Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1902-02-28
CHILDISH OPPOSITION.

brough is hard pushed indeed, for
argument when they resort to will
full Misrepresentation and deliber-
ate falsehoods. Here is one Of
them:
"Under this bill, if every acre Of
public land in North Dakota was
sold, the entire proceeds could be
expended to reclaim lands in New
Mexico or Arizona, or any other
of the thirteen remaining states
named in the bill.
Most of the oldsettlers of North
Dakota have lived here a quarter
Of a century, witnessed the sub
jugation of the Indians and the
vanishing Of the buffalo, have seen
the broad prairie teen with golden
grain, dotted with substantial and
hospitable farm houses surrounded
by beautiful groves, have with
stood the billiards. that blow no
more, lived in sod shacks, suffered
untold hardships, to find them
selves at last happy and prosper
GUS, due to their own heroic strug-
giles and natures lavish gifts.
Al the contamination of q life's
work they are unwilling to see
wrested from them what they
know to be inalienably theirs, viz:
Millions of dollars resulting from
the sales of public lands within
our state, which if equitably al
10 tied as has been the policy of
the general government in the
past, would belong to them and be
so appropriated, all Of which is
clearly the solemn duty Of our
senior senator to see carried out"
The truth of the matter is that
Senator Hansbrough's irrigation
bill does not contemplate the tax
ing Of one cent from the people of
North Dakota. The monies from
the sale of public lands now goes
into the public treasury and the
sta te receives none Of it, excepting
per cent, which itwould continue
to receive under the proposed ir-
rigation bill. Here is a copy of
the bill as published by one Of the
sheets just now laboring so indus
triously to mislead and deceive
the people,:
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House Of Representatives Of the
United States of America, in con-
gress assembled, That all monies
received from the sale and dis.
posal of public lands in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Idaho, Kan.
sas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Okla.
homa, Oregon, South Dakota.
Utah, Washington and Wyoming
beginning with the fiscal year end.
ing June 80, 1901, including the
surplus Of fees and commissions
in ercess Of allowances TO registers
and 1eceiuers, and excepting the
fue per cenfum of the proceeds %
the sales Of public lands in TIKI
aboUe states set aside by lao fol
education and other purposes,
shall be, and the same are hereby
reserved. set aside and appropriate,
ed as a special fundin the treasury
to be known as the reclamation
fund.-" to be usedin the examina.
ton and survey for and the con.
struction and maintenance Of ir.
rigation works for the storage
diversion and development O
waters for the reclamation Of arit
and semi-arid lands in said state.
and territories, and for the pay
ment of all other expenditures pro
vided for in this act.
Wherein does the above bill
contemplate the wrestling from
the people what they know to b
inalienably theirs" When AM
where, pray, has the government
''equitably allotted the million
of dollars resulting from the sal,
of public lands within our state
The passage Of Senator Hans
brough's bill means much to Nortl
Dakota and the great west. I
means the employment Of thou
sands Of men, the utilizing o
thousands Of horses, the sale o
materials. ETC., etc., which must b
fed, provisioned and furnished b.
the west. It means a market a
our doors for much of our surplus
in fact it means to the west wha