The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-01
AUSTIN LETTER.
A Tersc aud ForcibIe Argument IN
Opposition 10 Governor Rob-
erts' Policy Regarding
the school Lands.

Correspondence of the Herald,
AUSTIN, March ~, 1880.
The concentration Of capital In tho hand
of tho few 10 one of the evils which threaloni
tho pence of this country, and, hence, The
perpetuity OF lis institutions. Much Of thn
splrit of unrest which in the past fcw years
has exhibited itself md found expression IL
acts of no minor importance at tho money
centres of the nation, Is duo principally to
this cause The conilagraton nj Piltsburp
during tho summer of 1877, and tho cry OF
spread or blood which ascends from thu
collieries OF the West every winter announces
with no uncertain sound that tho times arc
portentous, and that tho money stringoncy
of the day is pregnant with evil. Spccula'
ton Is rife, the rich get richer and the poor
poorer, and all because in tho hands of the
fow arc boarded the stocks Of tho various
CORPORATIONS of the country, the bonds Of the
government iiseli-indeed, the circulating
medium of the country, by which trade Is
carried on, commerce sustained, and tho in
dustres stimulated. II these reflections ARE
true in respect to subjects of property herein
named-personal as they are in their nature
which from their character and manner
of acquisition are liable to change ownership
and lluctuate in value, how much truer are
they when predcated upon 'imilar concen-
tration of large landed interests
In view of these facts, verified by contem'
poraneous history, the following recommend
alton of Governor Roberts has become n
matter of anxious solicitude to the patriots and
statesman, who, in legislatng tor to-day,
hopes for full fruition in the future. Says
Governor Roberts in his message TO the
Legislature of January 30, 1879:
''Of public bonds the Commissioner OF
tho General Land Office reports the number
of acres, against which there is no kind OF
outstanding claim, to be 81, 025,29S. Enough
of this land should be sold as soon as prac-
ticable at a fair valuation, considering It's 10.
cality and quality, as would pay the whole
of our bonded debt, and if it is commenced
now enough may be sold during the prcsent
wear to give considerable relief, by diminish
ing the expenses by way of interest during
the next year. There are $1,000, 900 acres of
common school land undisposed Of These
lands under the present law are sold in
quantities of l60 acres to actual settlers, on
ten years time with 10 per cent. interest and
annual installments at $l.50 per acre. 1t is
selling very slowly and not increasing the
permanent school fund as fast as the scho-
isstic population is increasing annually.
The expense of valuing 1t for sale is estl-
mated to cost..the fund $36 for each section.
In places, especially where the principal
value of the land consists in its timber, the
privilege granted by this law is being abused
BY taking possession and making the frs,
payment and then using the timber and
abandoning the land. If the Legislature will
now pass a law authorizing the sale of these
lands in any quantities desired by purchasers,
not less than $40 acres, at fair value, it will
sell much more rapidly and with less ex-
pense to the fund than is done at present
The fact that the title emanates directly from
the State will recommend il to capitalists as
we'll as to settlers And the fact that it is
mixed up with railroad lands will facilitate
the sale of large quantities in connection
and cooperation with those who own them
and desire to sell them in large quantities.
Vide Governors message, January 20, 1879
Senate journal, p lo3.
REvERsEs POLICY OF STATE.
The first objection 10 this
Recommendation is that it necessarily in.
wolves reverse of the policy of the State, Of
long standing. For, as suggested by his ex.
celency the present law provides for the
selling of these lands in tracts of 100 acres
to actual settlers, on ten years time, at tor
per cent interest. And why changer For
the love of change, or for changes sake
Surely not. In fact, there Is such growing
disposition in these latter days to put behind
US the things that are old because they are
old, and run after new strange gods because
they are new, to ascertain when done, tina
we have made fatal mistake, that it be-
hooves us to act with caution before we limo
vate an established precedent. What goot
is assured, or even to be inferred, should IN,
policy of the Executive become the policy o
the State! For, grant it, that II costs now
$50 section to sell it in tract
b Of 100 acres, instead of BY sections. will sci
ling II by sections make it cost any less! Or
if not, will not the cost Of selling it as nov
be more than counterbalanced BY the los
that will necessarily accrue from the differ
e, CO in price between the sale of large an,
small tract? PROFESSIONALLY, this must b.
SO, as the daily experience in the sale of land
in Texas most surely attest.
But there Is smother reason why II is assert
cd that this policy should not be reversed
and that is because it abrogates the right /
sell in small tracts to actual settlers. Thi
seems to be the most potent objection I
change. We have no emigrs
ton bureau In Texas, and unless our beau
tiful prairies and fertile bottoms are peoplec
we must remain the possessors Of q soil uu
equaled, in climate most genial, and yet /
it's fruits yielding but little to what 1t SHOULD
and making for history no name Of whic
we may be proud. But continue the polio
that has so long prevailed and the thrift
farmer from the North and East, aye, an