Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1904-04-08

4
the FIVE year settler3 Why, Nj.
President, he would be Obliged to
abandon his land. That has been the
history Of public lani settlement in
the west.
So congress in its wisdom many
years ago enacted what is known as
the commutation clause, which per-
mite q settler at the end of fourteen
months residence upon his land to
make final proof, pay the government
$500 for the 100 acres, secure title,
and thus he is at liberty to do as he
pleases with his property.
s. went to what is now North
Dakota in 1881. have lived there
ever since, and I think I know some !.
thing about that state. Whatever the
senator has evolved from the record
lin regard to percentages I do not
think will outweigh the fact that the
section Of country to which he refers
in the western part of North Dakota
as being very similar to that in Mon
tana is today, covered by very large
population VINO have gone in there in
the last four or FIVE years to remain
i permanently.
will say that there is but very
little stock raising in North Dakota
as compared with Montana. In the
extreme western edge of North Dako-
ia there are few stock ranges, but
| the settlement Of pubic lands to
which the senator refers, lands on
| which the communication privilege has
1 been exercised, is not in the very
extreme western portion of North
Dakota, and those lands are unlike
the lands in Montana. Less than one
year, ago WAS in the section Of
Iconntry to which I aIlude, n what il
known as the Minot land district
j Travelled over the. railroads in that
section FOR two or three days and
saw for myself the exact situation.
I, found the country thickly populated,
. with q settler upon almost every
/. quarter section Of land. #.. .. !.
81 found, further more, Mr.. Presi-
dent and, this is the essential point
of this arg ument-thst q quarter sec.
tion Of land in this region is worth
from 81, 500 to 1900 the moment q
man makes entry uTon it and if he
does not comply with the law and
make strict compliance Herewith,
there will be some one there to con:
test his right; in other words. the
Il land will be claimed, will be
jumped, to use a local expression.
q The senator Understands that
Mr.. President, the conditions
have changed to such an extent as t
make 1t absolutely necessary that w
should have something upon the
statute books similar to the commuta'
tion law, because man eoes not al
this time desire to live upon q piece
Of land for five years when his neigh
Dor who has preceded him and been
able to make proof on that land ant
secure a patent, and had the oppor'
tunity of borrowing money to con
struct houses, to buy, teams and farm
ing implements. to- clothe hi
children, to pay his bills and to liv.
as an American citizen ought to liv.
the difference it seems to NE, mus
, be very apparent to all those whs
have studied the question.
Again, the average settler who
4 goes upon a homestead is poor man.
It is a very rare thing that s.an
VINO goes upon the public domain has
any money; otherwise. he probably
would not go there. It is q kind ol
& the last resort for him. When be
goes there. il he is without means,
what sort Of a situation is it for him
q if he is required to live FIVE years
there without having the opportunity
Of borrowing money Suppose the
Il FIRST year hs has sickness in his fami'
Ily. which is very likely to happen, .,
1 the second year there is q loss Of crop,
1 or some Of his stock is lost, Isl either
burned out BY prsirie FIRE or dies
/. from disease there is whole trains oi
& lmisfortunes, MI. President, that may
4 1oyertake the HON mesteader, and gener;
4 ally they do overtake him.
Il II is for that reason that congress
Il ienacted the communication law. ii
!, my judgement, il wan not only a very
wise enactment, but il was an act oi
Imercy 40 the western settlers. # il
that law which my friend from Mon
tana would wipe from the statutl
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