The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-01
THE STATESMAN.
AUSTIN. TEXAS.
REAL GENEROSITY.

REAL UENEhOHAh -
The San Antonio Express contains
an editorial in regard to Greer county,
which, were it not for the character
of the paper, would he accepted as "
covert attack upon the bill now De-
fore the legislature, which authorizes
veterans, still owning their land GER
Itificates, to locate them IN Greer
county. All that is asked in this bill
is the privilege to satisfy the promises
of the state, made to the veterans,
with lands situated in Greer
county. Such privilege is asked IN
the interest, of veterans, who have
combined with the hope of getting
consideration for their promises from
the state, that may be worth some
thing to them hereafter. The Express
expresses great solicitude for these
people; thinks they should Se given
the best the state has; but it knows
that outside of Greer county
the state has no lands to give. In
fact, If this privilege of locating n
Greer county be denied the veterans,
they will have to sell their certlIicates
for what they may get for them-a
mere song-to some land Spectator,
who has n piece of land hid away
that he knows how to attack with a
certificate. They can get no land
elsewhere, for all is gone or is re-
served for other purposes than to- sat
isfy veteran certificates. These vet
Grams, and their associates who have
passed away, won Texas, and along
with 1t they won Greer county, and
now they rewin, as it were, the dis
puted territory; and if any men on
earth have doubly acquired right to
estates there, in every moral and in
every business sense, these have a
right to small portion of Greer
county. Service and life were ex-
pended forty-fve years ago, and now
they have been and are spending re-
search and energy and money to
make good the title OF Texas
TO disputed territory. The Ex-
press Is full of solicitude
1t says, ito offer them lands, the
title to which is in dispute. with the
understanding that if their titles do
not prevail they will receive nothing,
Is not creditable." They havecer tiff
Gates. but the state has no lands for
their satisfaction. The veterans them
selves ask the right to locate in Greer
county, in preference to being
forced TO sell their certifi-
Gates for nominal sums. They make
their own selection as TO a settlement
of their claims against the state, and
the expressed generosity of our es-
teemed contemporary should lead it
60 comply with their expressed pref
erence. The veterans had rather have
a chance to hold lands In Greer coun-
ty, which may be worth one dollar
or more per acre, than be forced to |
sell their certificates ut twenty or
twenty-five cents an acre. Generosi- !
ty 10 these old men would lead to the |
concession they ask for, because they |
believe they can make land claims in |
Greer county good, and that they will |
then have something instead of moth
ing. If permitted to locate. they ex-
pect no law suit, but contem-
plate, when they prosecute their
claim and the claim of Te1 as
at Washington. to be granted peace
able possession. Why anybody should |
object to their proper solution is
hard TO understand. They feel that |
they can receive not only clear title |
to their own locations. but that along |
with these must necessarily come a |
magnificent acquisition of land for
the state. All the certificates IN
volved call for but little over
one hundred thousand acres. and,
with the title for this made good on
locations in Greer county, the state
at the same time becomes the undis-
puted owner of about seventeen hun
dred thousand acres of the same terri
tory. with the veterans. being possessed
OF really no more than the state has
promised them. They asking it, gen.
erosity would lead to the concession
without delay, according to the pro-
visions of the bill now before the
legislature