The Saint Paul globe., 1901-10-20
PRESENT LAW is BAD.
LAND FRAUDS IN MONTANA HAVE
DONE STATE INCALCUL-
ABLE HARM
MILLIONS OF ACRES STOLEN
Senator Paris Gibson VIII Attempt
to Have Congress Enact Law
Requiring Five Years
Residence.


cial)-To have lived nearly three-quar-
ters of century life of strenuous and
successful endeavor, and yet to have no
thought of politics until he was elected
a United States senator at the age of
seventy-two has been the career of Paris
Gibson, the newly elected colleague Of
Senator w. A. Clark.
Even now his thoughts are not of po-
htieal measures nor party advantage. He
has but one object in view, and that is
the quickest and greatest possible devel-
opment and population of the state in
which he has been a powerful industrial
factor for so many years. He comes to
the senate old in years, but with sur
prising physical and mental vitality, pre-
pared to work for what he considers the
measures necessary to insure continued
prosperity for the Western states. His
ambition is to serve upon the public
land and kindred committees. He has
no aspirations to become political pow
er or to figure in the more important
councils. These he leaves to his col
league.
Senator Gibson has positive and radical
views as to legislation needed for the
West, and while he recognizes the neces-
sity of assistance from more experienced
legislators, he will undoubtedly make a
SOAiS4QSIdDlS IupTeSSlOH DSIOTS ne mas
been long in Washington by the earnest
ness with which he holds to his ideas
as to the most pressing needs of the
Western country. He is an intereStins
man, of pleasant and dignified person
ality, with a wide experience in large
business affairs and an extensive ac.
Quaintance among the great industrial
leaders.
The homestead law" he says, lis the
only act under which the agricultural
public domain should pass to private
ownership, and this law should be restor-
ed to its original shape in which five
years actual residence was required be-
fore title could be secured from the gov
ernment.
''The present desert land act should be
called a bill to promote perjury. 1t is an
iniquitous law and should be repealed as
soon as possible.
About 100000 acres of the public
land were decided away by the govern
ment last year. Twenty million will go
this year. At this rate the rs. 200 600
acres of easily habitable and irrigable
land still owned by the government will
coon be gone.
The land frauds of the present day are
or incredible magnitude Millions of
acres are stolen every year through per-
jury on the part of applicants or hired
agents, and by the apparent indifference
10 say the least of the officials of the
government land offices.
one man has $50 miles of fence near
Great Falls, inclosing thousands of acres
OF the finest farming land in the state
land TO which this city has looked in
the past as one of the great resources to
ala IN Its future growth. 1t is capable
OF supporting densely settled agr1-
cultural community, but today it is re-
served for pasturage for range stock
through the operations of the present
Iandlords That is but one instance,
N4le after mile of the choicest land in the
Puenc land states has been secured by
SPECTATORS and live stock men thro1gn
the fraudulent use of the land laws and
70 The serious detriment of the couatrv
as whole. 1t is the best of this land
SiIch Is taken each year The peopIe
OF the United States are being robbed
OF thelr property and the homeseekers
are being cheated of the chance to get a
start IN life, such as was taken ad
vantage OF by the pioneers of earlier
days" AAie1
These statements are made by conser-
Nauve business man who is Thoroughly
1amlllar with all conditions prevailing
FaflS Gibson would be the last man to
oe charged with extravaganza OF Ian
Sudse py the people of his state. He was
Dorn IN Maine in 1929. In 1858 he went to
minneapolis, then a frontier Settlement
ana was one of the pioneers in the Great
mourning industry of Minnesota. In 1g72
ne went INTO the sheep business in Mon
lana at 4 ort Benton, and in 1882 he laid
the plans for city near the Great Es1Is lie
OF the Missouri after which he named
MS enterprise. The bald prairie was OH
ne had to fY1ld upon, but with prophetic
eye ne saw the possibilities of the sur-
Ieuhdlng country. In 1884 ]. ] Hill of
the }reat Northern, realized the nossfbIa
1utufe OF the town of Great Fails and
teHc MS powerful aid to Senator Gibson
III us upbullding. In seventeen wears
'.len 80 tne site thus selected, has grown a
nIy UNITY winch prides itself upon being
Ihe second city in the state of Montona
Butte the great mining camp hefng +I,s
wealth. P0Puiatioh OF
so,ls by means of the desert land law
SAYS Senator Gibson, title has baen ss
EnHe 70 miles OF country about Great
STOCK range Notwithstanding fba ~ ~
VISIONS OF the law which REQUIRE recIaLne- N
tlen nc a. and cultivation, there are thonsands
has 'itGSe a;1 eliIns to which the government
mas gwen title which look todav as 49,,
uId Wnen Lewis and Clark first pszed
upon them in the earliest dave of H.
coEeIy- n Inc spectators are holding for
. rnI1si;,,. ne stockmen, finding the settlers
cIIGWQing their ranges, get frard,1ienf
ment. '1ii0eS VI Settle-
Of Inc tbe state sta; government, at the dictation
VI the Dig live stock interests usec ~
power to the utmost to nut f66e uses 1S,tIis iis
tad tanu INTO big holdings for the benefit of
1ne favored few. In the enahlino ent of ~
e1Ttisatla sc1es No Ihe leasing o.. more than $40
@cISS 10 one man is forbidden Vet thiS
state leases as high as 20 00O aoras ~ Inns =
single individual State scrip is nsad ~ &,
Sucn way as to best fill the needs Of +ba ,ia
D1s Sly nEe STOCK men: The state land board
names tne state selections of federal land
as certain individuals NAV dicfafa ~ NJ
pretenSe Is made of guarding the interest9
QI me state or Of encouraging settlement
o. oeo SdScaue So county alone there are about
So;VyV acres leased to cattlemen. much of
which is land which shoIIId ha ,,.5 Si 81 "
home building. 0'ou Aoi
If congress should cede the fedora,
IandS TO the state, in Montana a+ ieost % -
half dozen men would eontroI foa ieaSt aa'tt d
state; The big range cattle interests couiS
get the support of the big BACKING house
an5 ~ Ilofany, financially and poiit caIiy
ruted in the West could stand before H.
pressure which would be brought to heaS
In favor of big land monopolies
mere IS no time to be lost. The puh1ic
CONAN should be dedicated to the farm
ers and the farmers only Thew are AZ,
people Who reclaim the West. buiid tbe
cltles ana create permanent wealth Tbo
80 iI ,e oiiiSe WIN Ceclare that it investigates
al charges of fraud It NAV do so wheo
these charges are made, but there are
lew men who actually dare To contest
the right of a big cattleman or sheepman
20 appropriate such land as he NAV wanI
IN any manner he may see fit, 1t wo1ld
not no pe safe for the man who did. and if
ne was small farmer doing business
lear the big stockman his ruin would be
1 inevitable. Even when complaint is naSe
anu anu special agents are sent out bv the
carrv 6anG once, 1 the agents Invariably fail to
any results. 1 will not saw whv this 1i.,ijs ~
So SO, out 1t is easy to. surmise, for there