The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-21
FREE HOMES QUESTION IN DAKOTA

FREE HOMES QUESTION IN DAKOTA
Here is she way the free homes mat
ter is treated in South Dakota. The
Daily Press of Sioux Falls, says:
No more striking illustration of the
value of perseverance, pluck and leg
islative skill in securing legislation
helpful to the common people has ev-
er been made than in the case of the
free homes bill which has just passed
congress. This bill is of immense
benefit TO South Dakota, and particu-
larlY to the settlers of the new lands
in the central and western part of the
state and those who may settle there
in the future. It's pVcsage will add
many thousand farmer to our state.
1t will make possible the settlement
of thousands of acres of land which
would otherwise remain for many
years unused And the bill was got
through congress only after long
struggle.
Let us recall some facts. This bill
was originally put through the senate
some FIVE or ak years ago by Senator
Pettigrew. 1t met with opposition
from the Republican leaders. Senator
Pettigrew secured the insertion of
plank in the st. Louis platform OF the
Republican party favoring the bill. 1t
had then only begun to attract atten-
tion. But the senator brought up the
bill again and passed 1t through the
senate. 1t went to the house, Re-
publican house-in full control of, the
friends of President Mckinley. There
the bill was opposed by the spokes-
man for the Republican administra-
tion, Gen. Grosvenor. of Ohio. In q
speech discussing this bill Grosvenor
said:
Now l call your attention-those
of you who are sought to be driven off
your feet by this talk about platforms
to that little plank of the st. Louis
platform which bears on it's face the
evidence that it was promoted for some
special purpose. Whoever heard of a
great political party, before that time,
singing out little bill that carried
with a provision of relief for few
settlers upon few acres of the public
domain and making that great plank
in great political platform? 1t went
in there under circumstances that |
will not refer to, and it went in there
under circumstances that were limited
and expected to be limited in their
operations, in the presidential cam
paign then just about to come"
These were the coutemptuous terms
in which the spokesman for the admin
istration on the floor of the house re-
ferred to the plank for free homes in
the st. Louis platform. His declara-
tion that the plank was put in there
merely to catch votes, and not as a
pledge to be fulfilled, defeated the
bill Not a Republican member Of
congress at that time, save alone the
aged Mr.. Grow, father of the home
stead law, had word for the bill. On
the vote 100 Republicans voted against
the bill and only 20 for it.
A less resolute and determined man
than Senator Pettlgrew would have
given up an unequal contest after such
a defeat. But he did not. He had
brought to his assistance the aid of
Mr.. Eddy, of Minnesota, who stood out
against his party on this question and
declared that tke pledge of his party
should be kept even if it was made
merely to catch votes. Senator Petit
grew persisted and again passed the
bill through the senate. Again it
failed in the house, but as the national
campaign of 1900 approached the bill
gained friends even among the Repub-
licans who had hitherto treated it
with contempt. Finally it was passed
through the house-a republican house
when it was seen that to defeat it
again would fasten forever upon the
Republican party the stigma Republi-
can politicians feared.
But for Senator Pettigrew's persist
ence in spite of enormous odds the bill
never would have gone to the presi-
dent. The administration leaders dis
tinctly repudiated the free homes
plank of the St. Louis platform. They
claimed that it was placed there ''un
der circumstances that we're peculiar, 1"
and that its operation was intended to
be limited TO the 1.-The presidential
campaign then just about TO come" )"
But Senator Pettigrew forced them to
do simple justice TO the western home
steaders. 1t was a great triumph.