The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-17
Letters to The Editor.
Keep Something for Homesteaders.

Aeep something for Homesteaoers
 Montgomery, Ala, Feb IS, lsoS | Ed or The Advertiser.
 some months since I noticed that Dill
 had bten introduced in Congress oy some or our Representatives providing Tor the donation of alt he public lands in Ala bama to the schools of the State. Recent " l have noticed that the bill had been reported favorably by a committee or the
 House and was on the calendar with chances favorable for 1t to become law. With your permission, l will. with one or l bill.
 First-If this bill becomes a law In my opinion 1t will not be many years before
 the land syndicates will own and control every loot of the tnow) public lanos m
 Alabama and fin a few years more this
 money will doubtless be gone ana tne boys will he without money and homeless. With these same lands in the possession
 Of others who will price it. if at all, out or reach of the poorer class or our GU. zens, the question will be where VIII
 the boys go for home? With present provisions so generously provided by the general government there Is nome or 160 acres for every old or young man or age in Alabama who has not previously
 made homestead, the applicant paying the expenses of making deeds etc, which does not exceed s25 Tor the l60 acres the government giving them five vars 10 pay this amount about one-haf when nome stead is made and the balance at the ex piration of five years. l believe that IT the bill pending should become a law it would in years to come prove to be one of the most disastrous pieces or ieslsia- ton that has been enacted for the people of Alabama. You are doubtless familiar
 with the provision made by the general government donating the sixteenth sec tions in this State to the schools Of Ala bama These lands especially in the south ern and western portion of the state nave about all been sold at very low prices as
 a rule. Iris true the little money realized
 did the schools some good but in certain territories that 1 know of and l nave heard of, if these lands that were dls- posed of for fifty to sixty thousand doi- lars had been retained q refer to the pine lands of the State) it would be worth
 now one million dollars.
 If a change from present conditions
 must be made, why not Congress pass a
 law turning over to the State all pubic
 lands with a provision that 1t IS to De
 held strictly for homestead purposes, plac- ing a very low price on the lands, the proceeds to go to the schools of the State. This would make the State more directly | interested, and would render more efrect-
 ual service against trespassers and fraud ulent entries of homesteads that are of- ten made and in my judgment would be very much better than the bill pending. While the homesteads laws have been | abused, yet I am in favor of letting them remain with the present proVlsioHs. II has proved to be a blessing to thousands of people in Alabama. If let alone 1t will prove to be in the future a comfort and
 blessing to many thousands more Of the poorer class of our citizens who are bringing up families whose children will
 some day want and will have to have
 cheap lands for homes if they possess
 them at all. Education is good and am glad to see such increased interest mani- tested by our people generally and there
 are many good things that we may have and prepare for the future generation, If | we will act wisely. And the greatest of them and the most important to every citizen is home.
 So let us sacredly keep and protect the lands that have been provided for our
 people. As they grow up and go out the | first thing necessary Is home. With |, proper management the comforts and blessings of education. etc., will be added to the home. So 1t Is not necessary nor just to give all our energy, money. lands etc, to education, the home, or to any one of the many other worthy objects that should command attention.
 We are advised in the Good Book that we are not to live by bread alone.
 Now, MT. Editor, the main object of | this communication is to get an expres- sion from you. your ideas with reference | to the proposed legislation and valuable | information with reference to the same. | A Friend of the Youth