The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-27

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at the Capitol yesterday I'm the interest Of
the passage Of House bill $50 providing for
free homes on the public lands for actual
and bona fde settlers. and rCsorving pub
Tic lands for that purpose. This bill was
introduced on December . and reported
with amendments February 9. II provides
That all settlers under the homestead
laws OF the United States upon the public
lands. acquired prior 10 the passage OF this
act by treaty or agreement from the vari-
Gus Indian tribes. who have or shall here
after reside upon the tract entered in good
faith for the period required by existing
law, shall be entitled to a patent for the
land so entered upon the payment TO the
local land officers of the usual and custO-
mary fees, and no other or further charge
OF any kind whatsoever shall be required
from such settler to entitle him to a pat
ent for the land covered by his entry"
The Committees Views.
The report on this proposed legislation
in part says. NO legislative enactment
ever placed upon the statute book Of the
nation has been more lauded than the free
homestead law of the United States. Pass
ed bv the uutiring efforts Of Galusna A.
Grow and his cOmpeers. signed by The i'm
mortal Lincoln. il became a law on May
y. 1862. aud Il was one Of the greatest fac
tors in The marvellous progress that the
Republic has made since that ume-a
progress that has astOnished the world
Under its benehCent provisions the mar
DIV sons OF New England. the thrifty young
men OF the Middle and Western States,
and the sturdy immigrants or the O!d
World poured into the fertile, unoccupie1
regions of the West. and by the labor OF
their hands they transformed the forests
into fruitful farms and changed the almost
limitless plains Of prairie grass into BILL
Lowry fields Of waving grain Cities ana
towns sprang up i'm this territory as u by
magic. churches and sChOOihOuses are
found al every cross roads. and no more
valuable and loyal citizens can be found
IN all the commonwealth than the oriSi-
nal leaders and their descendants
II was poor mans law. poor men awaited
themselves Of its advantage. but the lap-
Uious wealth they have created for them
selves and the nation is beyond compu'a-
ton and it's repeal or modification was "a
thing undreamed OF by the American peo-
pie.
Speedily all the most desirable vacant
lands were taken UP and occupied except
those set apart for Indian reservations.
and IL soon became manifest that these
were many times larger than the Indians
or their descendants could ever utilize.
and as the Wild game had been killed or
departed the Indians were anxious to dis
pose of their lands to the United States
as they had previously disposed OF the
lands settled and occupied by the whites.
Negotiations were entered into by the Gov
eminent. and reservations were coded 10y
the Indians to the Government
The report gives a long list OF lands
Ind IA rr %
cites:
"AH the public domain except that por-
tion included in the thirteen original
States by purchase from foreign govern
ments-and afterward the Indian right OF
occupancy was purchased or wrested from
them by force OF arms-and these social
Cd reservation lands came into the pos
session in precisely the same manner.
This Government had disposed Of its
public lands in three ways
First. To corporations on condition
the corporation would build a railroad or
make other public Improvements.
Second. For cash consideration.
Third. In lGO-acre tracts on condition
that the party entering the same should
make it his home. improve il, and reside
on il for five years; but in the case OF
these reservation lands We find double
price-the full term of settlement. i'm
provement, and residence. and in addition
a cash consideration from SL25 to $3.50
per acre.
The COuntry's Donations.
In other words. when the nation wss In
the throes Of civil war. struggling for ma
tional existence, with expenses exceeding
its income million dollars day il gladly
donated its best, richest. and most yalu-
able lands TO any citizen who would build
ND an American home-transfOrm an IN
productive property into a source Of ma
tiOnal reveuue-and become that nations
defender in time Of danger. and now that
II has become great, rich, and powerful it
demands a double price for its poorest
lands from its poorest citizens. Further
comment is unnecessary.
1T should be remembered that in most.
II not all of these reservations the Indians
were permitted to make selection Of their
allOtments prior to opening 70 settlement
10 the whites. Very naturally they select
ed the very choicest tracts. These allot-
ments we're made non-taXablc and nom
transferable for from twenty-five TO fifty
years. The white settlers must pay all
local taxation. must maintain a local gov
eminent for the Indians protection. build
roads and bridges in order that he may