The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-09-14
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Prior TO the advent of the Auplo-Ameri-
can settlers in Texas, the pack-mule fur
uished the only means of transportation.
With their coming, hOof and wheel were
introduced; supplanted in turn by the iron
horse In 1853, the first mile of railway
was constructed in the State. Under pres
sure alone of increased production, five
thousand miles have been built, and are
now in active operation Texas, believe,
today is the only State in the Union where
the construction of railways has not been
discontinued. In the extension of main
trunk lines and independent roads her ac-
tivity keeps pace with her march of
progress in every department Of human
industry. In the encouragement Of
works Of internal improvement in
removing distractions from her nsvigsble
MYERS, in the irrigation of her Western
! plains, and especially in the construction of
railways, Texas has extended the most mag
nificent bounties. Though among the
Youngest of these States, she has out
stripped theH all in the princely gifts she
has offered her own and citizens of other
lands &c build these great public works.
Within the next decade her International
] Railway will doubtless traverse the entire
State TO the Rio Grande-into the heart OF
| Mexico. Her ''Sunset" road will soon form
with the road from Houston to Beaumont
two main links betheen New Orleans and
Mexico. The Texas Central = built by the
energy of our own railroad city" of Hous-
ton now passes through the whole State
To Red River, connecting with the splendid
system of the Northwest. The Texas and
Pacific. fostered alike by the State and gen.
eral government, is now completed from
| Louisiana tn Fort WORTH and from Mar
shall cia Jefferson, and through the magni
ficent Red River region of North Texas, to
Sherman in the West.
May we not indulge the hope, ere this
decade shall pass away, along this trans
continental and inter-eceanic line the com
merce of the Orient and the Occident shall
roll in wealth and splendor, making our
deserts aud wildernesses blossom as the
rose2 -.
Texas grants, under her general railroad
law, sixteen sections, or TO- 240 acres of
land for every mile of road constructed and
put in running order. To this date the
State has donated for internal i'm provements
as follows: Number of acres granted to
railroad companies, 10, 749, 1850; to rivers,
4, 060, $50, and to irrigation, l07, $40 acres,
aggregating over "a, 900, 900 of acres. In
addition to all this muniicent grant, she
loaned, before the recent war. of her school
fund, to railways ($1 s15, 0O0) nearly two
millions IN goldI The consequence has
been, while her generous bounty may have
been now and then abused, these great rail-
way lines have brought millions of wealth,
hardy and industrious populations, and ex-
tended our frontiers westward two hun
dred miles in twenty years.
EDUCATIoN-FREE SCHOOLS. ..l
1t has always been the policy of Texas to
Early in the history Of the Republic, in
common schools, and for one great State
University. Of our public domain there
has been surveyed and set apart, more than
quarter of a century ago, for State Uni
versity 221 400 acres and for each county
in the. State 17,712 acres. We have one
hundred and slxty-eight organized counties,
thus giving to the counties for free schools
over twenty millions of acres. The elder
counties located their lands years ago, and
they are now in the settled sections of the
State, and worth three dollars and fifty
cents per acre, or $61, 992 to each county.
At present rates the University lands, at
the same figures, are worth the princely
sum of STA, 9O0 3D.. -
In few more years this splendid endow-
ment, made Dy the early patriots of Texas,
will become millions of dollars.
In addition to this, each alternate section
granted to railroads is reserved for the
school fund, and by the present Constitu
ton one half of all the public lands and
one-fourth of all the general revenues are
solemnly set apart for perpetual fund for
common free schools for the children of
Texas. The number of acres of our pub
lie school lands will now approximate 20, :
600, 900 acres worth over thirty millions
of dollars BY the late Constitutional
Convention of Texas there has, in addl-
ton, been granted to the University one
million acres more of the public lands.
This University, we intend, shall stand by
the Harvards and Yales of the New and
the Trinitys and Oxfords of the Old World.
Under wise legislation our unrivaled
school fund will furnish a basis for the free
education of every child in Texas. She
dispenses this BOUNTY in no spirit of caste,
party or sect on. All races may bring their
children to drink at this fountain. Not
thirty days ago the Legislature of my State,
IN addition to our public free schools, es-
tsbIished by law college for the colored
youth of the State, and appropriated thou
eohuo VI uoiioio III ITO PolPOtuoi Ohuo"-
ment. 4. o. q ts-.a F.-. -'o. -.
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS. sri.
The Constitution now ID force exempts
from forced sale homestead in the county
of 200 acres, with all its Improvements,
and homestead in cities and towns not ex
ceeding in value $4,000, at time so desig-
mated. There IS also a clause exempting
current wages from garnishment-sssimil-
-,
the wages of the landless laborer, living by
the 20 Neat of his brow" and the home
stead of the family, around which widow
hood and Orphanage cling in misfortune,
are forever exempt from debt by the hH-
name declaration of organic law. 9fH
PUBLIC DEBT AND TAX LIMITATIONS.
1t may be asked if all tine adyanta ages
that Texas offers in CHI cap lands, variety of
product. health, comfort and iaw-abiding
people, are not counterbalanced by heavy
taxes. The bonded debt of Texas is 81, :
264, III. The taxable property of the State
in September, 1875, was $275 600, 600. To-
day tits officially estimated at $500, 0Qo, 900
4 Tag of less than one and q halt per cent.
if leyied and collected on this property
would extiDguish at once the entire debt of
the State. Her credit once totter1ng. now
stands erect, the peer of any other S ate.
The accruing interest on, her debt is paid
promptly at her treasury, and her BOMBS
sought eagerly at home and abroad, With
the increase qt our taxable values, the fsb-
qloqs growth OF our population, with a
rigid assessment and collection of the
taxes, forcing the necessary expenditures
of the government and the revenues to cam
eel each other. guarding against all def
cts, Texas may ION discharge every dollar
that she owes in less than tue next decade
of her he DRY,
Our Constitution provides that ''the
State tax on property, exclusive of the tax
nee ssary to pay the public debt. shall never
exceed fifty cents on one hundred dollars
valuation, and that no city, county or town
shall levy more than pneshalf OF said State
| tax.n Thus for the future the State and
county tax shall never exceed seventy-five
cents on the hundred dollars This wise
provision restraints the State and County
from imposing upon themselves and theiI
/ DrOsneritV great nuhlIo dehta crus hinO and