The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-11-22
THE EXTRA SESSION.
Some Of the Topics 10 be Treated by
Our Law Makers.
The Problem Of the School Fund and
Pasture Troubles.
Suggestions of a Prominent Citizen.

GLORIOUS memories In The annals OF our
country. 1t IL suggestive of patriotic re-
solves and heroic action in behalf oil liberty
and sel-government.
This second session OF the same legisla-
ture afTords It's members an opportunity to
do various thugs which they. failed TO do or
did imperlectly at their. first session.
The time is suspicious, the duty impera-
tive and the public desire great. That a
large norton of the people are more or less
| uneasy aud dislrustiul cannot Do uenieu.
| rhe oninion or fear exists that portion OF
those composing our present lawmakers
are under the intl dence OF dilerent inser-
| ests in antagonism TO the general welfare
ot The state-embracine corporate compa-
Mo. nriyate associations and individuals
wieldine large capital and grasping at CLASS
Hesitation and monopolies OF land IN their
own and kindred hands.
IL is a time demanding Roman. virtue IN
every man clothed with power IN eltheT
the making or the enforcing Oh hws.
would not attribute corruption 10 slngie
man IN either branch of the legislature, Tar
rom il. But there is a marked difference
| he,ween corruption in esse and political
timidity-fear of wealth in its various ag-
gregations and MISUNDERSTANDING iear OF
That oit-repeated and senseless nowl ID
capital will be driven from ana KEPT out OF
the state whenever proposition Is made
for the protection of the great BODY OF citl-
Fans. as against the avarice OF the lew, 10
the shane of organized capital, or capital
without organization, but lnstlnctNeiy
working ia concert. ,
Such tjmidity in a law-making represen-
tstive of the paop!e, is only less INJURIOUS
| TO the multitude than corruption thoush'
far removed from it. -, o.,,;
| legitimate investment has never yet been
| kept out OF state by prudent ana nohest
legislation. and we want no other sort OF
| capital to come among us.
Yet it must be apparent That some gues,
tiops of momentous interest nave anu WIZ
a cain confront this legislature that, IN
large sense. are new to US all, and, demand
| The most careful thought before hnsl &C.
The representative who. in good faith,
atoms to bestow such thought, is neither
tjmid nor corrupt, but observes the pru,
depce dictated by an honest heart ana
sound, common sense. Sucn one Is IA, 40,
nrides himself on always being ripe and
| ready to be pulled"
There are number of such issues, but
prominent in the category comes lnaI cues
| Il m of investing the state school money
under the amended constitution and this Is
TO be regulated by the present legislature
The opponents OF the amenunen., s atad
| aIIv honest and intelligent men, voted
ans;nst II because they believed or greatly
fsssrad the lepislaturew would allow the money
| to he loaned to railroads, banks. private
| corporations for the erection OF iactorles'
bridges, saw-mills and such uncertain en-
terpTises as to endanger the 1unds anu leau
| to great losses. The iIlends OF the aniehu,
| " ha xuritpr DplleVe0
nothing of the sort, but voted for 1t under
The fin N belief that no legislature or state
hoard headed by the present or any future
| Governor of Texas, would ever loan dollar
66fthat fund. sacred to our children and
our children's children, to any association
or object of the kind, but only invest II In
the bonds of the United States. the state OF
| Tayas or some other state whose bonds
vera safe. or to such of our own courtles
ami towns az, from their taxable wealth,
wnuld he absolutely sure to pay the inter-
est and redeem their bonds at maturity.
The most ardent friends OF the amend.
n ent will be painfully Inundated il q dol
lar of that money Is loaned d 10 any v Gus the
real estate to be taxed and the power OF
taxing it in fulfillment Of all. such obliga-
mt few thoughts on the now great
question OF land monopoly, monster en-.
Closures, are offered as the primary
object Of this communication anOn.b n iust;,v
s,ockmen for fencing in, with
or without their own lands, the lands Of the
state of any company or of any Individual.
| n has been boldly and in some cases de-
fsntly done. But, in nay presence at least
one member of the legislature and at dif'
ferept times various individuals nave as
sumed that the state has no power to pre-
vent any maj or company from buying,
holding and fencing land in unlimited
quantity. even millions or tens OF millions
| 81 acres TIE state as a sovereignty either
has or has not the power. III 1t has not,
then twenty men can be named in the
limited States who can combine, buy and
fence in all OF Texas west OF the ioOtn me
| rjdian and north of the Pacific railroad. an
area of about fifty-ive thousand square
| miles nearly twice the size oi Indiana.
They can do It, stock IL with cattle, ard
keen out population, excepting their own
servants, hold the country as comparative
wilderness and the land at mere nominal
taxable value. They can prevent and even
abolish the organization of counties, and
live as feudal chiefs OF the dark ages. If
thew can do these things on the soil OF free
American state then our boosted freedom
and free governments, state aud federal are
lies and cheats. And II the assumption OF
unlimited right OF purchase and fencing is
legally true, then they have the legal right,
n thew have the means, to do so, and we
hnow thew have the means. This is fair
statement Of the effect and fruits Of the as
snmptiop. ifcarried out on a grand scale, as
is heing now done on a tcale which Is con-
vuising the state with excitement and In.
sugurating a spirit OF organized lawless-
ness. reminding Us Of Ireland and Russia
nihiiism and dynsmite-but a mere anil
malcule compared to the monster, which
its persistent enforcement aad enlarge
msnt may generate.
lei ms bring the matter home for famil
liar iIlustration. IL the corporate authorl-
ties of a small town, Ike Fort Worth, Ter
rell or Dallas, holding only restricted, del
egated authority from the Legislature. Ia
BILE to be recalled or altered az every sessloIi
can saw 10 I've most powerful citizen, 4 on
sbaI not build q house OF wood on this
Il street or that in this ward or thaf;-you
shaIl not build q certain private cODven-
fence within three feet OF your line,On your
own los;-you shall not hanga sign In front
Of your store or shOp;-gOu shall not Jet
| vonr COW or horse Craze on The commons
~ ~. = tbe streets 0f the t0vn:-you shs ]
psv for administering medicine 10 the sick -
| In All these aud dozsns Of other erbitrnTy
movers can be exercised, ss they constantly
/ az Nv a petty municipal corporation, de-
pendent for its life on the pleasure or ca
price Of the legislature. assembled once IN
every two years and no one olspuilng t ne
right-ifthese things can be-who viii rise
M and say that free state, Of imperial ~.
ritorv. won by . hero sm which the world
bopors with two millions Of free ciiizsns-
and sovereign IN everything saving TIE lev
powers delegated 10 the federal government
has not the power - protect itseli, ~
reople. their rights and liberties eeslnst
/ surk s-aIlouine % and destruction -
vovld Coz from the unlimited right VII
snd ability 20 buy up ard fence ~ such
rsst te-rif1ries 10 the frciusiOn 81 parel-s
epI cbiidren seeking homes and cesirinR
20 live in clfiiizsiiOn VII - sl.s-.o
80 tfe..fure of schools. churcnes
towns. shou-. histories. rosds md rtlne,,