Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-29
An Unjust Law.

An Unjust Law
In lisa very common thing 10 near
men all over the North and Northwest
abuse the lease law, but when they no.
we put 1t down, as matter oil course
that they are free-grass men, and are
opposed to any sort of lease oil the
school lands. But now and then we
hear of and from lease man who has
something ugly to say about the pres
ent lease law. We have before us now
a letter from one of this class, ana
since he goes for the mark In good
STYLE and hits the bull in the eye, we
quote from his communication as
follows:
You GAZETTE people are going for the
lease law and that Is proper. But TO my
notion you don't exactly give the true rea-
son why II Is Objectionable. am lease
man myself In one sense: that 10 TO say,
have leased some school lands, not because
thought IL wise In the state TO allow II, but
having provided Tor II, had 10 lease some
land In my range TO keep "A lot of land sharks
from down East from freezing on TO II aud
shutting my few head OF stock Off from the
range where they were raised. This Is why
| | took this lease, and now that have got 1t
want 10 keen IL. But don't expect
TO be able to keep 1t. The very men who
wanted to gobble up the whole business are
still aftcr the little have got, and l don't
see how | am going to help myself. hear
they are going To pick out the best OF IL ana
nut their men ON to II ms actual ,cttlers, and
| 1 reckon If they try II on they will fetch me.
Ia this common Justice? To my notion,
either the state should say lease the land and
keep IL for u term of years or IL should not
allow "A lease at all. would say not lease nj
all, but had to take up SOME land In self
defense, and now ! am threatened with
the actual settler. who only wants 10 worry
me out of the county, since he could not
drive me out.
And we will ask the lease law men
in Texas, those who uphold the law
because they want to lease the land,
what are you going to do about 1t 4? !"
You have good land under the law,
but what is there to prevent your self
ish neighbor, who would crowd you
out, from picking the eyes out of your
pasture: You need have no fear that
any one out of Texas, or out of your
county, will move into your neighbor-
hood and inside your wire fence. No,
they will not he likely to take any
chances. But that neighbor of yours
over the way, who don't like hair in
your head, and who thinks you are
not the kind of man he can tie TO, can
move into your pasture. pick out the
best land in it, In spots, If he and his
crowd can take 1t from you, rs actual
settlers, and from their cabins there
side.
Is this right? Wethink not, and We
beg leave to say to you, a. we have
said to our readers generally, either
the state should give you the right to
u hold the land you have leased for a
term of years, or it should give you nc
right to it at all, except as an actual
settler. We go further and say, you
should not he allowed to lease at all
and you will do well to join in with us
: in our efforts to secure free grass tC
you AS well as to others. We would
make common fight with you against
n law that is as full Of bad points rs al
I, egg is of meat, and As devoid of goot
h points rs -- well, as one of we men
. toned correspondents chances are
!. against the righteousness of his sharl
is neighbors. You see the wrong Is tn,
e law? so do we, and never mind If W,
e are not quite agreed as to VIVA
:, are It's worst features. Let's fight it
If We propose to make common wa
4 against it with you. And when 1t i
y no longer on the statute books, we will
- get together and talk over the question
t as to whether or not any part of lease
l. law should be passed. We give you
L fair warning now however, that, W
n are opposed and expect to keep on be
d ing opposed to any disposition of tn
st school lands by the state, except t
IS those who will move on to it, BULL
;. their homes on II and unite with tn
r. other solid, Woodworking, honest pec
10 pie Of the state in the grand effort [
4 make Texas home worthy of the dc
- serving for everyone.