The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-04
FBEE Home BILL PASSED
A Long Discussion in the House
Over the Eddy Measure.
Principal Opposition Made on the
Ground Tint 1t Was Unfair to
Settlers Previously Located on
the Lands Affected - Remarks by
MIR. Grow Warmly Appiauded.

The House yesterday pdSStu III AN'
Free Home bill, by practically unanl-
nous vote The principal opposition was
made by Mr. Maddox on the ground that
the bill was unfair to settlers VINO hdu
previously located on the lands ahecteu.
The bill permits homestead entries upon
Indian reservations opened to settlement.
When the House convened at noon |
Messrs. Moody of Massachusetts, Shai- |
roth of Colorado and Shackleford Of Mis-
souri, arose to correct the Record in the
matter of their votes on the Nicaragua
Canal bill, passed on WEDNESDAY MI.
Moody said he was reported as voting Tor
the bill on its final passage. He voted
against the Hepburn bill Mr.. Shalrotn
said he was recorded as having Voteo
against the bill on its first passage
whereas he had voted for ii. Mr.. snack
leford explained that he was recorded as
not voting, whereas he had voted against
the bill.
The corrections were noted.
The Speaker then announced that the
regular order was on House bill 996. pro-
viding for free homes on the pubic iands
for actual and bona-fide settlers and re-
serving the public lands for that purpose.
il up. and the usual skirmishing Tor the
allotment and distribution of time ensued.
! Mr.. Cannon suggested that he was anx-
ious to proceed to the consideration OF
! the Sundry Civil bill, which he SAID was the
most difficult of the appropriation Diis-
! He thought that the immediate eonsideFa-
f! ton of that bill would enable Congress 10
adjourn one week earlier than otherwise
After considerable discussion between
| Messrs. Eddy. Cannon, Underwood, Bart
lett. Richardson and Maddox, it was
| agreed that the bill should be consid-
| cred in Committee of the Whole and that
! debate should be closed at o'clock Inc
House then went into committee Oh 'Ie
Whole with Mr. Tawney Of Minnesota IN
! the chair. Mr.. Eddy addressed the com
mittee in advocacy of the bill.
Provisions of the Bill.
The bill as reported provides that all
settlers under the homestead laws OF the
United States upon the public lands, ae-
quired prior to the passage of this act by
treaty or agreement from the various In
dian tribes, who have or shall hereafter
reside upon the tract entered in good faith
for the period required by existing law,
shall be entitled to patent for the land
so entered upon the payment to the To-
cal land officers of the usual and Gus
charge of any kind whatsoever shall be
required from such settler to enttle him
( to a patent for the land covered by MS
entry; provided, that the right to com
. mute any such entry and pay for sala
lands in the option OF any such settler anu
in the time and at the prices now hXed
by existing laws shall remain in full force
and effect: provided, however, that all
sums of money so released which il not
released would belong to any Indian trlps
, shall be paid to such Indian tribe by the
United States; and that in the event that
the proceeds of the annual sales OF the
,, public lands shall not be sufficient TO meet
the payments heretofore provided Tor agrl-
, cultural colleges and experimental stations
, such deficiency shall be paid by the United
/, States: and provided further, that ne
: lands shall be herein included on which
/, the United States Government mad mace
valuable improvements, or LANDS ina,
, have been sold at public auction by salo
Government"
Mr. EDDY was followed by Mr.. Flynn OF
: Oklahoma, who spoke vigorously in behalf
: of the bill. He said that the political par
ties had. in their platforms, pledged them
selves to promote the passage OF fIef
homestead law. He said that no legisla-
tive enactment ever placed on the statute
book of the nation has been more laudec
t than the free homestead law OF the In!tet
= States.
= He said that under its benefcent pro-
n visions the sons of New England, The
e thrifty young men of the Middle and West
l. ern States and the sturdy Immigrants
:, from the Old World poured into the fertl {
: unoccupied regions of the West, and b!
the labor of their hands they transforms
: the forests into fruitful farms and change'
h the almost lirnitless plains of prairie gras
k into billowy fields of waving grain fitie
o and towns sprang up in this territory a
If by magic churches and schoolhouses arr
: found at every crossroads, and no NOR
o valuable and loyal citizens can be ioun'
g in all the Commonwealth than the origina
"homesteaders and their descendants. !
was a poor mans law; poor men aYalle
themselves of its advantages; but the fab
ulous wealth they have created for them
- selves and the nation is beyond compute
ton, and its repeal or modification was
70 thing undreamed of by the American pee
pie Speedily all the most desirable va
l. cant lands were taken up and occupied
Or except those set apart for Indian reser
a vatious, and it soon became manifest tina
lie those were many times larger than IN
)y Indians or their descendants could eve
t. utilize and, as the wild game had bee
at killed or departed, the Indians were anN
ut icus to dispose OF their lands to the Unite
v. States-as they had previously disposed {
the lands settled and occupied by tb
by the Government and reservations weT
IN coded by the Indians TO the Government
IN Mr. Flynn also said that for the cess.o
Of these reservations the Government pii'
C or agreed to pay, stipulated sums. The
Iv were thrown open to settlement undo
IN the homestead law only; but, contrary
be- all previous practice of the Government
~ in addition TO the wise conditions of SCI
% Element occupancy, and cultivation, II
~ Government imposed upon these settler
in addition to the regular land office fee
= amounting to about 81 per entry, the priC
the Government had paid the Indians f
the lands. ranging from $l.25 per aci
for the Sac and Fox Reservation in Okli
4 homa to 1915 per acre for the Yankto
Reservation in South Dakota, regardlei
10 ! OF the fact whether the lands were geo
~ bad or Indifferent.
ne Mr. Flynn said the people had the idt
nc that something was to be had for nothiI
c, by the operation Of the bill. This was N
N the case, he said. 1t was intended
n, place the settlers in those States and Te
at ritories In which Indian reservations ops
la to settlement were located upon the san
IN level with homestead settlers in 9th
of States. In his own Territory, the Indial
who took allotments Of land became cit
zens and could vote. He showed a p
DIS Of one county in the Territory in which Il
" Indians holding allotments, free from tax
IL ton for twenty-five years, could cOntr
de the affairs of the county. There was n
ON a foot OF land now owned by the Cover
n ment fit for cultivation except by irrig
ton at a cost of s25 per acre.
Opposed by Mr.. Maddox