San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-01-25

tice appears to be to raise money, even
at the expense of those most useful
and desirable. AS to an advalorem
tax, there Is no just power to take
from the citizen one mill, if it is not
absolutely required to carry on his
government in an economical manner.
What belongs to the citizen is his alb
solutely, and his agents have no right
to demand more than is necessary.
Again, mo greater temptation and mvit-
alton to extravaganza, and even cor
rupuon can exist, than a plethoric
treasury. We need no other evidence
of this than that offered in our landed
system. After all the headlights, the
augmentations, the donations and the
bounties had been provided for, there
still remained, say 120, 100000 acres
of land. This was about the sum at
the close of the war between the
states. These lands then began to
attract the attention of the capitalists,
the land hungry and greedy, and
scheme after scheme was resorted to
TO get hold of them. When standing
in the thirteenth Legislature there were
a few--a splendid band-who protest
ed against opening the door that was
felt to be the first break upon these
lands. These men stood amidst the
jeers and SCOTS of those who were
clamorous for the golden egg, and
casting glance to the distant future
and foreseeing that this rich field
could not be longer guarded, as last
resort they introduced and had passed
the law setting apart one-half of the
entire public domain for educational
purposes. They took the only step
left them to secure to posterity small
pittance of that splendid educational
fund; but the door was broken down
and it has gone, until now there is
buta remnant.
1 think see away down the corri-
doris of time, this splendid territory
teeming with millions. No more pub
lie lands; no more cheap home-pov-
erty and squalid want gathering fast
and thick around the inhabitants
when some one of them will gather
up the fragments of our history and
read to the gazing and mind famished
multitude how this generation had in
it's power and keeping a fund that
should have gathered like the snow
ball as time rolled on, and how, if we
had been true to ourselves, to posteri-
ty, to them, they could have educated
all their children, paid all their taxes,
reared school houses, built roads and
bridges-and then I see them turn
with deep mutterings from the wicked
folly that crazed our people from
1866 to 1882.
I know that there is a popular fall
lacy abroad that finds expression in
such language as damn posterity, let
it take care of ITSELF" l pity the
heart that can thus speak. Not SO
spoke our ancestors-the fathers.
They saw not to-day, but looking with
an eye of faith and wisdom away in
the distance, they saw us and labored
and toiled for us.
OUR COMMON HIGHWAYS.
Our laws on this subject are defect
i've. There seems to be no reason why
all who own property or reside
near the roads should not contribute
to support them. The youth, the
aged and the resident, having
property that is benefited by high
way, should bear proper proportion
of it's burdens, as well as those within
certain ages.
OUR RAILWAYS.
The constitutional recruitment that
the legislature shall pass laws to regu-
late and control these institutions has
been only partially performed. The
people demand the fulfllment of this
plain, constitutional duty.
It is not the work of an hour, nor
to be performed without mature study.
These railways are our institutions;
their value and utility to the country
are not to be questioned; their man
agement has challenged and baffied the
highest order of talent, and whatever
is done, it is to be hoped will be done
in the spirit of justice and equity,
that will prove adequate to our wants,
without cripplng or injuring the
railways.
THE FRONTIER.
That the time is rapidly approach
ing when we will have no frontier, IN
the sense of an Indian border con-