The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-01-30
MR.. FLEMING'S SPEECH
In Opposition 10 the Terrell Bill-An
Able Effort.
Telling Points aud Impregnable POSI-
tiOns-Shafts of Satire.
A Great aud a Good speech.

regulate tue fTtElus oi rlvoh anu '" Wv
scribe and provide for enforcing penalties
for ITS violation Mr.. Filming said
Mr.. CHAIRNAs-l supposed tnat the OBJ !
feet o. his discussion on The part OF thr |
friends OF the oil under consideration
would be TO point out 90 the sena'e VS.
merits II II had Anv. srd noon me psrt
of the oppouen'- 90. Soc iI GOOD. 'l' US |
dement's. | haya lis uu,J ",,u - dsaI
OF pleasure 20 the speech made by the ven |
cradle senator from Collin, and nav.
listened not only with pleasure, bul
with degree OF interest TO Toe
able and exhaustive speech m Rn,
vas surprised at the argum'
of these two gentlemen, The senator irom |
Collin, Inst al at discussing the provision.
OF the bill under consideration, went bhck
and undertook TO revive a discussi ~ that
took pace throughout the length nnd
breadth OF this land when IL was 10 the
midst OF a revolution; the bloodiest upon
the pages OF m dern history. To revive
discussion that had been settled and hna'ly
settled by the arbitrament OF armies, but
he did not cpnhne himself to the questi m
or the abolition OF slavery alone and the
higher Jaw he was graph caily describing,
that n,wa Ne issue before the congress
OF the uited States. He discussed, as he
usually does, the constitutional convention
OF 1873, and the policy igauguiated bg the
constitution adopted by that con
ventiou with reference TO the pub lc de-
main and the school lands of the s,h'e
But he did not explain TO US what these Is
sues had % d. with the bill presented by
the honorable senator from Travis, aui IN
that ne was not unlike the senator nom
Travis, who dsCu s,d not only the tRrln,
but communism and all ia dire calamties.
He even went back to The French revolu'
ton. but he dl1 not 'xp.ain 10 Us what
the French revolution and what cou.mun-
III 10. NIL hu L.. naagI
everything In ancient and modern history,
but he did not discuss the bill. the rea'
son, | take It, that Ihess senator's pursue
that line of argument ~, that they were
afraid TO discuss the merits OF the bill
they have announced that IL was the OBJ
ject aud purpose OF the bill To force the
stockmen OF tue state 70 lease the school
lands; TO lease not only the school but the
lands OF individuals and railroad corporu-
tions that lie In the same section OF the
state in alternate sections with the school
lands. ] have read the bill time and az IN
and challenge any senator upon this MOOR
10 show me q single section OF IL when
PROPOSES TO lease the school lands or 10
make provisions for their lease or sale. II
is recitet in the preamble OF the bill that
30 o 0,00o &C es Of free school lands remain
unso.d and unleased; which, leased ut
cents per acre, would yield annually for the
benefit OF free schools, one million two
hundred thousand dollars, thereby reliev-
ing the people from the burdens Of taxa,i n
TO support the schools. Why did the
senator from Travis undertake to CON
meet with this bill the subject OF free
schools? Was II necessary IL order TO secure
legislation for the suppression OF the crime
OF fence-cutting, to drag into the Oil tue
question OF the puolic free scho lls? Was II
done tor the purpose OF securing the inuu-
ence of senator's on this SIDE OF the house
who had been earnesi advocates and who
had ende ivored ut the last session OF the
legislature TO build mp m efficient system
OF pubic free schools IN this state, and TO
bring hem to the support ana advocacy OF
this msasure2 1t has been stated by the
honorable senator from Travis that II this
hill Is passed that II would pour into he
treasury OF the com non school tund OF tins
state enc million two bur deed thousa d
dollars per annum, L. has been broadly
asserted by him in his argument thet the
stOckmen OF the west would not lease
lands unless they were compelled TO DO
so. Bv what right does he make TINS as
sertio Has he shown that there was an
unwillingness upon the part OF the pepple
OF this state to lease the school landsE
What proof has he presented oi such an
unwiilingunss upon their parF Tue act
passed by this legislature at its regular ses-
sion for The first tune in The history OF tue
state oil Texas placed the school lands unon
the market for lease. The act took effect
in July last, but the land board did not
nut ~ IN active operation until about the
first of Noyem per and no bios were consid-
ersd by that hoard until the FIRST Day OF tine
present month. Tn IN for the first time IN
the history OF the state was the opppr-
tunlty Tered 10 s.ockmen to lease an acre
OF tnis and. WHAT evidence and whhi
prooi ha the senator produced that they
will not ease il? call upon MIN nov to
produce it,
retary of the land board, Mr.. Ran oiph
Laurence. with the following statems1t oI
the mum Der of acres Of land leased and
sold At its first sitting on the iift day OF
~ month:
TSlN number Of acres sold by the
state land board January l. o,,
1SS..............., ...........s... l,sti o. :
Average price per acre ....,...,., SIN .
Total amount OF sales. ............. 2,67. ~ W
Total number OF acres leased SoL0i,
Average prizes par acre .........,,. VI I'lU cts
Annu al amount Of leases (renO. 80. s3i9So IS
Nov, when the assertion OF the senator
Is brought face 20 face with this official
statement, which will you believe? l wan;
senators to bear in mind that this was the
first time in the history OF this state when
the public lands were offered for lease;
various rulings Of the land board prescrib'
ing details in the manner OF making appli'
c6ions which were not well understood by
the people, as is evidenced by tho great
ndmbsr Of oids rejected. And you must
also bear mind that the land board re-
permanent water on 1t. II the legisistu 9
will pass a common sense lease bill. | viii
assure them that every section IN Iexas
that is worth the money viii be leased "
grazing purposes 0a'y on give ire e
sld they will prove by assertion, and
assure you that Il will require no f)rce
bill in order 10 infiusnc1 them to do 80.
Then let it not be said that they are not
willing to pay for the grass they consume,
when they have, in fact, never had an OPP
portnnity to do so. IL has also been asser'
ted that they would not buy the lands
when they were offered for sale. When
thesc lands we're first put upon the market
in 1874, under tho administration OF GOV.
Coke, the people commenced TO buv Il:
aud west to these counties on
the border Of the state which
are now pouring into the
treasury 4 the state miili,n OF dollsrs Ia
taxes. When the lands were again placed
on The market IN 1881, at one dollar per
tl&t the leg stature became alarmed and
took them of the market. Then do not
tell me the people would not lease or buy
these lands until they were forced to do 90.
Whsn they had purchased them In large
qdsnsities they wers met ct the last SET sion
Of the Legislature ov clsmor that the en-.
tire school fund was icing bought up by
syHdicates, BY cattle kings as they are de-
fiodktnsted OF the senator from Travis. and
thy we're denounced, although they had
thieves and laad specu ators; and 80
anxious we're tnes tn buy and pay Tor
them 80 aaxious we're they 20 consume
their own grsss instead of that belonging
70 fns school f8od. they were charged Win
con- uniting fraud in purchasing more than
thu Ja y permitted them - purchase. and
isw Was passed 81 ihs last session OF the
legislature oreaujz'ng commission to