The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-04-24
SECURE A FREE HOME IN THE
FERTILE WHEAT FIELDS OF
WESTERN CANADA.
To the Editor:

The emigration OF well-to-do farm
ers from the United States to the
Canadian Northwest has assumed
such proportions that organized eff
forts are now being made by inter-
ested persons and corporations to
stem the tide. The efforts are being
initiated chiefly by railway and real
estate interests in the States from
which the bulk of the emigration
takes place. The movement of popu-
lation has taken from numerous
states thousands of persons whose
presence along railways in these
states made business for the trans
portation companies. The move
nlent has also become so widely
known that it has prevented the set
tlement OF vacant lands along these
lines, parties who might have locat-
ed there, being attracted to the free
and more fertile lands of Canada.
The result of the movement has been
that the railway companies not only
see the vacant lands along their
lines remain vacant, but they also
see hundreds of substantial farmers
who have helped provide business for
these railways move away and SO
cease their contributions. The
farmers have moved to Canada be-
aus they were convinced that it
would be to their financial interest
to do so. In moving they have been
inconsiderate enough to place their
own financial interests before those
of the financial interests of the rail-
way corporations.
In addition to the railway corpora
tions, real estate dealers are work
ing to stem the flow of emigrants.
OF course every emigrant who goes
TIC Canada means the loss of COM
missions on land deals by real es-
tate dealers. Now a person has but
to know what the interests are that
are trying to stop the flow to know
what motive is influencing their
course. The emigration means fnan-
cial loss to railway corporations and
to real estate men. These interests
therefore are not directing their OPP
position efforts out of any love for
the departing ~emigrants or out of
any high patriotic motives either.
They are doing so purely from self
ish interests. 1t is a matter Of dol
lars and cents with them. They are
so patriotic, they are so consumed
by love for their fellow citizens that
they want to prevent these fellow
citizens going to Canada and getting
free farms of the best wheat land in
{lo x,o,1I. n~l ;rc+noI tIau xx,art IN
make them stay on high priced farms
in the United States where they will
continue to pour money into the
pockets of these railways and rea.
estate men.
One of the methods employed by
these interests to stem the tide il
the distribution of matter to news
papers, painting Canada in the dark
est colors. These articles emanatt
chiefly from a bureau in ST. Louis
They are sent out at frequent inter
walls for simultaneous publication. A
writer is employed at a high salar.
to prepare the matter.
Moreover, statements absolutely a
variance with the truth have latel,
been published broad cast. These ap
pear chiefly in what purport to b.
letters from persons who are allege,
to have gone to Canada and becom,
disguised with it. Only a few of sucl
, have been published and they con
e tain statements that are absurd il
: their falsity. Whether the partie
E whose names appear in connection
: with these letters have ever bee
: in Canada and if so, their histor.
E while there, is to be thorough,
looked into. The discovery of thei
+ motive, like the discovery of the mo
q tive of the interests who are en-
. gineering the opposition, may prov
i~llumining. In the meantime, however
it may be pointed ou5 that only a fey
of such letters have appeared bu
since 1897 over 81, 600 American set
tiers have gone to the Canada,
West. Can any reasonable perso,
! suppose for a moment that If Cana
. da was ~one-quarter as bad as repre-
scented in these letters the $500
4 Americans now there would renal
I in the country; or, if the Canada
/ West had not proved the truth of a
] that was claimed for it, the paper
. OF every State in the American North
! west would not be filled with letter
!, saying SO? Imagine $1,000 aggressiv
Americans deceived and not maxim
short shift of their deceivers. Th
fact is the $1,000 are well Statistic
. and are encouraging their friends t
1 follow them.
Anyone who sees any OF these di
= paraging letters should remembe
!. that it j sErailwaY and real estate il
J terests who have from purely selfs
reasons organized a campaign I
stem the flow to Canada. If Canad
were half as bad as represented ther
would be no need of such an organ
i cation, The fact that such exists
! of itself a magnificent tribute I
Canada. Finally it should not be TO,
gotten that the letters published al
brimful of falsehoods and that s7,0t
satisfied Americans in the Canada
! West constitute q living proof ths
such ~ the case. ].
The Canadian Government AgeI
I. WhoseAname anpears IN advertis,