The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-12
LANDS FOR RAILROADS, AGAIN.

rullrOadS, DelleVlnB tllaU When lneSoh-
vention shall give to the matter their
serious attention, the old cherished
policy of the State will be sustained.
The Sherman Courier, however, takes
us to task in mild way, for the pro-
test we have entered against any seri-
GUS interference with that long cher
ished policy, and says we are in error
when we say that it was ever the poll
cy of the Democratic party in Texas to
give lands to any but main trunk rail
roads, and such internal improvements
as were emphatically State institu-
tions.
We do not wish to be understood as
asserting that the Democratic party In
this State in the past, has made
this policy any distinctive plank
in their party platform.
The history Of legislation In Texas
will bear us out that the Demo
Gratis before the war almost universal.
ly advocated the policy-that the Dem
ocratic party have always been the
dominant party and that in their AZ
tendency the policy Of granting lands
to works Of internal improvements be
came the fixed policy ofthe State from
which so much good has followed tC
the eastern and middle divisions, anC
that the threatened revolution by the
extreme men of what is known rs the
reform party in the Convention, is n
departure from that policy.
Nor was il the programme in ante
bellum days, to coniine these lanc
donations simply to what
the Courier is pleased to denominate
"main trunk lines" The law did not
so read. The enactment was gener'
al one, and applied in its henilicent
provisions to any and all roads that
might build twenty-five miles of road
and otherwise comply with the condi'
lions of the law.
This thing of main trunk lines is M
easy thing TO fall back upon, but it is
not so easya thing to define. We have
In the west vast territory, nearly one
half the area of the whole State, ms yet
wholly unoccupied by any works o
internal improvement, n territory rap
idly filling up with hardy and indus
trious population, which, as much rs
the east or the middle, are in need o
the facilities offered by these public
works; where great trunk roads ant
lateral lines are equally MS necessary
leading from one to the other, vii
soon be an absolute necessity, and W,
believe it to be n sacred duty of thu
state to see to II that this territory
shall be accorded the same protection
the same fostering care and the sam,
blessings which, in times past, hav,
fallen TO the east from the encour
aging hand of the government.
1t will be remembered that most o
the railroads now constructed hav,
located their lands in the west; tina
the alternate sections in great mum
bers for the benefit of schools hav,
been surveyed, located and set apar
in that region. Take the maps of tn,
unorganized counties beyond tn,
Brazos, and it will be seen that a larg,
portion of the territory is laid of
into squares of $40 acres, alternately
for the RAILROADS and for the State
The alternate sections for the Stat
have been carved out at the eKpeDs,
of railroad companies, the surveys ant
location are Oh file in the Land oillc
without dollars charge to the gov
eminent, and the whole lands ar
awaiting the advent Of the immigran
to populate it, subdue II, develop an'
eivilize it. Yet vast quantities lie un
appriated, and 10 check now ih'
wheel of improvement as ii advance
towards the great we. > we do earnest,
think would be step backwards .ii
the progress OF our state, and woul,
finest seriously retard the growth an'
prosperity Of all that territory with IL
great capacities and wonderful pros
poets.