The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-04
MAN OR The STEER?
Which Of These Occupy the
Earth.
RIGHTS OF HOME MAKER
VIM. {. Smythe Urges Action
on Part of Congress.

For the Eagle:
Great Falls, Montana, is one of the
thriving cities of the west. In the ten
years covered by the latest national CEN
about hfteen thousand. And it is still
f1ourishing like green bay tree.
This remarkable town is located on
the upper Missouri where wonderful
water power seems to have dictated the
existence OF great manufacturing CEN
ter. That, together with the tributary
mineral wealth which is also part of its
boundless resources, has largely made
Great Falls what it is.
But the people of this enterprising COM
munity set their hearts on building some
thing which shall be more than mining
and manufacturing center They wanted
it to be the capital of an agricultural
empire, the mecca OF homeseekers. the
seat of a dense population getting a pros
porous living from the soil
And why not? North of the city lie
great stretches of the most fertile land.
The magnificent river carries an abundant
supply of water for irrigation. While the
climate is by no means tropical, but
rather that of the northern temperate
zone, with winters which bring plenty
Of honest cold, conditions are favorable
for diversified production and Industrious
families make a living on farms no larger
than the average of those in Iowa and
Illinois. Doubtless they might do so on
much smaller farms, for there is an ex-
traordinary compelling power in irriga-
ton quite unknown TO those who depend
upon the caprice of the clouds.
The single serious disappointment thus
far encountered in the development of
Great Falls is the fact that the fertile
agricultural lands have been converted in
to big pastures instead of into a multi
tude of small farms. The battle is on
throughout the west between the man
and the steer-between those who want
the public domain reserved for homeseek-
ers and those who want to devote as
much of 1t as possible to the raising of
cattle.
On this subject, public sentiment is
sharply divided There are plenty Of hon
est citizens who stand for the steer
against the man. To their minds, the
problem is not humanitation but com
mercial. The raising of livestock is
legitimate business. There must be beef
for people to eat well as people to eat
beef. And in the big. vacant west there
are endless acres of land and will be
far beyond the needs of human beings,
for generations to come why. We will
show you land until you can't rest" these
champions of the steer exclaim
On the other hand, the farmer. the mer-
chant and the professional man generally
take the opposite view. They think the
time has come in the arid region, as il
did long since in the older sections of the
country, for cattle to fall back and make
room for men. First the explorer, then
the trapper, then the miner then the
stockman. and at last the farmer-this
has been the order OF the procession as
civilization has advanced in its irresista-
bic march across the continent Those
who stand for the man against the steer
think we have now reached the begin
ming of the final chapter in the develop
nnent of the west, and that the time has
come to reserve every acre of fertile. irri-
gable land for the actual homebuilder.
In the meantime, while the debate RACES
fiarcely, the steer is on top-at least, in
the vicinity of Great Falls. How did it
happen? Three words tell the story
Desert Land Law.
In order to take UP land under this
statute you do not have TO live on it for
a month, a week or an hour. You swear
that you have actually visited the land.
that you have made arrangements to have
a portion of ii irrigated, then make your
filing at the land Office. pay s1.25 an acre.
and the title is yours. ANY man or wom-
an over twenty-one years of age can
take up three hundred and twenty acres
in this way-and man or woman. which
includes your hired help, your sisters
cousins and aunts, and any other conven-
lent dummy who may be IN the neigh
borhood BY this means, an individual
or corporation may take up thousands or
acres in a day When the transaction
is completed. the land is gone irrevocably
from the government and the owner may
put it to any use he pleases
But it must be irrigated" some one
suggests. Yes, but there is irrigation and
irrigation. There is kind which actually
moistens the soil so that il viii RESPOND
10 cultivation. There is another kiad
which costs little money or ,abor. ".
serves TO increase the yield Of Wild grass
es And there Is still another which does
10 swear by until you get your rich ma
tural pastures safely through the doors
Of the land Office.
The naked truth is that the American
people are being robbed Of their heritag
under the operation Of existing land laws
Senator Paris Gibson Of Montana. whose
home is at Great Fails. declares that Z
less the absorption Of the public domain
By spectators ard cattle syndicates s.
speedily STOPPED the very land whiaa
1t Is proposed to reclaim by national irri
CATION viii all be taken" President
Roosevelt pleads for TIE repeal OF these
laws in his last message TO congress
The country must decide between n
man and the steer. Whatever ihe dec
sion. there is no danger that The bssi
supply viii fan We shall raise man
more and better cattle than ever before
when irrieahIe parts Of the public acmsi
are reclaimed and settled But II the pre-
eft land laws remain much longer n fuB
force and effect there Is real danger that
the supplv of cheap homes viii fs1.
We ssrpiy cannot eat or cake ard
have It. too We cannot give cur lsn1
to tie cattle syu5fcstes and save II TO
those who want 70 make homes Tn
tine has come when We must choose b.