The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-10

ouV VI 'uo iuhu uPpiopi"tOho po'"B
30 manifest from the experience Of the
few years in which the plan had been
tried, 1t was determined to pursue 1t AZ
1t had been 80 wisely contemplated,
and 80 the Legislature of 1866, ten
years from the Inauguration of the
scheme, composed of our most c0nser-
vative Democrats, determined to fol-
low it out. Nor was it contemplated
after this first decade, that this liberal
land system should be confined to any
one section, but that all parts of the
State should share equally in the COM
mon inheritance.
In 1867 there were less than four hun
dred miles of railway in the State, all
shattered and dilapidated by the war.
But by the policy of the Legislature OF
'GG, carrying out that which had been
inaugnrated in 1857, the Central road
sped forward in It's race for Red river,
the Houston and Great Northern was
put on foot, the Austin Branch was
rapidly accelerated, the Southern Pa
ciiic moved slowly along, the great
International was conceived and had
Its birth from the "Brazos Branch, y
and other enterprises begun, which
have resulted in the splendid system
which now adorns the eastern and
middle divisions of the State. Since
1866, in spite OF all the burdens which
pressed upon us by IN unfriendly gov
eminent in its nefarious reconstruc-
ton policy, the miles of railroad
within the State have increased
from four hundred to four times
four hundred, all of which may be
said to be embraced in the limits of
Eastern and Middle Texas. Instead Of
four millions Of acres appropriated, AZ
from the posting of the
books in 1868, II is now shown in the
records of the Land Office that not less
than sixteen millions have gone to
enrich the same sections of the
State.
This has all been done under a
policy which twenty years ago was
by the wise and liberal
of it, to be applied to the
whole State, and which was continued
and extended as the same just policy,
by their successors, who in 1866 repair.
ed to Austin to reclaim the State from
the chaos into which it had fallen by
the war.
But how stands the case to-day at
the end of the second decade since the
the Act of 1856? We are threatened
with the reign of new idea springing
from the brain OF q new party--the
party par excellence of "retrenchmert
and REFORM! With n magnificent
system of railways spanning in nearly
all directions the eastern half of the
State, the happy result of scheme
which twenty years ago was inaugu-
rated for the benefit of all sections
alike, and in the full tide of enjoy
ment of all the multitudenous bless
ings which flow from such system
this new party under the cover of
and reform, suddenly
discover that this long settled policy of
The State was conceived in error, and
now propose to utterly revoutionize
that policy, by an enactment
in the organic law OF the land, by
which 0ne-half the State shall be for
ever cut Off from the enjoyment of the
very blessings which, in 1856 and in
1866, were intended by the liberality
Of those who have gone before us
should be conferred upon us al.
There is yet an unappropriated pub
ic domain of many millions of acres,
enough to carry out the original
scheme to its utmost letter; but after
III that has been done, and after all
hat is now enjoyed, it is unexpectedly
discovered that better mode of dis
losing of these public lands is for the
'ducation of the children of the very
ections which have received their full
hare of the bounty of the State.
Millions of acres have been set apart
or school purposes-have been located
md surveyed by the very acts which
rave the alternate sections to the rail.
Dads, and large sums of money saved !
o the State by these surveys and loca-
ions--and yet the extreme of the so.
'alled Reform party would put q sud-
len stop to all these benefits in the
pursuit Of a chimera and In the exer-
Use of an act of the grossest injustice.
There Is yet vast territory to be
illed with grants in the West,
and rich to profusion in all the ele-
nents to make country great and
furnishing cities to arise, and an en-.
ightened civilization to shed its lustre,
nd that party is no true friend to the
'est interests ofTexas that would raise
hand to check her progress.
-. -
POLICE MATTERS very dull in Texas
I present, and Dallas Is therefore stu
i'd Austin Statesman.