Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-04-23
AUSTIN LETTER.
The Land Board, the State, the Stock
men and the Children's Grass.
An Exhaustive Review of the subject
from n Panhandle Standpoint.
Plain Facts Squarely Stated by Temple
Houston TO Reporter.

sncc,,i CORRESPONDENCE of the Gazette.
AUSTIN, April 2l.-The' hrst meet
ing Of the land board TO act on appn-
cations for school lands under tnelp
late action repealing the law of 1888
brought a number of lawyers and land
agents to the capital. Among them
is MIR. Temple Houston, prominent
attorney of Mobeetie, Wheeler county,
who represents large cattle interests,
which, as already stated In the tele-
graphic columns of THE GAzETTE, APP
plied for leases at four and five cents
an acre, protesting against the action
of the board, and giving notice that
they would contest the same. Mr..
Houston is representative of the great
Northwest, young, talented and pro-
gressive, thoroughly acquainted with |
its condition and necessities and iden- |
titled with its interests. The worthy |
son of an illustrious sire, the great
hero of Texas history, he rests not
upon the laurels of his fathers fame
but is forging to the front by virtue OF
his own energy and ABILITY, ana
already occupies an enviable position
at the bar. He was appointed district
attorney in the Panhandle by Gov.
Roberts, but resigned last year To
attend to his private law practice.
nTemple,n as everybody calls him, is
very young man, not over "a, being
the Youngest son of Gen. Houston,
: and Is said by those acquainted with
, the latter to be the chief inheritor OF
his predominant characteristics in
force of character, appearance and in
domitable energy. lie Is regarded as
: one of the coming men of the great
| West, and while he has heretofore re-
Trained from mingliDg in politics, is al.
; ready being prominently mentioned
l i'm connection with the senatorial sue
5 cession in the district now represented
by Matlock of Montague.
/, Recognizing the crudeness of
ideas which generally obtain
!, in regard to the condition
!. of affairs in the Panhandle GAZETTE
q representative sought out Mr.. Houston
: for information on this subject, and
especially with regard to the action of
n the land board as it is viewed in the
i section which it most seriously affects,
a and the programme contemplated in
. opposing it.
u Reporter-"How do your people feel
o regarding the aud 20 cent ruling OF
e the land board?"
II Mr.. Houston-"They feel that q
great injustice has been done them.
i For n long time the cry has been
e heard in the land that they
G were gathering fortunes from the grass
=, of the school fund without paying for
y the privilege and now, when they
'e seek to silence that clamor by II com
y pliance with the law, their bids ar,
ID refused aud their proffered renta
20 rejected. But we had no thought o
intimidating the board, as has beer
ST charged, into receding from their posi-
n" ton, and yet, while we knew on
d efforts would be fruitless as far as i
p, were possible for that body to thwar
" them, we felt that our undoubted com
a pliance with the law might vest in u
A. rights which court of justice woul,
We respect"
=. "What do you think of the legalit
of the boards action in raising tn
ci- rental from four to eight and twent
err cents ~
IT az have already stat ed to the boar
=, that regarded their action as illegal
but prefer not to particularize, as III
nv question is certain to evoke q il
nst dicial ruling. Ii we are the victims
the a wrong we are not helpless. Whe
mi we have made our bids at the tin
and place and in the manner and forl
N'' lcSCiibtu ny tlC DOat0Y anu
the the statutory rental, we have arme
pti- ourselves with a weapon which migl
a., call for serious jude al considerable
an' when placed in defense to criminal
the civil proceedings begun against us
,on- the state for the use and Enclosure
and the school land. What other leg
80, remedies, If any, are contemplated
.eo, our people, deem it unadvisable
II 1t state. That the board has transcend,
the powers vested in it by the act CT
ating it, there can be no questio
More than that it has, in doing S
made the law subservlent to guestit
lrce of expediency. l do not charge tn
will inns was done IN response TO po
ant uiar clauior ~ the nowhe5s Oh VI
rental or at the rapidity of the sal
but it was done, nevertheless. If Il
was was Objectionable and was fraug
with public evil it was so when pl
tho sented for executive signature, al
ton srhon ~ a"se onvm 80. ~ was
ega- a,,a>,;t ~ a. I.,s heu
W features should then have been cur
by amendment, for by that time
most insane provisions had been
vealed by operation aud legislative i
oyn reference could have been invok
IN. instead of legislative functions usurp
40 II, ny tue NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Wnlcn III "
,ra -, never intended by the legislat,
y, 70 should be exercised by III
% board, as was clearly shown by the
most unanimous defeat
Senator Chesley's amend ne
seeking 10 invest the board wi
power to contract and expand /
are rental, when in their judgment
Stent might seem too low. If the board
santa right in this, the proven intent of
y Tue makers of u law is no longer au aid
STATE constituting it.n
teie- docs leasing Ian Is to corporate
the retard the settlement of the countr,
y zen That depends upon the disps
adnl- ton of the les:ees towards in,,
'West grants, upon the nature of the
Ply OF ritory leased, upon the facility of /
v Tue migration for reaching 1t. Clearl,
'etteu settler would prefer to locate where
over was not an intruder. am inclined
. VIII answer you in the affirmative.
'es' what has that to with the boar
- action? Is law to be administered
Il. cording TO public clamor? Is iustiee
be swerved' by popular breat6?n
O De. What are your views in referee
, to the lease system?
II am unqualifiedly opposed to
party The income derived from such
DIS of source is but trifling, and suppose
y, say was prince!y-is the state landlo
III he Spectator, a Shylock towards