The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-10
What the Editors Say

According to Senator Hansbrough,
the movement for the repeal of the
desert land law and the Communication
clause of the homestead law Is a gil
gantic conspiracy on the part of the
railroads; and Senator Dubois echoes
the charge. These gentlemen also de-
glare that the repeal of the desert
land law will make impossible the set
tlement of the arid West. How they
figure out that it will be to the ad-
vantage of the railroads to prevent
the settlement Of the country along
their lines of road is not apparent. In
fact, it would be rather difficult to
show that.
If there is one interest that will
profit more than another by the set
thing up Of the Western country it Is
the railroads which pass through it,
And they will profit much more through
such settlement than they possibly
could from any added price to lands
tney own, as d result of the repeal Of
these laWs-even admitting that such
1notlve at all enters into the subject.
II the laws are repealed, the country
along these roads will be taken up by
holnepulIders, and the business to the
railroads from these homes will far
exceed any advantage which the COM
panles owning land can reap from a
higher price for such land
Let us refer to an instance cited by
senator Gibson in his speech in the
senate the other day, which appears
In this issue. In one instance in Cali
1ornla 100000 acres have been secured
by one man through the present land
laws. Much Of this land is irrigated
and cultivated. 1t forms what is called
magnificent estate. Employed in con-
nectlon with this estate there is a com
paratVely small number of permanent
employees In certain seasons of the
year there is large number Of tran
Slent employeS-men who carry their
blankets with them, and in the mild
climate of California sleep out in the
open. When the harvest is over thew
must go somewhere else and are really
OF very little good to the community.
In TINS immense tract Of land there
are no towns and no villages There
is big central store house. which sup
phes all the needs of the employees;
and to it goods are shipped from the
wholesale centers.
Suppose, on the other hand, that this
land had been divided into forty or
even elghty-acre tracts, which are am
pie for family IN California. Instead
OF the comparatively few employees
there would be thousands Of farm
homes on this land, besides at least an
equal number of other heads Of fami-
hes dependent upon them. That means
at least $4,000 people would be gaining
sustenance from this magnificent es-
tate" instead of the few who are now
doing so. Can any one say that such
conditions would not be better than
the present?
1t is the existing land laws that have
made the present conditions possible.
And 1t is the existing land laws that
are making possible similar conditions
In all the states which still contain
public lands. And Senators Hans
prough and Dubois are endeavoring to
nave these conditions continued by
arousing prejudice against the rail-
ROADS. 1t is a cheap piece Of dema-
gogy In the interests of land grabbers,
Great Falls Tribune.
If Minnesota Democrats only had the
gift of saying half as mean things
about the Republicans as the Repub-
leans are now saying about themselves
we could have very interesting, if not
hgh-toned campaign. All we can do
Is to treasure up some of these sweet
little things and work them off later
on when the campaign gets good and
hot.-Le Sueur Sentinel. .--r
Congressman Lind agrees with T. D.
OBrien and L. A Rosing as to Mime
sofas duty in the presidential conven-
ton. They favor an uninstructed dele
cation, and express preferences for
JuOSe HdFker, OF New DIRK. Some one
should send this news to the managers
Of the Hearst boom at St. Cloud and
Duluth.-St. Cloud Times.
There is hardly a newspaper Of any
standing in the United States, in either
party, but condemns EngIands recent
ruthless assault upon portion of the
army of Tibet. And yet, and yet
there was the Philippines. "Oh. but"
some of them will say, that was diff
ferent." Show us.-Duluth Herald.
If there is anything in the idea that
deep snow and a hard WRITER are the
forerunners of great CROP we ought
to have 100 bushels of potatoes to the
acre and so much corn that twill be a
burden to care for it.-Cass Lake
Times.
Without New York Democratic sue
cess is impossible. We are willing to
concede that the New York Democrats
have much better idea as to the prop
er man to nominate than have the
Minnesota DemocratS.-Irish Standard.