Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-07

Col. j. p. Smith Disclaims any Aspira-
tions for The 6oyernorslip.


| TIC lltkiItHA lNNOlhhiN ~ ~ RFf7iNAf7
in the stale press toward Col. J. II.
smith OF this city ns q gubernatorial
quantity show that he occupies a place
in the public feeling OF the state of con-
siderable significance, Aud the re-
cent interview with Mr. Bail, a staunch
friend Of the colonel. a5 printed in the
tAZETTE, shows further, that the local
feeling is strongly toward him. But
amid all these complimentary allu-
sions Col. smith has maintained n
strict silence. and no act or express
sion of his Indicated whether he could
be considered lin the hands of his
friends rs possible candidate for the
governorship. His reticence on this
point has lett his supporters in painful
doubt as to whether their support of
him was agreeable, and whether the
prominence thus given to him was or
was not annoying. To obtain n posi-
tive declaration from Colonel Smith as
to his attitude on this point, a
GAZETTE representative called on him
at his Office TO obtain an authoritative
aud definite announcement from his
iips.
"you are no doubt aware, from the
! favorable mention of your name by
! lllt lllfS0 aliN N'NAbAiN iiA'hf AiisAh N'd
are looked upon n n prominent can
didat1 for governor OF this state
Would YOU mimi giving tn thei eaders
| of the GAZETTE a declaration OF Jour
! position, and state whether or not you
may he cons iOUred in the race ii your
/ friends desire To bring you forward ~
''Nuu may So, that | am not a can
| didate, replied Col. Smith. II have
! been told that my name
! has been mentioned in that con-
| nectiun, and have seen Mr..
| Balls expressions in the GAZETTE. /
/ cannot but feel fattered by their re-
/ gard II M. aud honOred 10y their es-
I TEEN, for it is m honor To have their
/ friendship. You may say, however,
/ that ann no., any : use, II candidate
/ for the Office, ana do not wish to be
/ put forward for the place, as it Is not
| agreeable 10 me have always taken
an active part in politics, but not rs a
/ candidate for any office. My part in
| political life has been such only 40 was
| demanded of me as the duty of every
| citizen who has voice i'm the choosing
| of our officials, but no more. 10, am
+ not candidate for governor, and dom
{ want 10 be pushed tor he Office
/ but you have seen, colonel, the
/ favor with which your name has been
taken zap in the discussions OF the !
press. the Galveston News, one OF
the leading journals of the state, has /
all but come out or you. and speaks Is 1
if IL YVES an understood thing that |
your candidacy was To be pushed.
81 have not so authorized anybody I
to speak tor me. have had no cOui- !
muucntiun with the News or others |
regarding this matter. Az said l
before. ! look uEou these a. the acts I.
| Of friendship, bat nothing more. You I
may say that am not NOW III the way
OF the governorship and do not wish
To he so regard d.
While he had Col. Smiih cnrnered,
and tue occasion was favorable, the
reporter put several other questions
which he answered readily.
"How DO you regard the course of {
Gov. ireland toward tine ience-cut-
terS?' was the next question put.
MY opinion on that mater il of no
more consequence than anybody
informed than hundreds of others.
But / am willing 20 say that | think
| the most stringent measures justified
by law should be pursued towards the
/ isnce-cutters Fence-cuttiug il - Sc
1 iious crime, and deserving of severe
! punishment. II must ne put down,
but the only way TO do this / for com
nuniiies where ne crime exists To re-
solve 10 crush II out. The state at
large cannot do it, and ought not 10
be asked to Interfere. The law res pect-
! iug people in every community over F.
( balance thu laWless clement, and ii /
/ they act together aud act aggressIvely, I
| they can crush out fence F.
cutting. | do not 4 ink !
the crime is looked upon as
! it ought To he 10y the people at large, |
/ who should Ieprobate it without con- (
! dOnement. The man that viii burn ,
| or cut fence at night will do any I
! thing els" mean or criminal il it suits I
him. These people regard Themselves !
5 criminals, for tn y move secretly |
at night, as burglars do. If they /,
thought there was anything removed |
rom crininaity in their acts they !
would not be secret about il. me !
local officials, backed by the people AT
home, must put it down. The legisla-
ture can help by making II severer
penalty attach TO the crime, but
this Is OF no effect unless the
men are arrested and convicted,
and neither governor nor legislature
can control this
You may say, further he added,
after pause, ar.proyision ought, /
think, to be made Tor passage 10 and
from all sections by making f!euuent
lanes and road-ways. The people
should not be irritated by being driven
to go over a great distance to get
around an obstacle such as fence
without gates and laues.n
Being sked for an opinion upon the
public land question, Col Smith eX-
pressed himself as follows:
~ don't think the state ought to
lease its public lands They ought to
be kept open to public entry and set.
tlement. We want more families in
Texas, on sniall"r bodies of land. The
prosperity of a state depends on the
number of its lard owners, not on it's
tenants. That county which possesses
the largest number of small but indie
pendent land owners is the most pros
porous ana happy. One good man on
"a section of land is worth more to the
state than great number of
lea, ca sections, fenced up, with
| ,.aft1 LIMA