The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-07
Are Writing Letters to Con-
greSsmen for Free Homes.
MEETINGS BY DISTRICTS
And Resolutions of All Lengths
and Views Adopted.

tive measure as now characterlZ the
free homes movement in Oklahoma. All
over the territory township free homes
meetings are being held. Some Of these
are called Free Homes Letter Writing
Schools that is, meetings TO agitate
the necessity of writing letters for free
homes to congressman. In Custer county
the county superintendent mas called the
meetings and suggests that the children
also write letters. giving this as a sam
pie form: Mr. Congressman am
years old am going TO school to Mr.
in district No = Please vote for our
free homes bill"
In Garfield county the people have been
meeting at school houses in the country
and adopting resolutions. Some of these
are appended as an index of how the
settlers view the matter Of the justiiiSa-
ton of free homes. Some are prayerful,
some peremptory, some argumentative.
One set of resolutions adopted reads:
Resolved: That we deem it our right
that the homes that We have made upon
government land should be given Us free
of debt
Here is another, which goes into poll
tics Bit:
Whereas: We the homesteaders living
in School District No. IS have improved
our homes against reverses of frontier
life. and whereas many of US will not be
able to redeem our homes without mort
gagfng; therefore be it resolved that we
demand free homes of the government,
as promised by the present party in
power.
Here is another with still more politics
in it: Resolved. 1st: That the government
of the United States should treat all It's
people alike; End: That it is unfair, IN
lust and unstatesmanlike for the congress
of the United States TO discriminate so
unfairly against the people of this ter
ritory. Bird: We demand free homes be-
cause it was promised by the Republican
national platform of 1856, on which the
present administration and congress was
elected 4th: Because it is the only and
sure hope of keeping this territory in the
Republican columns. 5th: Because it is
our right
The following is a neatly worded reso-
luton: Be it resolved, first: That the
failure to pass a free homes pill would
be contrary to the platforms OF the diff
ferent parties in the last national cam
paign and would be a breach of faith on
the part of our legislators, second, that
we ask for free homes not as beggars,
but as American citizens demanding
their inherent rights, and those prom
ised to them by all the parties in the
late national conventions; third, that we
have fully earned our lands inder the
homestead law and the addition of the
nre-emption clause is class legislation;
fourth. that forced payment for our lands
would place a large share Of this country
in the hands Of loan companies.
This is a straight-out request: Be it
resolved. That we the claim holders Of
this school district think it just and fair
that we should have free homes. Under
the present conditions we have not the
benefit of the homestead laws, that by all
former usages and customs, the settlers
on government land, after living on The
land FIVE years have received free title,
we therefore ask the same 20 be granted
to US.
Resolved. That the hardships we have
endured. entities US TO free homes and II
required to be paid for, the majority will
be compelled to mortgage to prove up,
we therefore ask at the hands OF our SEN
ators that we be relieved Of the burden
of debt.
Another brings Up aid 20 the east n this
manner: Whereas. Vast amounts Of
monies are paid out by the general gov
eminent every year for the Improvement
of the rivers and harbors; and. Whereas
The wilderness Of the frontiers have al
WAYS been conquered by individual e.
fort with the exception Of the free homes
given 70 tina settlers; and, Whereas. The
first two years OF settlement, before the
land was susceptible OF successful tillage,
during which very many deserted their
claims as vaIueless. while those remain
ing suffered many hardships. therefore
be If Resolved. That we demand Of our
representatives in congress. that they
secure the passage Of ire free homes bill
now pending. az an act OF Justice and
mercy and in conformity with promises
made BY all political parties and also the
precedent established.
A resolution adopted in one school dis
trjct saws that without free homes one
half the settlers viii lose their claims
This resolution reads: Resolved. That in
r.
free homes ne believe Il & just AMI right
that the remainder OF Oklahoma should
be treated in ike manner. Therefore ne
earnestly petition congress 70 act IN orr
behalf in passing q free home measure
during the present session q conzress,
for Il we should not receive the sens-lf
at least one-haIs the settlers AL have
/ IN lose their claims upon which ihey have
toied 50 hard in trying 10 make home
In another school district tn Garfel3
county the press ard req; estate men are
/ charged with misrepre seutlnz Oklahoma g
prosperity as follows: Where's, Ihe
reopie q Oklahoma have suffered many
har5sbiu= and privatiors IN oTser n make
homes for themselves ard tneir posterity:
and. where's. owing - onfavoraule cii-
matte conditions aud distance from mar
kets. thousands % our peopie 81 uiti-
nateIy 81 compelled % aoandpa tafir
/ claims and thereby 81 deprived = t1e
f-sies of their lsbors; and whereas. We
have been rnIs-epreseute3 ~ the press
ara real estate agents y TIE territory ~
rezarzs our prosperity and Where's.
( Ou~ ne5zha1-s On the sorfh aui oBr
/ neiraae-q On ire rorth have been given
eres homes. as matter - s1stics ~ sex
/ ,ers On .hs STRIP demand free bones -
under the original 1gz5>~tesa iesz. end.
I where's. At tts great political parties
T n frs5- platforms o. 5ses 8sc1are3 ser free
norqrs we bare great fa.ta that ske
o-esert c1urress NIB redeem fh9He
z.sezres. therefor. - E. Reseivea - tn
/ rssfrg ha'sers = 49, 49, afstrics II 2
( - r.-ss-,-. -ss= .-r.---.zz NJ s-ss ~ -issF