The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-07-01

Il
mocracy, Governor Roberts has labored
faithfully and zealously to carry out
its principles, as set forth in its plat
form and as illustrated by its practices.
|
HIS DKFAmRRS MUST COME TO
THE ISSUE.
The loud-mouthed opponents of the
present administration are in the habit
of charging the Governor with hostility
| to public free schools. They seldom
failed to recur to the pledges of the
Democratic party on this subject, and
they make great noise over what they
call the bad faith of Governor Roberts
to his party, and When pressed for
proof they point to his vetoing the ap-
preparation of one-fourth of the reve-
nue. to support free schools. When
and where did the Democratic party
pledge themselves to Set aside one-
fourth of the general revenue for the
maintenance of free schools2 Can that
pledge be pointed out In any of the
platforms of the psrty2 The Demo-
cratic party is the party of the consti-
tuition. They are bound and circum-
scribed by its provisions, and that in
strument contains no such article.
The designation Of one-fourth the gen.
eral revenue is q Limitation, inserted
to guard against an abuse of the pow
er conferred upon the legislature. A
Radical legislature had passed an act
levyIng q school tax of one per centum
upon taxable values, one dollar upon
every hundred dollars of valuation, and
it was considered unjust and oppres-
sive, and this was what gave origin to
the limitation in the present constitu-
ton. Article z, section 1, of the con-
stitution provides that sit shall be the
duty of the legislature of the state to
establish and make suitable provision
for the support and maintenance of
an efficient system of public
free schools" and to this re-
quirement they appeal for SYM
psthy. Efficient is defined by Webster
as causing effects; producing results;
actively operative;
This applies to the system, and the
mode and manner of its operations;
and to nothing else." Section 2 of the
same article specifies what shall con-
stitute the permanent school fund
Cali funds, lands and other property
heretofore set apart and appropriated
for the support of public schools;
all the alternate sections of lands re-
served by the State out of grants here
tofore made Or that may hereafter
be made to railroads or other cor
porations of any nature whatsoever
one-half of the public domain of the
State; and all sums of money that
may come to the State from the sale of
sny portion of the same shall consti-
tute perpetual school fund.-" Section
of same article provides for the sale
of these lands ''under such regulations,
at such times, and on such teams as
may be prescribed by law; and the
legislature shall not have power to
grant Sny relief to the purchasers
thereof" The balance of section 4
and section 5, prescribe the manner in
which the funds arising from the sale
of lands shall be invested, and, that
the interest accruing thereon, shall
constitute part of the available school
fund. Under the grant of power
above recited the Legislature passed a
law providing for the sale of the
school lands. 1t had been in opera
ton five years when Governor Roberts
was inalgursted; and during that
period 900, 900 acres had been sold at
$3.50 per acre, representing the sum of
$4S5, 600. The average number of
acres sold per year was So, 900, and the
average sum realized per year $S7, 900.
At that time Commissioner Walsh of
the General Land Office estimated
the schoo, lands at SO, $50, 900 acres.
At the rate above indicated, with the
limit of purchase fixed at 100 acres to
the purchaser, 1t would require 625
years to sell these lands. and 229, $50
buyers. Official reports justify the
statement that under the operations of
the law as it stood the amount drawn
from the available school fund by men
who purchased $50 acre tracts of land
amounted annually to more than they
paid to it; consequently that process
was disadvantsgeods to that fund; and
it was frittering away the lands with
| out any good result to schools. The
system was absurd. The idea of
retailing SO, $50, 900 acres of land was
preposterous. Capital and enterprise
were shut out. These are the agencies
that settled Texas. At the date of
Governor Roberts Inauguration the
records of the General Land Office
showed that in forty-thres years the
Republic sad the State of Texas had
sold to pre-emptors 2,074, 800 acres of
fland-an average of 4s,s5l acres per
year. In 1850 the population of Texas
was 212, 500. We now claim 2, 600, 900.
Where did the immigrants purchase
landsS Certainly not from the govern
ment of Texas, and the records prove
that most of them bought homesteads
from private individuals, perhaps specu-
lsiors. With . knowledge of these
fact, Governor Roberts recommended
the sale of the school lands in lots to
suit purchasers. he endeaycred to in
duce capitalists to invest money in
Texas. he believed that every cspi-
tslist who did so would become an
emigration agent. He knew they
would not hold these lands q mo-
| nerk lonOar than thew were offered