Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-06
The Actual Settler Was Not Wanted

The Actual Settler Was Not Wanted,
Mr.. Land Commissioner Walsh is a
candidate for fourth term, and It is
given out that he is running on his
land policy. 1t does not appear very
plainly what this policy IL, as the only
gleam Of light that has been thrown
upon ii SO far issued from the columns
of his very active organs, which may
or may not have spoken by the card.
However, a letter is extant from Mr..
Walsh himself, which voiced his sem
timents on the land question previous
to the called session of the legislature,
and 1t is presumed he has not changed
them since. 1t was written in answer
to communication from Gov. Ireland,
aud was made part of the governors
message to the legislature, as such be-
ing spread upon the journals of both
houses.
In that letter Mr. Walsh SAYS:
The leasing feature OF the present law is n
'delusion and snare" The miuimum
rental of four cents per acre is equivalent of
but per cent ON the minimum value of the
land, and would seem TO invite leasing, but
the qualification which subjects any portion
oil the leased lands to sale without releasing
the lessee from his obligation as To the re.
nainder efiectually destroys the invitation.
the facilities offered by the law for ami enc.
my TO break up lessee are too apparent 10
need recital.
The saving clause in the lease law
with its most determined champions
is that leases are subject to sale. While
they are perfectly willing to admit
that the leasing OF large tracts of lands
to be put under solid fence Is an
evil, yet they argue that in making al
lands subject to sale, leased or un
leased, 1t is measurably done away
with. Here comes Mr.. Walsh. how
ever, with the declaration that thi.
feature Is a "delusion and a snare. u
"eifeetually destroying the in vitation'
to lease. The leasing system, /,
seems, has such attractions for him,
that he wants no qualifications or re.
striclions, but boldly beseeches the leg.
isiature to make 1t absolute. That
there may be no doubt as to his mean.
Ing, he closes his letter with reca.
pitulation ofthe amendments needed
to the lease law, the third of which
reads; give to the board the discre.
ton to either lease or sell, as may be
To the interests OF the state.n Here is
plain, unequivocsl request to have a
law adopted which would have
Withdrawn the last safeguard
from the disposition of the school lands
and placed them at the arbitrary dis.
posai OF an agent, which is even I'M
known to the constitution of the state
The legislature doubling the wisdom
OF leasing at all endeavored by giving
the actual settler the preference un-
der all circumsta noes, to avoid those
serious consequences which the wiser
ones foresaw and the others dreaded
Now 1t is asked TO cut loose the nm.
chorage of even doubtful safety. and
send the whole system adrift, trusting
entirely to the land board to pilot II
safely through the rapids. In other
words the legislature Is notified that
so FAR rs this one member of the board
Is concerned, any restrictions what
ever are onerous, and absolute domin.
Ion is desired. That is the logic
OF 1t, because, with the repeal of this
ringle provision rendering sales man.
datory when land Is applied for under
the rulings OF the board, there Is not a
single law on the statute book with
reference 10 the school lands to which
they owe obedience. Ii is as il the
people had created this agency and
said to II: Here are these lands: do
with them rs you please.n They
might sell the entire body to one cor.
poration, lease them out for big pas
'ures, or put them up at lottery, ne
heir supreme pleasure might dictate. |
Are not such powers dangerous, and IL |
mere not good reason TO distrust any
nan who asks them? The
legislature very properly refused
heed the request of Mr..