Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-28
A MODIFIED LEASE.
Representative Elect Bell Of Denton
County on the Questions'of
the Day.
That System that Will Promote Settle
ment Of the West the Best,

Hon. G. c. Bell represeutative-elect
from Denton county, came down yes
terday to take in' the great Thanks
giving celebration and add his pres
ence to the sthrong who'painted
the town red" last night. THE GA.
ZErrE must say, however, that he used
very mild tone Of paint, abstaining
entirely from the urid hue that our
Fort Worth boys used in their excess
Of enthusiasm
Being member of the next legisla.
ture, and therefore having n voice in
the settlement of the land policy of the
state, Mr.. Bells opinions are Of inter
est to every body, so THE GAZETTE
sought an interview with him To get
an expression Of his views upon that
question. He readily assented and
gave his opinions frankly and without
reserve.
1.-THE question Of lease and anti
lease was made an issue IN our cOun-
ty,n said Mr.. Bell, "and there were
candidates representing all aspects of
the question. There WIS an ultra lease
law candidate who opposed the sale Of
the school lands and favored leasing
them for n school revenue; there were
two out-and-out free grass candidates;
and myself, who made the fight for a
modified lease law. The position |
hold is that the great stockmen will
nave the use Of grass If we make it free,
and they will have the ne of IL II we
lease it; so, To get what revenue we
can for the schools ] am in favor
Of leasing IL, subject, however, TO such
conditions as Will promote the settle
ment Of the West. The present law
should, j think, he changed in some
respects. The amount of land to be
leased in bo6y should he limited,
and the length of the lease term should
be shortened. / think an average
price Of ten cents an acre for dry and
watered lands is fair charge, and be-
lleve the Cattlemen will he willing to
pay this. 1t will not do, though TO
fence up the country in big pastures,
do not know but that some
system might be devised to
do away with fences altogether
around leased pastures. This latter
sentence was expressed obviously, as
| II IL was regarded as possible expert
ment which he might favor IL, upon
investigation, II was thought to
promise favorable results
1t was suggested to- Mr.. Bell that
many thought that any lease system
would prove bstrucLive to the adj
vance of settlement i'm the Western
counties, and tire question was aked If
he, upon fuller investigation of the
merits of the question, should become
convinced that such was the case
would he be opposed TO any lease sys
! tenn
As to that cannot say Just now, -
he replied, cautiously. II am first in
favor of the settlement Of the West,
after that in favor of some system that
| VIII yield revenue from the school
lands until they are sold. They
should he sold as soon a. possible, but
IL VIII be many years before all are
taken up. look upon these lands as
trust IN the hands of the state for our
school children, and whatever DISPOSE
ZION OF them Is best for the public
schools should be made by the state "
In my canvass continued Mr..
Bell, II favor d an amendment TO the
present state law in regard to that stat
ute which commands the putting OF
gates every three miles for passage
through leased lands. A better way, !
think Is to lease the lands in bodies
something like the following: