Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-01-26
SETTLERS TO
SUFFER FROM
DOUBLE CROSS
Senator HitChCoCk's Deal to
Remove Land Office from
Alliance Tough on the
HOmeSteader.

Ben ]. Saliow, editor of the ALI
ance Times, in common with a LOT
Of other people out in western Ne
Braska, thinks Senator Hitchcock
has hung a nice little specimen Of
the double cross on Alliance in con-
neetion with the land office removal.
The senator has recently secured
the transfer Of this important Office
from Alliance, where it was located
after the Offices at North Platte and
Valentine had been consolidated,
and has had it fixed at Broken Bow.
The Inconvenience il will cause set
tiers and the political trickery of the
senator are well expressed by Edi-
tor Sallow, who says:
rs Senator Hitchcock paving his
political debts at the expense OF the
lonely settlers of the wastes OF west
ern Nebraska
his is the question that is being
asked by the men who must travel
halt way across the state every time
they have an hours business to per-
form at the federal land office.
There has been and still is bad
feeling between the Bryan and
Hitchcock factions of the democrat
&c party in Custer county. Senator
Hitchcock stirred his tagging forces
to further activity in the last cam
paign by the promise of political re-
ward, much as an ear of corn is held
out to induce balky horse.
Therefore the question, Has
Hitchcock used the homesteaders
as his ear of corn?' 1t would seem
SO.
"A consolidation of the land off
ces of the western part of the state
has been deemed advisable for sew
eral years, The offices are MAIN
tanned on percentage of the fees
received and at Valentine and North
Platte the fees were so reduced that
competent men could no longer be
secured to take charge of the affairs.
Alliance Logical Plan.
after casting around and max
ing a careful investigation of the
conditions the Alliance office was
recognized by the general land of
fee as the logical point for the con-
solidation.
Situated as It is, in the very CEN
ter of the land territory, Alliance
is the proper place for the men to
come who have land business to
transact. Alliance is the hub Of the
wheel from which rail and motor
roads radiate through the entire
territory in every direction. The
topography of the country is such
that motor travel is possible from
the extreme eastern end of the
homestead territory to Alliance,
while it is impossible over the sand
hills country to the east and south.
Alliance is accessible; it has hotel
accommodations, and fine new
100000 federal building constructed
with the future consolidation in
view These things decided the
general land office and Alliance was
named without delay.
Imagine, if you can, the surprise
of the homesteaders when they
learned that Senator Hitchcock APP
peared before the general land Office
at the 18th hour and pleaded with
such fervor and submitted such ar
guinents that Broken Bow was
named instead. So stealthy was the
approach Of the senatorial 'slicker'
that none were informed of his
double-cross until the trick had been
done. He appeared there as the
spokesman Of people concerned and
he was recognized in that capacity.
Trip for Homesteader.
Imagine the trip of a poor home
steader from Cherry county. He
travels 20 miles to ask neighbor to
feed his stock and look after his
place; he drives or rides to Alliance,
only to be informed that Senator
Hitchcock has moved the land Of
flee to Broken Bow; he puts his
team in the livery barn; goes to
the bank and borrows some needed
expense money; he takes the noon
train and rides 200 miles east; sits
in the depot until 9 o'clock the next
morning; then he goes around in the
alley and climbs flight of riekety
stairs to the land Office.
at takes him IS minutes to attend
to his business, but he has to sit
in the depot until / o'clock in the
morning for the first train home;
then he rides back 200 miles, pays a
two days' livery bill and drives back
TO his little sod house in the hills.
He has been gone four days IN
stead of one and he has spent about
500 at time when he did not have
it to spend.
"Nine men out Of every 10 who
have land business must come to
Alliance and take a 400-rnile ride to
Broken Bow, just because Senator
Hitchcock had few political debts
to pay. -.
rs it any wonder that the home
steaders are up in arms?
what a good friend OF the state
the great Senator Hitchcock has
proved himself to be. He cares
nothing for the privation and hard
shin imposed upon the little hand
full of men who have pushed the
boundaries of civilization to the
west and established those who
come in later years to enjoy com
fort and plenty. He cares nothing
for the delay and inconvenience he
rauses them as long as he can usS
them as a pawn to strengthen III:
political fences with the men who
fought and bled for him upon custer
fields.
How The People Feel,
"His record in matters concern
ing his state is in keeping with hi
fecord in matters concerning the ma
tion-both need the calcium glar'
Of unofficial investigation.