Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-09-21

One Of the earliest converts to the
national irrigation cause, among the
prominent men of the east, was Ed
ward Everett Hale, the famous Bos-
ton author, divine and philanthropist.
To one Of the early missionaries of
the movement, DR.. Hale explained
that the first public work he ever en-
gagged in was the promotion of emf
grafton to Kansas to preserve the
equilibrium of the free and the slave
states. He added: Now l am for
this great movement of yours because
have come to the conclusion that
freedom for white men is just as i'm
portant as freedom for blacks"
BY that striking remark, the great
Bostonian showed that he appreciated
the vast social and economic signif-
canoe of the plan which looks to the
reclamation Of our neglected territory
in the west and the making of homes
for millions of people, Some OF the
issues which are arising in connection
with this undertaking do actually in
volve the problem of giving freedom.
rs opposed to servitude, to white men.
DR.. Hale saw that this was SO after
a very brief consideration Of the mat
ter and it would be well indeed IL all
his countrymen could appreciate the
fact as clearly.
To begin with, there Is the question
as to whether the future settler of
the great arid region shall be able to
obtain his heritage-his share of the
public domain-at the government
price, or whether he will be compelled
to pay tribute to the enterprising
speculator who has forestalled him.
Under existing laws it is possible for
land to be acquired in large amounts
BY those who have no intention what
ever of making home upon it. Not
only is it possible" but the thing is
being done by wholesale at the pres
ent time. The entire assets of many
a land and water scheme in the west,
on which bonds are issued and sold in
the east and abroad, is fertile soil
recently carved out Of the public do
main with one of the two instruments
which our national statutes provide
the desert land law and the commuta-
tion clause Of the homestead law.
1t is not treating white man exact
NJ ight to steal his property (for
is what it amounts TOD and then
sell 1t back to him at ten times what
you paid for it. is it? But that is only
one aspect Of the matter.
Much of the land which is being
wrongfully taken by speculators Will
be held for the raising Of cattle, when
1t is needed for the raising Of chill
dren: and thus many people Will re-
main homeless who might otherwise
be free and Independent landed pro-
prietors. Then, too, much Of this lll-
gotten soil will go to form large pri-
vate estates, which will be cultivated
with servile labor or rented to ten
ants who must share their product
with the owner. Current statistics
show that tenant farmers have In
creased in the United States from 25
per cent to 35 per cent during the last
ten years. Isn't II about time TO start
a tendency in the other direction and
have the number OF land-owning farm
ers increase instead Of decrease? The
surest way to do 1t Is TO save the
lands we now own; then open them TO
settlement after thev have been irrl-
gated by national enterorise.
When these bad land laws are re-
pealed and the statutes made such
that only the genuine homeseeker can
take up land and he upon the sole con-
ditfon that he will build his home
there and raise crops, the thing will
be done chiefly by the influence Of the
populous states east OF the Mississlp-
81 river. The reason IS easy 10 unier-
stand.
The entcrprlsing citizens of the far
west know the value Of this public
property. They are conveniently sit
uated 10 file upon II under the present
laws. They are inclined TO believe
that the pioneers of new country are
fairly entitled 70 enrich themselves
from the great fund Of unused natural