Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-04-29
Foreign and Corporate Land Holdershlp.

rOTclpu anu wi Isuiutc Luuu-hViucisuiVs
Galveston News.l
The Fort Worth GAZETTE, the rep.
resentative of large land and cattle in
terests, makes this sophistical argu.
ment
at is little surprising to find the
Monitor, the Catholic Journal recently
issued ut Galveston, preaching alien
doctrines from the text America for
Americans The Monitor says it
views with alarm the fonthold foreign
capital is getting in the United States,
and it Is apprehensive of the ten
denotes of foreign ideas and interests
thus established here. TO counterfeit
this it would have, as n measure of gov
eminent policy, an alien law, prohibit
ing the requirement by aliens of prop
erty (landed) in large quantities. 1t
has never been the policy of the gov
eminent To- discourage foreign invest
ments here, or to discriminate against
foreigners. On the contrary, u friendly
and helping hand has ever been eX.
tended to the helpless and oppressed
of every nation ana cline. How this
spirit OF tolerance aud friendiness has
been appreciated is best attested in the
vast numbers of foreigners who come
here, proving as good and useful citi-
zens as we have. Foreign capital has
aided in developing this country and
making II to blossom rs the rose. 1t
has constructed two-thirds of the rail
roads that now gridiron Texas. But
for our friendly policy toward aliens
tie church of Rome. of which the
Monitor is an able organ, would not be
ms strong as it /, to-day in America.
There is no need to depart from this
policy. The alien of to-day is citizen
and an American comparatively to-
morrow, and Americans will always
be able To take care of AMERICA
There is wide difference between
allowing men of foreign birth to be-
come citizens and acquire homes in the
United States and permitting foreign
capitalists TO acquire princeiy domains
in the country without becoming citi-
zens, and expanding the profits abroad
contributing but little to the support
of our institutions and occupying with
their tlocks and herds lands that
should support populations numerous
enough to build roads, support schools
and churches, mechanic arts, manu-
features and other agencies of social
progress ard Improvement. The at
tempt of THE GAZETTE to place great
alien laudholders on the same footing
with naturalized resident citizens
Is too bold sophism to pass unchal-
lenged. 1t has never been the policy
OF either general or state government
to place foreigners on the same footing
with citizens either native or natural
lied. The federal constitution declares
That 1.-THE citizens of each state shall be
entitled to all the privileges and i'm
munities of citizens of the several
states" but it does not extend these
rights to foreigners. The constitution
OF the republic of Texas required a
residence ia the country, an oath that
the immigrant Intended to remain
permanently in 1t, to support the ooA-
stltution and bear true allegiance to
the republic, in order TO be entitled to
the privileges of citizenship. Aliens
were prohibited from holding lands
unless by special grants from the re-
public. That constitution declared
thst certain pretended claims to lands
In Texas under which the enormous
amount OF l,l0O leagues of land had
been claimed by sundry in
ulVluuals, some of whom
resided in foreign countries and We're
not citizens of the republic, We're null
and void. General Provision, sec. 10.
Acts were passed by the Texas CON
gress for the sale of land scrip in GER
tam cases TO raise means to carry on
the war with Mexico. The Texas con-
gress In consideration of the troubles
OF the revolution which prevented
many of the colonists from complyinr
with the conditions on which the
titles to their land depended, released
them from many of these conditions.
but expressly declared that 1.-THE con-
dltlon of remaining in the country.
and the provision prohibiting the sale
10 aliens shall not he repealed" The
policy or the state government and the
general government has always been
OF Il corresponding character. The at
tempt of THE GAZETTE to confound
great alien capitalists with citizens is
SO palpably absurd as not to require an
answer. But there is distinction
even betw cen aliens and foreign CAM.
talists residing abroad, yet claiming To
hold lands i'm this country. An alien
Is foreigu-born resident of
country in which he
does not possess the right and priv
lege Of citizenship American Cvclo.
p'edia] The views of The GAzETrr
on this subject derive significance If
not force from the fact that the naner
is the property of the Loving Publish.
ing company and that the head of the
company. Mr.. Loving, is also the head
OF the Texas Investment comnanv
who has made special visits to Eurone
IN orderto sell Immense tracts of Texns
lands to foreigners for ranches. This
company Itself Is capable of BECOMING
powerful instrument in the business
and politics of the state. 1t is such
great laudholding corporations ms are
represented by THE GAZETTE that
give color, to the extravaganza com.
plants and threats of such snnini in.i.