The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1904-08-18
A GENUINE LOTTERY.

A GENUINE LOTTERY.
The method of drawing names
to determine the allotment Of
government land to intending
settlers indicates the real nature
of the proposition. The Whole
thing is a lottery pure and sim
pie, and the men who engage in
it are allured more by the ele-
ment of chance and of specula-
ton than by thought Of invest
lnent or by q sincere desire to
secure a home. The whole thing
is one of those gigantic games Of
chance that seem to appeal par
ticularly to the American mag
ination.
a story published in Satur-
days Globe shows this vel nv
clearly. One OF the disappointed
applicants for land at Bcnesteel
reported his experience. 1t ap-
peared that he and his associates
went to Bonesteel for the love of
the game as much as any thing
else. He himself is the son of
wealthy parents. and, having
failed to get a farm at Bonesteel
is now ready to try his luck in
the Devils Lake district. In the
same issue Of the Globe Con-
gresham Stevenson states the
actual fact, that the registration
fees and money expended in &C.
ing to registration points amount
to a good deal more than the land
in question is worth. 1t is an
undoubted fact that probably a
majority Of those who enter the
race for these government lands
could buy from railroad compan-
les or private owners excellent
farms in a thoroughly settled and
cultivated region for no more
than they spend in chasing the
elusive chance Of getting a few
acres Of soil in it's native condi-
ton, far from the conveniences
OF a settled society, and capable
Of. being turned into a real farm
only by years of hard work and
an expenditure OF additional
large sums of money.
This is so plain and has been
so often and SO we'll illustrated
that we cannot believe any large
number Of applicants for govern
ment land to be impelled by
sonnd business reasons. Most
of them are dazzled by the word
free" which has such an ire
sistable attraction for. the Amer
lean people. If you tell a man he
is going to get something for
nothing you can charge him most
anything you please on the side
and he will paw it. This propen-
sity runs all the way up and
uown the. line, from the purchas-
err of a gift pakage containing a
nickel's worth of paper and a
brass ring to- the buyer of a
beautifully Autographed stock
representing water in aworthless
corporation. A still stronger
element is that which we have
limited at, the appeal to the ga1nb
ling spirit.
Undoubtedly, the federal gov
eminent does not intend this. It
resorted to the method of draw
ing names in order to solve the
difficulty arising from the receipt
Ut many times as many applica-
tons for land as there were
tracts to be disposed Of. In no
other way, apparently could fav-
ortism be avoided. Yet the very
use of the method lad attracted
thousand of these in whom the
love of chance is deeply implant
ed. There are lots of these So
called settlers who care infinitely
less about a farm than they do
about seeing whether q turn of
the wheel will give them a lucky
Or unlucky number. The whole
performance is oEen to- great OBJ
lection, and we shall be glad when
the last acre of reservation land
Is disposed o..
Probably the only satisfactory
way OF assigning lands would be
to have applics hts qualify under
the homestead act, and then auc.
ton the property to the highest
bidder after having fixed an upset
price. The present dispositions
of territory resemble in many
waysa drawing in the defuhct
louisiana lottery more than
anything else.-St. Paul Globe,
g1 At E,hr TyD