The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-26
MILLER IS
KNOCKING ON
LOTTERY PLAN
Wants New Country Opened
With a Horse Race.
He REGISTERS A KICK
Shows Some Reasons for the
Position He Takes.
He REGISTERS A KICK

Saltwater. 0. T. April 25.-(speciai =
Senator Freeman z. Miller Of tnis place
has addressed the following commuuica-
ton to the secretary Of the interior with
reference TO the opening of tbs Wichita
an dthe Kiowa ana Comanche Indian res
ervations. He is opposed to the lottery
plans Of distributions
Dear sir:-Through the public prints
the information is being widely dissem-
mated in Oklahoma and throughout the
west, that your department, under discre-
tionary powers conferred BY q recent act
Of congress, is proposing 70 open the
Wichita and the Kfowa and Comanche
Indian reservations to homestead settle
ment under some sort Of a lottery sys-
TEN.
'If such be the case, as one citizen Of
Oklahoma desire to register my solemn
protest against any such a plan Of al
lotting the lands among prospective en-
trymen. I have lived in Oklahoma more
than ten years have participates eth
er as prospective homesteader or specta-
tor IL two openings Sac and Fox
in 1891 and the Cherokee Strip IN 1888.
With proper preoauton against sooner
ism, I believe the so-called race for a
claim is the very best plan. al things
considered, that can be devised While
it has its objections. yet in my judgment
they are only trivial and Incidental and
any unusual red-tape regulations win
only tend to multiply the evils sought to
be avoided. The homestead laws were
designed for the benefit Of those who are
iandless and who in good faith desire to
procure homes upon the public domain.
The free-for-au race has the following
advantages;
''First-It reduces to the minimum the
number Of applicants for claims. and thus
lessons the aggregate expense. disap-
pointment and hardships.
"Second-Only those who are in earnest
and actually want and need homes are
undeterred by the outlook and enter the
struggle.
''Third-The poor man. who IS usually
the most willing to endure and to struggle
valiantly for the achievement Of a home
Of his own comprises the great mass Of
those who seek homes in a race
"FOurth-As the rights Of honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors Of the United
States are kept inviolate by such a sys-
TEN Of opening.
.Fifth-In such a race, energy. enter
prise ana hard effort secure the chief
prizes and more money has lit chance TO
win anything. a good feature.
Sixth-The opportunity for chicanery
ana fraud among the officials and all
others is reduced to "A minimum
My observation IS that the net evil OF
land contests which the department
seems DESTROYS Of avoiding. IS more
imaginary than real: and While such
contests may cause hardships IN individ-
ual cases, they are never so numerous as
to cause any widespread detriment or to
appreeiably hold back the Development
Of the country. No system can ever be
devised that VIII entirely eliminate land
contests.
The lottery plan, or any plan involving
the element Of chance, has to my mind
several fatal objections. / viii state
them briefly as they occur to me.
"First-It VII infinitely Increase the
number Of possible applications. The
lame, the halt. and the blind, the young
man and the young woman, the man who
already has home. in common with him
who has not, the rich. the well-to-do, and
the poor, all alike from all the United
States. may be expected 70 register for
chance in the drawing, thus infinitely
reducing the opportunities Of the poor
man or the one willing to seek opportun-
ity in the race for a home. The old
Louisiana state lottery would not be half
50 popular as this governmental scheme
Of distributing quarter sections to those
who need and those who need them not.