Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-07

the laws ptSScu W uiSpOSc w pun
lie lands have been founded in error.
l believe that if Gov. Ireland and the
legislature had possessed the knowl-
edge of the wants of the country as
Senator Fleming and Representative
Browning did, the lease law would
never have been passed.
First, man was allowed to take
seven sections, and If he wanted any
more he had plenty of uncles and cous-
ms to gobble up an unlimited amount
of valuable lands"
"Since you oppose the lease system
so strenuously, how do you think the
public school lands should be disposed
of, and what plan would you suggest?"
According to the constitution, by
sale only. l would
ABOLISH THE LAND BOARD
and let the heads of departments, who
attend to their own departments.
IL would place all school
and asylum lands on the market at
prices not to exceed 50 per acre, to
be sold to actual settlers, only in tracts
not to exceed $40 acres, on twenty
years time and per cent. interest.
would require purchasers to reside
upon and occupy the lands at
least five years before they or their as
signees could acquire title; | would
make no distinction between watered
and unwatered lands, for no county
can be settled where people are not al
lowed to take watered lands, which are
generally poorest, but first taken.
Those who call first should have
first choice, select for themselves, and
nav ali money into the treasury at
Austin. Their applications should be
made through the county and district
surveyors, where the lands are situ-
, ated.
''In the past all schemes for value.
t ing and classifying lands have
/ BEEN sHAMEFULLY ABUSED.
D The surveyors who classified them
+ only received $50 for each county,
e when the work could not have been
s done properly for $1,000 The result
e was that the most valuable lands were
: put on the market us grazing lands, at
e minimum prices, in such manner that
n spectators bought and sold them at
: large advances upon the government
: price; but, if sold to actual occupants
who would select lands themselves,
even though the state parted with the
= best lands at nominal prices she would
$ receive rs compensation a citizen, in
each instance, who would be worth
e more than any section Of land in the
IS state. Ibelieve that under this sys-
l. tenn, in twenty years, an actual occu-
rs pant would be living upon every Sec
n ton of the present public-school lands
N in Texas"
- "Do you believe that the country
9. lying in the northwestern part of the
n state is an agricultural one. and that il
e is equally as well adapted to farming
is as to cattle raising?"
la haliau.. oil tha nnt1 pt from, har
: to the Pecos river is as good an agri
h cultural country as Tarrant comfy
re When came here in 1853 we hauled
We our breadstuffs from Collin county
now TArrant is better agricultural
TT county than Collin. Poor farmer.
will go to the frontier
err If THEY ARE ENCOURAGED,
I'd and can take their herds and tlocks t.
ct subsist on while preparing their small
of farms. They will go and make tn
e. country strong with population tina
y, produces wealth.
10 "In all those unorganized countie
70 no court-housts, schools or residence
mt are found, and 1t Is folly for othe
ry thickly settled parts of the state to ex
in pect to educate their children from tn
n. rental of these counties. which, If LEI
n to natural laws of population, in tel
tx years would become thickly settled
&C. and under legitimate process of tax
-. alton ten fold more school funds coult
al be raised than their leases woul,
IN amount to-"
Id "DO you think the lease system
Zee would promote strife between the pas
Ter ture men and farmers who must neces
hit sarily be fenced In the large pastures? p
an Eyes. lnnumerable feuds would
nd spring up, and the government woul,
IN 10
he police into these counties to keep order
Der and the necessary expenses would b
10 more than the leases would amount to
art Again, II the lease system Is abolished
ID. with the growth of the small cattle
be men and farmers, the large stockmeI
10. would eventually cut uD their no,
WIS sessions and sell lands and stock d
small holders, as they have done i,
counties which were formerly devote
an only to grazing, but which now hay
or become agricultural counties.n
i9 Does agriculture drive Off the cattl
ed interest IA 1t progresses?n
lie ut drives off the large cattlemen
on but 1t is an undisputed fact that thos
ng counties which were formerly devote
s." wholly to grazing, but which hav
iw since developed into agricultural onel
now nave more stock than when tn
de pillow -
ire DID NOT TURN A FURRow
ore within their borders. Then few me
nd owned thousands OF cattle; no,
ate thousands of men own u few Gait!
do each.n
on How will you answer the argumen
u that II the school lands are left fire..
a. The powerful cattle men will line rid
~ ana adopt measures to keep out til
10. small farmer ~
al Wis argument is made because