The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-04-05

stead law The day that he went out
of the senate Galusha A. Grow came
into the house. Mr.. Grow introduced
homestead bill by title in six con-
crosses hand running, and got IT
adopted in the sixth. Benton secur1n
ed the substance; Grow secured the
title, and the historians rob Benton
of his share of the glory and give It all
to Grow. :.
"Benton's theory, and l am simply
following it out, was that the pos
session of homes-and l believe it
with all my heart--or the getting OF
homes for bona fide settlers ought to
be made as easy as possible. Ihe
home is the unit of American civilizc-
ton, and the more homes we have the
better the republic. The peculiaritics
under which this bill is presented here
are these: With the rich soil of the
state from which my distinguished
friend Mr.. Mann, of Illinois. comes,
or of Missouri, from which hale,
Just as quickly as farmer could get
the land plowed up he could make
living upon it, sand he could make a
living upon very few acres. | be-
lieve that Secretary Wilson tells the
exact truth when he says that if the
Mississippi valley were cultivated tor
all it is worth, one single acre OF
land would support one human being:
That would give us a population OF
l,250,OOO,OO0 souls between the top OF
the Alleghenies and the crest OF the
Rockies. But these lands about which
the proposition is made in this bill
that the period of residence shall be
cut from FIVE to three years are not
like the lands of Missouri and Illinois.
The pick and choice of those lands
have been taken up. 1t is extremely
difficult for a man to make living
out there on the 100 acres of that dry
land. l once helped the gentleman
from Nebraska (Mr. KinkaidD get a
bill through here to increase the size
of homestead in the western part Of
the state of Nebraska from 100 acres
to $40 acres. and the passing Of that
bill added new word to the venac-
ular of the people out there. The
people who entered the 64O-acre
homesteads are. called 'Kinkaiders' all
over the state of Nebraska. 1t is
impossible, believe, in a good many
cases for a man to make a living on
100 acres of this dry land for five
years, the required period under the
general law. and be able to supper.
his wife and children while he is liv-
ing on it during the five years. l am
in favor of cutting it down to three
years, and l believe by doing SO we
will render not only the homesteaders
but all people of the United States 4
very valuable service.
"To me the most painful feature OF
the day in which we live is to see a
constantly increasing stream Of the
very best American citizens of this
country going to Manitoba and Al
berta. On one day in my county, one
of the richest and largest and most
beautiful counties under the sun, 4;
families loaded up an entire freight
train, as much as one of these big en-
gines could pull. chartered the train
every one of them in sleeping car
land. pulled out for Alberta.
There was not a man amounst
them who was not fairly we'll to do
Another man in my district sold hi:
farm for $4,000, and his stock ant
| other valuable assets ran the sum uI
to about $4,000. He moved to Man
itoba and entered or purchased 10
600 acres of that land up there HI
gave to each one of his eight children
1000 acres, keeping 1000 acres for him
self. That is the kind of American
citizens who are leaving this countr,
and going to the British northwest
The immigration agent up there es
Inmates. that every American either
who goes over there carries with him
on an average. $1,000. l am in favo
of fixing it so that no American citi
zen will want to depart from the Unit
ed States to secure a home in for
eign land"