Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-27

said, that Mr.. Walsh is very faith.
full. honest and efficient officer, who
will carry out that policy. 1t Is read
lily conceived that Mr.. Walsh, with
his convictions so strongly favorinv
the lease policy, might be opposed as a
candidate for an office In which
he would be charged with the duty
of making land laws aud establish
ing land policy, but might be con-
slGered the most acceptable candi-
date for an Office In which he would
be required to execute the law and en-
force the policy established by Others.
THE GAZETTE does not question the
fact that the law making power in
Texas has established the policy of
leasing the school lands. IL Is laid
down IN the statutes. When IL was
proposed the News opposed 1t. When
the state land board, of which Mr..
Walsh is q mem Der, went beyond this
policy and established new and
much modified system of land sales
in the interest of the leasing policy,
the News condemned its course. Com
missioner Walsh was one of unani.
nous board of five in this extraordinary
departure. There were five-the govern
or, treasurer, comptroller, attorney
general and ommissioner-respon
equally, and yet The GAZETTE would
shield and condone the wrong of the
governor, the treasurer and the
comptroller, and singled out Com
missioner Walsh and Attorney-Gen
Templeton for punishment. The gov
ernor, who participated in making the
lease law-ts the extent of approving 1t,
Is THE GAzETTE's candidate for re-
election to n place that enables him to
sustain that law, to exercise the. in.
fluence of his high place for its policy,
and If need be, to veto a repeal or mod
iiication of it by the legislature. TILE
GAZETTE would keep nearly all the
iand board in office, and this, so far as
the board is concerned, would perpet-
uate the lease policy If Mr.. Walsh and
the other members of the board are re-
sponsible for its establishment. What
the News has contended is that these
officials ought, by vote of the people
and the legislature, to be Instructed,
or, if dictatorial power is t. be con,
tinued in the board, that an entirely
new board ought to be selected. If the
people desire no change in the land
policy, what good would there be
in changing the land Office
commissioner? If the commissioner.
along with governor, IL may be pre-
sumed, of greater influence, commit
ted errors, by what rule of right or
equity could the commissioner be con-
demaod and turned out, and his ac-
complete or principal in the wrong.do-
ing he vindicated and re- elected? The
News credits the commissioner and
the governor with honest, If mistaken,
convictions as to this lease policy-a
policy which the legislature could not
have been prevented from establish
ing by Commissioner Walsh, Treas
urer Lubbock, Comptroller Swain and
Attorney.General Templeton, men,
beers of the land board, had they all
combined against it, but which the
veto of Gov. ireland could have de.
feated had he interposed that forg often
but useful prerOgative of his office.
Under such circumstances the rather
acrimonious opposition to Commits.
sioner Walsh cannot be explained by
desire merely to change the policy of
the state land board, or to repeal the
lease law.