The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-04-03

FIfr LAND HOARD

QUE II ser Nht't tNpt ~ aAA 'iA''H - -
; good" Is ssRis
TIfE LAND BOARD
The fnlinSi etXtrsot fFnm pTi5aie end
a, FsOHHI tIFT 30 ie ~ the pfOpFl 81 ofs of
this pspeT, We take ths liberty OF pub lsi-
ing. The snih oT who Is personally 81
auainted snh . the members Of The anf
board, ssys; Nov IL 10 the FAC, abo IN y
ihst tie board wanted To do tie very
| beet ih'rg u could for the whole state, all
| the pforls nuu oil the interests of ihe peo
III IA dealing attn the eLnol lands, They
Ihoueh' they were doiOf that when ihry
put the price nj s cents FER acre, and roth
! iuF lA tie Nay OF lNgio or fscis or hbuse
that have heard. seen or felt hHa Ia Ihs
least staggered my opinion about " 81
moved me peg towards changing or re-
yenins my views. Had they been leoklnr
through fsy hrls Ant seen only The c.t
tle iutss,t 81 they might hsye pursued al :
ferent course, and se, apart a county apite..
tor few caiulsmsn aud wired n In,
think the whole board lusily appreciates
Ibe CO tie men, cattle corpora Ions, domes'
tic and foreign aud cattle interetis OF the
state land they are entitled u high 1ppIe'
oiatioi) nut they ought not 10 upset the
! whole Of northwest Texas To BE- made vir'
tubllS = free grszng ground Tor th'ir al
most uniageo heTfs ~ c.''le live Hmone
! the cat lie me-. sud know them To be good
IL, e i.linw~ ui'h the keenrst appreciation
OF the rood thirgs they have hal for years.
IttS uun'L .ant 20 CIV. ~ ny
nor d. blame them for IL
There has been millions IN II 10 them '
sometimes think Il Is not the four or eight
cents per acre that So much yeGss Ihrir
sonls, but ,hst II Ia q sort oi polcy hat tins
Is obly the beginning o. government 10 be
mt dd,inp with iheir pastures.
Il IL be the policy oftne state 20 leas" the
school land and attempt 10 dsriv- a borns
thtrefrom IL then becomes purely ous'-
n.ss problem 10 determine what they IRE
worth for the purposes Tor which the. car
now be leased aud put that price ON them
lfthey are to bs leased and virtually tied
iii not good business sense 10 lea them
at four cents when they will lesss
Of the lease OF 80 or 100
cents on beef steer will bresk mp. the h.,
business IN Texas, or iDjuriouslv
affect 1t, then II can not long sur
v,ys The cattle interest has ita organs
grinding II out ard its apostles asserting
| 10 every where Tint the country Is unht 10!
&c tiement and hsbitsIiop, and these per-
,uits and occupations that carry along with
| hem churches and school houses and local
| government, capable of maintaining law
aud order and pesce and quietude enforcing
riei Is and redressiDg wrongs. Then they
60 with the pillow. A philosopher has eaid
that civilization begins with ": and this
interest drives IL into your ears hat II 10 I'M
III for the plow. About az good way per
hsps rs any for the government 10 combat
this hesIsay Is TO show that II
attaches some value TO the use OF III lDnss
IN that country. And every hardy farmer
who GOES into il equipped with On Ordinary
emount OF good conmon sense punches
hole In sUch doctrines.
No owner o. land would think Of leasing
il for the small per, cent. Gu is value a
which the stats is asked 10 lease its tchool
land and every farmer in the state who
leases land cxeects 10 pay from % to 40 per
sent OF lis annual products as u rental. A
man who should want free land To grow
corn, whent, oats, barley and rye would bf
laughed ct as crank, or pitied ss a f'ol,
and should lew or many of them get to-
gether in broad da, light or amid the flow
Of chamnsgue and discuss 1t serious
few wrils OF lunacy in that neighborbood
followed by an increase in the population
of the luusiic asy lum. Don't you think
you would?
Now, in putting the price on the land It
was Clearly the duty Of the board to con-
slider two important thinge, or at all event
to not shut their eyes to them and swear
<
land is taken, and the fact that We we're
putting one price on all the land in the
state that was 10 be leased. am not here
speaking OF the watered land Now ii it
Is claimed or admitted, and no man, in my
humble opinion, can justly claim it or can
dioly admit 1t. that 1t is not worth 80 cents
for the year 1884, for 1885 and 1856 1t will
be worth that and long. before
a six years Jesse will expire 1t will be
worth twice that figure perhaps. Again,
IN putting tho price on ell this vast domain
IL Zee med to the board that they should be
very much influenced by the value o. the
best land, for that will be part aiken up at
high or low figures.
Wien you are ceiling for yourself few
million OF acres of land and were selling it
ell ut one price the good sores and bsd
acres alike--you would likely make the
good land deL7Imiue the price. Then why
should not the board do ior the state just
what every man will admit each individual
member OF it should DO TOR himrelf.
II should be Kept in mind that the
action OF the board is neceesarisIly
INT temporary TO Lost less than year.
The pubic land of the state 10 only now at
tracing It's merited attention In Gil parts OF
the siste and from all the people and In
q way which Legislature which in January
fully instructed by an intelligent
whet it wants done with that
vast trust fund. A tew years ago we heard
but little OF the public land except when
some genius found sons new or original
sche me for fooline IL away.
1t is my deliberate ooinion that 1t would
be better for the state, better Tor the school
fund that not an sore of the lsnd
should be lied up and Withdrawn from the
control OF the next legislature in view OF
the awakened public opinion. 1t will be
better for the state TO do without the money
thai might be subject from the
amount of land that would be leased be-
tween this time and January next than the
vast areas of fair agricultural land capable
Of supporting a TensoLhb g clever populH-
,ion OF farmers should be allotted to few
cow ranches, and Ill at four cents per acre.
IL is true the law gives the right to buy
Leased land but IL imposes such conditions
and in addition the lesse es can interpose
eunh difficulties and obstacles that IT 10
esily no right capable OF enjoyment or ex-
rrcise.
eli have no reason atthis time to doubt
however that the state will get more money
between this ard January next at CENTS
Than 1t could at four. There may be hcld-
Ing ba OK for Q time in the belief that the
board will decide and cut down
the price but It will not recede wi bout
more reason than is now in sight, and
v hen that is known those who have the
cattle to Craze and need the laud VIII Day
the price tor 1t verify believe that had
the last legislature had the time to pass a
lard or lesse bill It would have put the land
Ut ten cents, and those who wait Tor the
next 10 cut down the lease price will have
plenty OF time to regret their lost oppor-
unity.
Their cIsmor about the watered lsnd is
more groundless than any thing else. 1t vas
pif the market. It YVES essentially free. But
mat would not suit them. The board must
Keep Il on the market and give them q
,haHce at It, They would not consent for It
% be free, bit when IL is offered |