Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-02
w. II. LEssING.
HIS Views on the All.Absorbing State
Issue.

I
est of the public certain questions, has
been at hand some days, and after due
consideration OF your questions an
swer.
Your questions are viz;
/. what is your position on the
grass question?
2. How do you stand on the mriil
question?
3. What are your prospects for cleo
ton?
These questions are proper ones anu
such as the humblest voter has the
right to ask of q candidate for Office,
but they should he answered by
candidate for judicial honors in such
n way as to preclude political PARTISAN
shin, and keep his mind free from pc
litical gerrymandering; but to dodge
these questions entirely, on the ground
of being candidate for judicial i'll
stead OF political office, Is IN my
Judgment simply the exercise oil moral
fear.
BY way of exordium, however, to
my answers it is proper to say:
/. The office Of district judge should
he kept as pure, free and untainted
from political partisanship and preIu-
dice as possible.
.. AS Judge of court of unlimited
jurisdiction, where parties of every POI
'litical shade and creed resort, for the
adjudication of rights and the redress
of wrongs, and to invoke pure and
impartial administration of TIE laws
of the land, could not possibly anu
would not influence or affect either
side of any political question. lt
would be my duty and pleasure SIM
ply to administer the law purely. fear.
iessly and impartialiy alike to all per.
sons of whatsoever creed, religious or
political, the lowest as well as the
highest in the land, the humble as
well us the proud, the poor as well as
J the rich.
s. A candidate for the judicial err
mine should avoid at all hazard such
scramble as is usual in contests for po-
litical Office or preferment, and should
keep his mind AZ free and unbiased as
| the GOODIES, of justice, so, that when
j, called upon to wear the Judicial robes,
he may be blind, looking neither to
the right nor to the left In administer
3 ing the law and adjusting the rights
, OF men under it. This Is the best way
X
his mind to be warped by discussion,
or animated partisanship of political
questions, which so often set good men
. against each other.
, While / concede the necessity and
propriety OF political platfoms and dis
: cussion by national parties of the
t great and controlling political issues OF
the day and time, in order to Keep
each other in check, prevent the abus.
Of power and thus preserve our insti-
q tutions of government, yet ii has ever
: been held, and am mindful of the
q fact that the tribunals of justice have
but one issue, one controlling guide
and monitor, and that is Jaw and
Y equity harmoniously blended, so tina,
Y in their administration the rights Of
II man may be preserved and kept invio
late.
e Your questions, however, as before
, stated, are proper ones, and were L a
|. candidate for congress or the legisla'
l. ture, where these questions can only
. be determined or considered will
y effect, would conceive II my duty t.
= advocate my views before the people
. publicly ana freely.
Your questions might be answered
In one sentence; but | am well awar,
that to answer them without logic OF
reason would be worse than silenc,
Is and would attract the intelli
gence of no one. Hence I say
that in my humble Judgment
the grass of Texas should be left as FREE
now as IL has been In the past, siuc,
D. the formation OF Texas, until exigen
= cies arise rs may make its freedom n
longer useful to individual or stat
a. when the matter will regulate itsel
and adjust itself to the conditions G
the times. This is the policy that ha
developed our state and made it tn
empire commonwealth of the nation
n and much work is yet left for this pc
: icy to do aud much good is yet to b
i accomplished by it. The day of it
"A adjustment is yet far In the horizOl
n OF the future In my Judgment at leas
Thirly-one years ago my parents
among many other immigrants fror
the over-crowded states. were induce,
TO come to Texas by the fact that fire.
=. plsturase could be had. That afts
~ procuring and opening small farI
y, u with the entire family fund, natuI
IA and liberal state government Or,
o. vided the settlers with forage free AN
~ sufficient to enable them to pitch the
~ crop and lay It by without wasting O
deyoting half their snail capital an,
the lions share of the fruit of thei
industry In paying for forage for tn
pa horses, mules and cattle essential to tn
re success of every farmer. Then an
rt now agriculture was and Ia of "a mike
at nature, comprising the filling of Ii
Is soil and raising of stock; and the.
ey combined industries thus fostered b
AZ our state have caused It's miraculo,
OF advancement and prosperity. AS sci
Oh arate Industries neither the one II,
IS, the other could have accomplishe
this state growth. The same class
people who first redeemed this sta
and they are the crowded and o.
pressed yeomanary of other states an
OIL countriesl still wish TO aid in the d
se velopinent Of our state and Il
elk opening up of the vast and no
'es nnfruitful hills and valleys, mou,
do taiis aud plains of Texas, an
VIII do so IL encouraged d
the policy of the past; but take ava
this inducement and place our lant
In the control aud ownership of q lin
o tied number Of landed aristocrats. ,
,o0 even worthy and never so honest seel
ers after wealth, and this element
40. yeomanry that has been the factor M
n. maker of our state will have 10 look
he other countries, and the population
I'd our state will lose its legitimate rat
In OF increase and the development of o,
To- state Will be retarded. a state nee,
,y people to become great and wealth
~ Let few men own all its terrific,