The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-29
No MORE WAITING
Free Homes viii Now Have
Toboggan Speed,
GOES AT ONCE TO SENATE
And Nothing Will be Permit
ted TO Side Track 1t,
GOES AT ONCE TO SENATE

Guthrie, o. T, April 2S-One of the
most eventful days in the history of
Oklahoma will be Thursday of the COM
ing week In every town, in every ham
let, city. and on every farm in the great
Cherokee Strip, in the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe country, in the eastern reserva-
lions, there will be but one topic of con-
versation next Thursday evening. That
topic: did it pass!'
Some will at once learn the news;
others will wait a day or two until they
come TO town, but all will be vitality in
terested and keen for the first word from
Washington.
Down in Washington Oklahoma's repre-
sentative will spend the day, keyed high
with excitement. and If he wins, will be
the happiest man in the two hemispheres.
VIII he win? Everything indicates that
he viii. The house takes I'd the free
homes bill Thursday. Several speeches
VIII be made A vote will be taken and
ii will pass, unless all signs fail
The bill will then go 10 the senate. and
as passed, will be substituted for the bill
already reported to the senate. That hav-
homes will insist that free homes have the
right of way; that it be not side-tracked
for other measures; or elbowed out of
Its rightful place
For that reason the vote in the house
next Thursday means more than the
passage Of the bill, it means acceleration
of the whole matter, its quick dispatch
10 the senate for consideration and action
there, and that the settlers will not have
TO wait much longer to know whether
the bill is to become law or not. Con-
gress adjourns June u, but long before
that the free homes question will be set
tied one way or the other.
For this reason next Thursday is mo-
mentous to Oklahoma, marking the day
when free homes will start with a rush
either to a triumphant consummation or
a cru hing conclusion.
The passage Of free homes concludes a
story that has been almost wholly the
politics OF Oklahoma for many years. Its
history is anomalous to a certain d gree.
There have been many and there are
still many who do not believe that IT will
ever become law. They can be divided
into three sets:
The first set believes that the govern
ment does not intend to release the set
tiers from the payments at any cost;
that such release has never been pos
sibhity. and never will be: that any step
will be- taken to prevent the final max
ing of the law Among these of this be-
lief were leading politicians who, when
Flynn first took UP the free homes bill,
looked upon his advocacy of 1t as the
over-coniidence of a young, inexperienced
man. At that time these experienced
polite ans begged Flynn not to take the
agitation up. They pointed hout to him
that he would fail. md be forever damned
by the people. N'ho would cain he had
deceived them! They tried to demonstrate
to- him that the government would not
release the settlers from payment: that
ne would inspire Ease hopes in the set
tiers, who in disappointment would take
satisfaction, not out Of him alone, but
out Of the Republican party as well.
The second set of non-believers in the
practicability of free homes are members
OF the opposition party who from an
original fear that Flynn might pass such
bill and make the territory Republi-
can for the next twenty years, drifted
into a habit of declaring that free homes
was political fake, and the habit fin
ally tecame belief
The third set is small coterie of rival
politicians of Flynn's own party who.
through a similar channel. have come 10
the conclusion that there Is mo danger
of Flynn passing the bill" This group
is not large numerically.
All three sets of non-beHevers have
been careful not TO voice their non-belief
publicly. 1t is not safe in Oklahoma to
say that free homes is a political fake
unless you say 1t to a friend who doesn't
talk too much. Only half dozen papers
IN the territory have ever given voice to
the sentiment that free homes was a
fake
But the settlers out on the farms be-
ieve that free homes will pass; they do
net believe 1t is a fake They will not
be surprised if it becomes a law; only
joyful
But the men in Oklahoma who have
believed it was an impractical wild-eyed
scheme, If free homes really passes, are
booked for the biggest surprise that has
taken place on earth since the stars fell
in 1873 Few of them will refuse TO ioin
in the cyclone OF praise for Flynn which
will sweep the territory
For Flynn himself. the end OF a fight
that has lasted for years. will be triumph
enough. But there is no doubt that a po-
litcal reward viii be forthcoming.
For IT is believed now that at its short
session congress Will provide for the ad-
mission OF Oklahoma as state. and with
free homes law, nothing hut death can
keep Dennis Flynn out Of the United
Senate.