, 1907-10-07
THE WEST.

the west have endorsed the sentiments
relating to the land question ~eXpresse;.
by President Roosevelt in his speech
at Keokuk. The pith of his policy is
contained in the following paragraphs:
The states of high plains n of
the mountains have n peculiar claim
upon me, because for a number Of
wears ! lived and worked in them, and
/ have that intimate knowledge of their
people that under such condi,
tons. In those states there Is need of
a modification of the lane laws that
have worked SO well in the well-water-
ed, fertile regions to the eastward,
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 homemaker who
zones to dwell on the land and there
to bring up his children to inherit 1t
after him.
The government should part with its
title to the land only to the actual
home-maker-not to the profit-maker.
who does not care to make n home.
the land should be sold outright only
In quantities sufficient for decent
homes-not in huge areas, to be held
for speculative purposes, or used as
ranches, where those who do the actu-
al work are merely tenants or hired
hands. No temporary prosperity of any
class of men could in the slightest de.
gree atone for failure on our part to
shape the laws so that they may work
for the permanent good of the home
maker.
This is fundamental, gentlemen, and
is simply carrying out the idea upon
which | dwell in speaking to you VI
your own farms here in Iowa. Now,
in many states where the rainfall is
light 1t is a simple absurdity to expect
any man to live, still less to bring up
a family, on one hundred and sixty
acres. Where we are able to intro.
duce irrigation, the homestead can be
very much less in siZe-can, for in.
stance, be forty acres; and there is
nothing that congress has done during
the past six years more important than
the enactment of the national irriga-
ton law"
President Roosevelt has made 1t
clear hat there is to be an effort In
the coming congress to enact land laws
that will give to all the people a more
equitable opportunity to acquire a foot
Ing upon the public domain. The pres.
ident says-and we of the west all
Know he speaks the truth-it is simply
absurdity to expect a man to make a
living for a family upon 100 acres of
a suitable only for grazing. In the
irrigation districts the farms may be
even smaller in area, but where water
cannot be obtained, the ranch unit
must be fixed at about the quantity oil
land that will reasonably sustain a
family. II 1t takes four sections, why
then four sections should be permitted,
1t is a matter of simple calculation,
as viewed in the experience of the
past thirty or forty years. Every
stockmaa of experience knows about
the average quantity of land neces,
sary to sustain a steer and about the
number of steers it takes to sustain u
family. Let the homestead law and
the desert law be adjusted so that the
actual conditions may be met in a safe
N sane manrer.
The present conditions must be
changed at the earliest possible mo,
ment, for they are ~ruinous to the coun
try. Those who are close students CT
the range conditions can see how the
transformation is affecting the country
and how it will later affect the towns
The little ranchmen, unprotected by
FENCES, are gradually yielding to the
inevitable and are selling their proper.
ties at a sacrifice. Where dozens were
able to make a living along a certain
stream, one will hold absolute sway,
This transformation is proceeding rap,
idly in the northern portion of Albany
county, to the detriment of the states
development and to the detriment CT
the cities and towns. One large outfit
gives little support as compared with a
dozen small outfits. The small farm.
ers and ranchmen are the bone and
sinew of the commonwealth. They
make their purchases of the home mer-
chants and they give more literally IN
x than their larger neighbors TO.
ward the support of all public institu.
lions. The big outfits too often con
let supply houses of their own and
not only provide for all their own
wants through eastern Wholesale firms.
but even reach out for the patronage
of others, taking trade from those who
are struggling to build up the cities and
towns.
Who are the men in opposition 20
the policy of the president? So far rs
the observation of The Republican has
been able to reach, they are men who
have fixed" themselves; men who
have acquired title to all the lands they
are entitled to under the land laws
and h have leased all the land that
the state will give them. With this
kind of a proposition under fence, they
are safe in saying, Let us alone. The
men of the west desire to be permit,
ted to work out their own salvation.
Let the homeseeker and the home.
steader come in as he did into the
great states of the Missouri valley
They have a full realization of the fac;
that no homesteader can settle upon
any OF h patented or leased lands OF
their holdings and they know further
that no homesteader will be able &c
locate and make a living upon 16C
acres of the dry grazing lands just be
yond their fences, for there is no wa
ter upon them and it would be tc
starve. But give the homesteader ar
area Of this public land sufficient tc
maintain a family and fhe result woyIf