeed; again, postponing the Gay of
final proof from seven TO ten years, while
those whose earnest compliance with the
requirements of the law have made them
selves deserving of all the blessings that
honest industry and toll are heir 20, are
again cast upon the world homeless;
leaving to the care of strangers the
graves of their dear ones, while the pa
tient wife and mother, having paid the
last tribute of love to those who rest be-
meath the sod now turns to that emblem
of Gods providence suspended above the
door of the inner sanctum, bearing the
simple but at this time pathetic inscrip-
ton "Gob bless our home" meellly obey
ing His will. she again with reverent
hands. consigns it to some safe receptacle
and then. with those who remain OF that
once happy household, she again Shout
ders her cross of homeless poverty and
journeys on. to return never again Re-
spectfully submitted, ]. H con
n