The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-04-13

Oh IeXAh, tue pIhcticht Qucstioh 10 Wnat
substantial benefit would IL be TO the
main university located at Austin and to
the medical department at Galveston, II
the appropriations that have been made
10 support state students at the A. a Nj.
college, and TO carry on the Prairie View
school were TO be withdrawn. The
S47 900, or at most The S65, 600 OF availa-
Bile fund that Will have accrued by the
first day OF January, 1888, supplemented
by the subsequently accruing interest
annually OF $4,000, or $4,000, aided by
the:apnual increase of $1,000 from the sale
OF lands and the investment OF Its pro-
ceeds, will not be sufficient means 10
erect the necessary buildings, buy libra
ries, apparatus, furniture and other
necessary appliances, and pay professors
for first-class university embracing the
main university and medical department
alone for many years TO come. The con-
tinued encouragement of the two schools
alrerdy established and in successful OPP
Grafton will do good in the promotion Of
education commensurate with the boun-
" given them. Why cripple them in
their progress in the Intellectual effort to
establish and maintain something higher?
Ii would seem TO be far more practical TO
hold on TO what has been attained, and
gradually build up the higher depart
ments as IL may be found practicable, by
Increasing the university permanent fund
rs recommended, and by utilizing II
more speedily, so that as soon as practic-
able, IL can be adequate to the support of
the university, with all of its branches
in harmonious cooperation. That being
done, and our magnificent provision for
common schools being also properly util-
lied, and free education of every grade
from the highest TO the lowest offered TO
every class of our citizens, Texas may
rear upon her own soil the elements Of
greatness In the general and elevated in
telligenee OF her people, as well as In her
Industrial enterprises and products. and
thereby fulfil grand destiny, which her
fertile soils, her salubrIous climate and
her large extend of territory lnvitingly
demand for.her.
THE SALE, LEASING OR OTHER DISPOSE
TON OF THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Another purpose for which the legis-
lature has been convened is to make
further provision for the the disposition
by sale, lease or otherwise, of the lands
belonging TO the public free schools, to
the university, to the asylumns and of
the lands reservedto pay the public debt.
Our financial condition, our state
credit, as indicated by the price of our
bonds In the market, our small public
debt, our low and diminishing taxes, our
railroads, now spanning the state in diff
ferent directions, the rapidly increasing
prosperity of our people, and the I'M
mensity of their varied products, the
vast endOwments of lands for educational
purposes, our wide extended domain of
fertile lands, offered for sale cheaply,
have ut least been heard of and credited
abroad. Consequently population, enter
prise and capital are more attracted to
Texas now than ever before. They are
principally directed towards western
Texas, where most of our school lands,
university lands, asylum lands, and lands
reserved to pay the public debt are To-
Gated. Those lands are valuable for graz
ing and for the raising of small grains,
and ut present TO no very great extent
relatively for the production of mixed
crops such as are produced with reason
able certainty, IN most OF the settled
parts Of the state. The scarcity of wood
and water IN many parts of IL makes Its
present utilization depend largely upon
capital and enterprise Much of IL is be-
ing utilized for private gain by the graz
ing of large stocks of cattle, sheep and
horses, that art making millions OF money
for their owners, who have parceled out
the country, each by tacit consent. or
other agreement respecting the others
claim OF territory, as n the Ian belonged
TO them. These stockmen must now be
aware that men of capital are coming
thick and fast from other states TO buy the
lands 10 make wheat farms, and stock
ranches where their stocks are now graz
ing, unless they buy or otherwise get
legal control OF the lands themselves.
The time long deferred, has fortunately
now arrived, when these lands can be
utilized for the benefit of our school
children, and to build up an university
with its branches. Such objects that are
now within our grasp, IL we will but
reach out for them now, should not be
postponed under the plea, that the lands
should be held up and offered for sale in
small bodies for settlers. This has always
been delusive, having for the most part,
rs may we'll be suspected, been set up and
argued by persons. who had lands of their
own TO sell. That this policy, so long
heretofore engrafted on the state, has not
had the effect to place settlers on the pub
lie lands Is demonstrated by the tact, that
although during the last forty years pre-
emptions have been granted to settlers,
aud during that time our population has
increased many hundred thousands, there
were only about eighteen thousand appli-
cants for preemptions, and many OF them
abandoned their claims. And during the
five and One-half years that common
school lands were offered for sale to set
tiers, who might purchase only one hun
dred and sixty acres at one dollar and
half per acre, payable with interest In ten
years, there were only about ten thous-
1879, allowing the purchase of three sec
tions of land without requiring settle
ment ON them, and that of the last ses-
sion, extending IL to seven sections, has
given an impetus to the sale, by which
more than n million OF acres OF school
lands have been sold In less than three
years. If these lands should be offered
Tor sale In still larger quantities, on
long credit with moderately low
interest, or IL they should be
leased upon reasonable rent,
men of both large and small means can
and will take up the lands rapidly for
stock, and also for farming, where 1t is
of investing all of their means in stock or
farming operations, instead of only part
OF them AZ is the case in those states,
where the lands can be obtained only by
paying ready money for them. This Will
readily enlarge our common school facili-
ties, and increase the scholastic term
every year, by the rapid Increase OF the
available fund; because the Interest on
the notes for which the lands are sold, rs
we'll a. the rents, can be used annually.
And the available fund of the university
and of county school lands might be In
creased In the same way, by an amend
ment OF the constitution which would
readily be adopted, If offered TO vote of
the people at regular session of the
sary to create land agency Tor the man.
agement ofthls business, either separately
or In connection with the state eXecu-
tive officers who now have charge of IL,
rs have heretofore recommended. l
would respectfully refer you to the re-
port OF the commissioner of the general
land office for general view of our land
system, and especially to his valuable
suggestions about our mineral and fine
20 ~ n
utalizlng them.
IL may be anticipated with certainty
that q vigorous effort will be made to
open up the reservation, made In 1873, OF
lands TO pay the public debt, and for the
common schools, for the location of rail-
road certificates upon them. For some
time those certificates have been issued
with the full knowledge on the part OF
those who demanded ana received them,
and of those who sold and bought them
generally, that the public lands, subject
70 location, were nearly, IL not quite, ex-
hausted; and hence the market price has
been and Is less than ten cents an acre. |
they have been bought on speculation,
and II the owners generally could get |
one-third Of them located on good pastor |
al or farming lands, a good profit would |
be realized. Still IL Is doubtful whether |
or not they would be satisfied with IL, IL |
such an arrangement could be made |
through the passage OF law, shaped as IL |
may be. III the grounds of an equitable |
claim upon the state is LETT behind 60 |
linger and get strength by the Oblivion OF
the facts now well known, the larger the
future claim for compensation, the more
dangerous to the interests of the state IL
viii be. Texas has had q sore expert
ence in claims of this sort In the in
stances OF Peters and MERGERS colony
contracts, as well as In others, Of which
Is Is not yet entirely clear, alter the lapse
OF nearly forty years. The alternative
Ia presented to the legislature be-