The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-07-27
MR.. TEMPLE ON AND THE GA.
gETTE.


gETTE.
NTr38NEY-GENERAL 'TEMpIEroN's |
'ttcr to the Fort Worth Gazette in sup
ort Of the lease laws is one of the |
trongest eXpositionA of the good points
f that law and the, weak points of the
ree-grass policy that we have seen any
where. IteNc, ties ones sympathy even
or the Gazette to see it loundoring
round IN y two-column editorial in an
-ttempt. to answer that letter. AS Il
mere matter, or stroke of policy, the GA
.ett e should have politely declined to-
y Iblish the letter unless it could have
it. As it stands, its columns
have been put to the service Of the lease
law advocates in most marked, and it
must be to its friends most humiliating
manner. TEMPLEToN has made it the
instrument of its own condemnation,
exposed its sophistries, laughed at its
protestations of regard for the actual
settler, and knocked it out in one round.
Poor Gazette! 1t evidently did not
know that TEMPLEToN was loaded. 1t
ought to be able to appreciate BILLY
CHANDELIERS feelings when he toyed
with HENDRICKS. Some of these pub
lie men are worse than dynamite when
you touch them off. But the Gazette is
entitled to double sympathy, for it in
nocently exploded the bomb in its own
household. Such sudden and acct
dental death is always u shocking oc-
currence.
But to the Attorney-Generaps letter:
lie puts this lease law before the people
in the most attractive light in two or
three well-eXpressed sentences, its wis
dom, its practical workings and its per-
feet constitutionality The lease law
only permits man to exert exclusive
control over tho States lands, just as
lands, by paying Il certain sum PEI
annum. 1t sweeps away the assumed
right once exercised to fence and eX
clusively control the commons, anC
makes him pay for such special privi
leges. And then Mr.. TEMPLETON re
marks: $50 long as any man is willing
that all other men shall he free ano
equal with him in the uso and enjoy
ment of the prairles of the State there i:
no law to demand of him one cent o
1 tribute. SO long as he is content that i
shall he free TO all others it is free tC
him.
1t is no, akin to herd law. That re
fuses man the use of the commons
while under the lease law the commons
remain open everything not leased il
still FREQ to everybody.
1t does not rctard settlement. II mus
be always remembered that the Law
gives the settler the right to settle OF
leased land, and that the records shoy
that he is doing it. Then look ut tn
following statement by the Attorney
General: "Tho lands mt this time TN
most inviting and most accessible
to persons wanting land 70
homes are being leased to but a smal
extent. The Immigrant or settler wi
first seek his home in an organize
county. The benefits of tho cOmmo
) school and the protection Of local gON
eminent suggests it to him. Now tax
those counties along the Texas & z,
ciiic railroad, in the very track {
travel. No land is taken up i'm cithC
Taylor, Mitchell or Eastland county
but 2ll acres in Callahan, aud bt
) $50 acres in Nolan. In Wichita non
is leased. In Hardcman and BaylC
$40 acres each. In Wheeler count
$ only $50 acres. In Archer 1870 acre
, Divide lei Paso, Preside, Pccos and Tol
r Green counties into counties the size
= Tarrant. There is but a trine more tina
two leagues to the organized count,
| leased. 1t is less than 5000 acres OF
0 of an area in each county of, say $500
, acres. Three-iourths of all the Ian
= taken up in organized counties lies
1 Tom Green, Preside, I'll Paso and Pee,
. counties, which are VIGOROUSLY not no
= agricultural counties, and less than on
{ third the area of Tarrant county
} leased in all the other organized couI
e ties put together, This is so far leavir
an abundance of room for She settle
T. and 80 far the country is not hurt by Il
= leasing system in the way of keepir
settlement back"
= 1t is constitutional because not pr
2 hibited by the constitution, and II
D maxim for the Interpretation of q
n state constitutions is that they leave d
o power to the Legislature which they
B. not take away; that the Legislature
the supreme law where not limited |
:, the constitution or organic law.
! And so on, in short, TO the end of Il
0 chapter. Tho letter is likely TO pro
o a thorn in the side of the cattle synC
= Gates and their organs. II Is a strol
= arraignment Of the sham and lily co
n cealed selfishness of the barons, al
: does the Attornoy-Goneral cred
t Coming from the chief legal adviser
S the state, and withal so honest and 60
4 sentative and well-balanced charact,
= II is doubly weighty.
-
Is there single member Of a lar
cattle company or cattle syndicate n