The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-10-01

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Just a word on matter that concerns
not the States OF the Mississippi Val.
ley, itself, but the States west OF them.
the States OF the Great Plains and the
Rocky Mountains. Unfortunately, |
am not able on this present trip to
visit those States, or should speak
to their own people on the point 10
(which ] now intend to allule: bat nf.
ter all anything that affects consid.
cradle number OF Americans, who live
under one set OF conditions, must be
of moment to all other Americans, for
never forget. friends. that in the long
run we shall all go up or go down to.
sether. y
The States of the high plains and
OF the mountains have n peculiar claim
upon me, because for a number Of
years lived and worked in them, and
I have that intimate knowledge OF
their people that comes under such
conditions. In those States there is
need OF a modification OF the land laws
that have worked SO well In the well.
watered fertile regions to the east.
ward. such as those in which you here
dwell. The one object in all our land
laws should always be to favor the
actual settler, the actual home maker.
who comes to dwell on the land and
there TO bring up his children to in.
herit 1t after him. The government
should part with It's title to the land
only to the actual homc.maker-net to
the proiit-maler. who does not care to
mike home. The land should be
sold outright only in quantities sum.
cient. FOR decent lrones-not in huge
! areas to be held for speculative p,r.
poses or used rs ranches, where those
who do the actual work are merely
tenants or hired hands. No Temporary
prosperity Of any class Of men could
IN the slightest degree atone for fail.
ilre on our part to shape the laws so
mat they may work for the permanent
good OF the home.maker. This Is fun.
damental, gentlemen. and is simDly
CARRYING ont the Idea upon which !
dwell in speaking to you Of your own
farms here In Iowa. Now in many
States where the rainfall is light IT 1,
simple absHrdity to expect any man
10 live, stu less to bring IN a family.
on one hundred and sixty acres
Where we are able to produce irrira.
ton, the homestead can be very much
less In size-can, for instance. be for.
" acres; and there is nothing that
/ Congress has done during the past six
years more important than the enact.
ment OF the national irrigation law.
But where irrigation is not applicable
and the land can only be used for
grazing, 1t may be that you can not
run more than one steer to ten acres.
anu 1t Is not necessary to be much Of
a mathematician in order to see that
Where such is the case homestead
OF one hundred and sixty acres VIII,
not so far toward the support of fam.
lily. In consequence Of this fact
hlomesleaders do not take up the lands
IN the tracts in question. They arc
left open for anybody to Craze upon
mat wishes to. The result is that the
men who Use them moderately and not
With u view to exhausting their re-.
sources are at the mercy OF those who
care nothing for the future and sim.
Ply intend to skin the. land In the pres.
ent. For instance, the small sheep
farmer il'lf who has n home and who wish!
es that home to pass on to his chill.
drcn Improved in value will naturally
run his flock SO that the land will
support i, not only to-day. but ten
years hence; but big absentee sheen
owner, who has no home on the land
at al, but simply. owns huge migra.
tory flocl's Of sheep. may well find It
10 his rrodt to drive them over the
small sheep farmers range and eat ii
ali out. fIe can then drive his tiocks
on, whereas the small man can not OF
course course, 10 permit such state Of
'hl ing is not only evil for the small
man. but is destructive; Of the hest
interests Of the country. Substantially,
the same conditions obtain as regards
cattle. The custom has therefore
grown up sof fencing great tracts oi
government land without warrant of
law The men who, fenced this land
We're sometimes rich men; who, by
fencing f. kent out actual settlers
s,l eSti he conn
try But ',g ssss etlisr they
We're iart. d len d sua I, nj n Il tteir.