The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-23


In order to effect the promotion @
them all.
And now approach more directly
with these preliminary remarks, III
subjects upon which | propose (,
address you to-day.
There has always been IN this couu
try, as you well know, a conflict be
tween the agricultural and tn,
stock interests. When | came tC
Texas, forty years ago, the grea
stockmen, who, with their interests
were not comparable to those of tn,
present time, were just west of the
Trinity river, just east of the Col
orado, west of the Brazos, and up il
the northern part of Texas. The
stock interest has been pressed back
until it occupies its present position.
Who pressed it back !? The
farming interest. Just as the
farmer broke up the soil.
the cattle had to recede, This con.
hIct has been going on for forty
I The question Is, can the govern
ment do anything to reconcile these
! interests, so that each can be pro-
! tected to the fullest extent, which
the government is justified in doing.
say it can; and if we get the help
of such men as you men of delIber-
ate judgments, and men who will
inform themselves and understand
the characteristics of the different
portions of this country, there need
not be continual, perpetual lnvas-
ion of the farming interest upon the
stock interest. That is the great
problem that you may have to un-
derstand and pass upon, and much
wisdom and broad, liberal views
will be required for the solution of
this subject.
In the struggle heretofore, how
has the government been used? AL
together in favor of the farming in
terests, with a general utter disre-
gard Of the stockmen, who are left
TO float out upon the vast west. to
incur the dangers of the hostile
Indian and desperadoes who flock
to that country
Up to the time that was inaugu-
rated your governor of Texas,
three years ago last month,
there had never been a law
passed with reference to the sale of
lands that did not have an eye sim
gle to the settlement of the farmer
upon it.
The law, as it has existed before
and as it exists now, gave a pre-
emption of 160 acres-first $40. then
320, and last 160 acres of land-and
I .
upon it. and making of improve
ments, which, of course, indicated
those of the farmer in the main
So, too, in reference to the sale OF
school lands. A man could 90 out
into this vast country, wherever he
could find school lands located, and
could buy 16O acres and pay for it in
ten years, provided he could settle
upon 1t and live upon it three years
or transfer it to somebody who
would live upon it for three years
Now, my fellow citizens, when /
was elected governor, | considered
it my duty to survey the whole
ground, and look at the interests of
all the citizens of this state.
believe in giving the stOckmen
a chance of having q permanent To-
cation of this country
recommended to the legislature
that lands should be sold for ranches
out in the western country in any
quantity that persons were able to
purchase, giving them ample time
to pay for it with reason
able interest. There was another
failure of relaxing the rule as
to farmers, but at the called
session the attention of the
| legislature was called to this mat
ter, and the sale Of the school lands
was extended to three sections of
pasture lands and one of arabic /;
but it did not require cultivation
and settlement and the interest was
reduced to Sper cent. and ten years
allowed.to pay for it in.
What was the consequence For
about five years we had been selling
about 10000 acres. Within eleven
months we leaped from 10000 to
100000 acres of land. AT the last
session Of the legislature / again
recommended the extension of the
limit of lands to be purchased, and
they yielded the point so far as 10
allow seven sections of land to be
bought by one person, and if he had
few cousins, he might buy as
many more acres as he pleased.
Laughter.) That was not in the
law though. daughter again.)
[ knew the stockmen and other
men who want to grow wheat on a
large scale have sense enough to
know that they had cousins who
could buy it and they furnish the
money.
We got twenty thousand dol
| lars from one man in southwestern
Texas. We understood the thing
What was the consequence In less
than six or eight months we have
sold 100000 acres Of land. How
does that compare with 10000 acres
when settlement upon it was re-
CURED!
At the time l came into Office,
there was a great necessity and pro-
priety in selling these lands and in
creasing the sale of them; and |
will here mention to you few of the
reasons why:
Upon looking to the scholastic
population of this country, dis
covered that the scholastic popula.
ton was increasing 10 per cent. per
annum, and that it had been doing
so for five years previous; but when
looked to the inJerest-bearing bonds
and other means for raising the
available school fund, found thai
it increased only flee per cent, ano
the only source for increasing
il was by the sale of lands. The
only means we had of increasing
the income to support the schools
was by an increase of the sale of tbC
lands. At that time our credit wal
not so good as it is now. AT tha
time our long sevens-seven PEI
cent. bonds that were not due unit
19O5-were selling at S1.12, and othe
bonds proportionately. 1t was ;
good investment to sell school land
at that price and invest their pro
ceeds in these bonds. How is i
now? BY the first day of next Ma,
we will have 100000 accumulated
in the treasury of the common
school, university and asylum fund
for investment in bonds About
three months ago we made a pur
chase of the long seven per cent
bonds at $1.40, amounting to $500,
200: that is, we gave nearly 81,
wears interest in advanc
: to purchase the bouds. ant
the fives that were issued a liitl
, over two years ago, IN order 10 cal
in the ten per cent. bonds that wer
! outstanding, now bear fifteen cent
nremium on the dollar.