The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-29

OF FREE
HOMFS

WASHINGTON, ID. c., MAY 2S-The
following is "a brief history of the intro
duction, passage and signing of the free
homes bill: When Delegate Flynn OF
oklahoma was first a candidate for tho
nomination for congress the original idea
of securing the lands free was generally
discussed. The platform wlS modelled
to aGree to labor for such a law Tho
Cheyenne and Arapahoe and Poutawot-
annie first payments would soon be due
and there had been a drought and no
crops on the land. After the election and
upon the convening of the SD Congress,
Of which Geo f. crisp of Georgia, was
speaker and Thomas g. McRae, of Ar
kansas, was chairman OF the committee
on public lands, the first free homes bill
was introduced by Delegate Flynn, ap-
plying to oklahoma AT this tine tho
Cherokee strip and TOnkawa- Kicl0apoo
and Pawnee lands were not opened. The
bill was referred to the Hon. Eoks
Smith Of Georgia, secretary of the inter-
ior and a vicious adverse report was
made to congress against the bill, which
was adopted by the public lands commit
tee and an unfavorabbe report was made
on the bill.
In the 54th congress, Thomas b. Reed
was speaker and John f. Lacy of Iowa,
was chairman OF the committee on public
lands. The Oklahoma free homes bill
was again introduced and Judge Lacey
was prevailed upon to introduce a gener-
al bill. Both bills were again adversely
reported from the committees on public
lands, upon motion of Charles Curtis OF
Kansas, and both went on the calendar
for passage.
March 16, 1896, the Oklahoma bin passed
under suspension OF the ruless and went
to the enate where Senator Pettigrew
amended it by making it general When
the first session of the 54th congress ad-
journed, the St Louis platform specific
ally endorsed this bill Later, the demo-
cratic and populist platforms in general
terms, favored free homes.
At the first short session of the "a tn
congress the Oklahoma bMl as amended
passed the senate and was referred to
| the committee on public lands in the
house, where I was favorably reported
/ by Mr.. Flynn.
During the interim the election was
held in Oklahoma and Mr.. Callahan was
elected and the house refused to take up
the bill, it's main champion, Flynn, hav-
ing been turned down
In the 55th congress, Senator Pettigrew
again introduced the general bill and
passed it through the senate, aud later
| on added it as an amendment to the In
dian appropriation bill and when pre-
sented to the house 1t was defeated by
out 30 votes. This ended the legisla-
ton in the 55th congress.
In the present the 56th congress, Del
egate Flynn again introduced the Okla
homa free homes bill Representative
Gamble of South Dakota, introduced one,
as did Mr. Eddy, of Minnesota. After
many conferences a bill satisfactory to
al the members of the house whose con-
stituencies were affected, was agreed up+
on. 1t was unanimously agreed to caiE
the new bill. the Flynn bill but Dele
cate Flynn knowing that ne had no vo; Q
ard remembering the fight that Repr ~
81 ntative EDDY made. in the 55th con-
gress, when Representative Gamble and
Delegate Flynn had been defeated IL
was, at the request and suggestion OF
Delegate Flynn, that the honor OF nam.
ing the bill was left to Mr.. Eddy rhe
D il was introduced amended and ordered
Iavorably reported, on motion OF Mr.
Miller of Kansas, by the unanimous vote
Of the public land committee, of wi,Ca
! Representatives EDDY, burke ana Del
egate Flynn were among the iLembe's
This bll could never have passet The
house were it not for the active ASSIST
ance Of Speaker Henderson.
May g. after debate it passed he n.uS.-
without even division beng fman led.
! 1t was at once favorably reported in he
senate and IN May ID, Senator Nelson
! passed il through the senate by unant'-
nous consent and on May H. 1t became a
law by being signed by Pres dent McKn-
| ley
The briefest possible history Is thus
given Of the bills history and shows that
Delegate Flynn gave the bill continuous
and persistent attention from the day he
introduced the first bill till 1t was signed
by the president
At times obstacles were encountered
that discouraged every friend the bill
had. They were overcome one way and
another, perhaps by getting some of its
opponents to leave town, by getting 9TH
ers to keep sti1 or by having friends CALI
them out at the time the vote was TAX
en-, ION important bus ness"
! SO ended the greatest fight for the
West that has engaged congress in thir-
ty-fve years
/