The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-10-28
LAST NIGHTS RALLY BEST
POLITICAL MEETING OF YEAR

|
/ the passage of time.
Il am unable to understand" said
\ Platt, referring to suffrage, how the
President and my distinguished OPP
ponent have offered any obstacle
whatever to the passage of the ma
| tional suffrage amendment, If they
are really in their hearts attached to
the principle that women have an in
herent right to vote. AS a believer in
suffrage for one state | am unable to
be other than a believer in suffrage
in all states and that by the shortest
possible route. | pledge myself to
work and to vote for the Susan B.
Anthony amendment" General ap-
plause followed the unequivocal dec
laration
Platt protested his loyalty to Ne
vada, a loyalty arising from birth,
from association with the fortunes of
the state and from gratitude to the
people for honors already received.
He told of his connection with labor
legislation from the time when on
coming of age he entered the Nevada
legislature and later became speaker
of the house. He described how he
was able and willing to save the EN-
ployers' Liability in Nevada when a
parliamentary wrangle imperiled the
passage of that bill; of his service
as United States attorney for period
extending through the administration
of Presidents Roosevelt and Taft and
into that of President Wilson; how he
had enforced the Federal Safety APP
pliance act and how through equity
suits as United States attorney he had
recovered for the benefit of the pros
pector thousands of acres of mineral
lands obtained and patented by the
railroads as agricultural lands. He
told of his necessary study of and
familiarity with the lands and land
laws of the United States and from
that vantage point he discussed the
seven million acre land grant act of
which Senator Pittman is the propo-
nent and defender
Eve have seventy million acres of
land in this state" said Platt, "of
which fifty-fve millions are govern
ment lands, held for the people by the
government We can now take these
lands up by homestead, under desert
land entry or under the timber and
stone act 1t is proposed to take seven
millions of acres of these lands and
turn them over to the keeping and
disposal of Nevada The law provides
that they may be sold by the state for
not less than s1.25 per acre. BY Sen
ator Pittman's own amendment they
must be sold only at an auction sale
and for not less than slips an acre
after appraisement by state officials.
This bill is in the lower house of
Congress and | trust it will never
pass. for that would be calamity to
Nevada.
Under this bill a settler would
have to find a good piece of land and
prospect for water. If he found water
and applied for the land he would
be compelled to advertise the location
of the land in a paper and then at
tend an auction sale where he would
invariably be outbid by men of
wealth. His only conclusion must be
that there is no chance for poor
man in Nevada.
But Senator Pittman has also
stated that he intends to transfer in
this way, all of the public lands in
Nevada, to the state of Nevada. If
this is done ii will be not alone a
calamity but crime, for with the
lands out of the care and control of
the United States the government will
lose the privilege and the duty of ex-
pending millions for the reclamation
of these lands. There will be no more
homestead rights or desert land
rights in Nevada and wealth will rule
| have no grudge against honest
wealth, but | want to say that | will
never vote for any measure that gives
privileges and advantages TO the rich
man at the expense and detriment of
J the poor man and to the detriment of
the advancement of the state of Ne
vada."
The explanation and assertion were
met with a volley of cheers and hand
clapping and here as elsewhere IT
was manifest that the people are
most concerned with this enactment,
affecting as it does, the agricultural
future of the state.
II am surprised" said Platt, that
in the face of this demonstration and
similar evidences throughout the
state, that my worthy opponent
should continue to stand up and fly
in the face of the vast majority OF
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