The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-22

tory TO which he is assigned. being |
furnished with maps and field notes
from the general land Office, the whole
evil is blOtted out and safe and cheap
agency is established for the claSsifi-
cation and sale of the lands. Such a
surveyor will cost the state nothing.
His income will be from railroads and
individuals owning or wishing to buy
lands in his county, both needing
large amount of actual surveying to
identify and mark lands on the
ground, which have only been map
ped on paper. 1t will be his in
terest to make such surveys, atliX
corners wherever possible, determine
the exact position OF county lines and
corners as provided in the bill first re
ferred to, and thus enable the general
land Office to make absolutely correct
maps of those counties. which Is now
an 4mpossibility. There are hundreds
of good surveyors in Texas who will
accept of such experimentation of
small means who Will blend with
their duties cattle and sheep raising
according to their ability to do so.
Under this plan, when poor men, or
men of limited means, go out there to
find section for home, they can do
so at few dollars expense. AS it is
now, such a man has no showing. He
cannot pay a surveyor to go from one
| hundred to two hundred and fifty
miles. to find, run out and mark him a
section OF land. Only the rich man,
wanting large tracts, can shoulder
that expense, and / was surprised
that in the speech of the able, patriotic
and experienced senator from Parker,
on this subject, he seemed wholly un-
informed as to the insurmOuntablo
evils in the practical workings of the
present lava law that is death to
the struggling poor man and beneti-
cial To the rich only. OF all measures
pending before the legislature, no two
are of such tTanscendent Importance
to the state in the encouragement oil
population, to the school fund in the
enhancement of its lands, or to tie
tens OF thousands of immigrants ever
seeking new and cheap homes in
Texas.
Subsequently, in relation to the sale
and the lease system combined. he
says:
In some coUntips and sections the
land is adapted to grazing only; but
must steadily advance in value unit
the growing question of meat supply
shall be solved by some means vet
unknown. Hence it will be wisdom
on the part of the state to retain thu
fee In them and lease them for certain
fixed periods of time. The means Of
classification, as suggested yesterday
should be ample and reliable, and the
state board in charge should be CLOTHED
with large discretionary power t
meet and remedy evasion and abuse:
which cannot be foreSeen III the law
on the Subject.
But in all counties and districts sus
\ceptible of actual settlement ant
agricultural development the land.
ought, in harmony with the time
hOnored policy of the state, to be sub.
ject to purchase at least by all dcSir
ing to settle. Otherwise the leasing
system will continue all the plains
and Panhandle as wilderness, occu'
pied by a few wealthy cattle men
Certainly this is not desired N -
mass of the people of Texas. who &c
mand development in a higher sense
in farms, school houses. churches
towns, railroads and all the usual con
comitantS of our best civilization. 4
large portion of the country in ques.
ton is rs susceptible of agricultural
development as North Texas was il
its earlier settlement. The contrary
idea is popular delusion, already dis
PEELED in widely different localities,
as iii Baylor. Crosby, Nolan, Taylor
Wichita, Wilbarger and Lu6bOcb
coupties. Justice to the state, the
school fund and home seekers, de
mandS the two systems in unison
with such an easy, safe and practical
mode of classification rs would be
found in a survey for each unorgan
lied county, appointed by the gov
ernor from any part of the state and
wholly uninfluenced by land syndi
Gates, spectators or stock corpora
tions. If found to be unfaithful LEI
the governor remove the guilty anC
appoint another.
If leasing alone is provided capita
will monopolize the country and ut
terly prevent actual settlement anC
development.