Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-11
co,. W. NJ. walton.
AusriS, Tx, July

4 uerlTe W say thioukh yooi popSi
that I believe il due to the people that
every man who offers himself as can
didate for a state Office should briefly
and plainly state his views on any
new question that the party to which
he belongs will be called on to act.
The grass question is anew question,
out of which have grown much trouble,
excitement and discussion. If the
views of the candidate do not harmon
lie with those OF the people. he ought
not to be nominated, and II nominated
under such circumstances he should
be defeated at the polls.
Although the Encouragement has
nothing to do with the enactment of
laws, yet the position Is high, hon
orabie and important one, and no one
should be placed there who in add.
ton to being capable and honest, does
not within himself truly reflect the
opinions of majority of the party in
which he aligns himself Individu-
ally / do not love Office well
enough to receive promotion
from the ranks to one
by concealment of my convictions,
although they may not meet with an
asserting response from those w HON 1
propose to serve.
In regard TO free grass have this to
say: l am opposed to the whole lease
sy stem, either for short or long terms,
believing, as do, that 1t will, wheth-
er we'll or lily carried out, work serious
detriment and operate as an upquali-
fed drawback to the settlement and
prosperity OF the country. Laws
should be BRIEF and plain, and when
enacted, be vigorously enforced and
rigidly executed, and under the
protection OF such laws every man
who owns land, much or little, with
proper highway conveniences for the
public, be permitted to fence it, and
when inclosed, heshould be protected
in his fences 10y severe and certain pun
ishment OF those who injuriously mo-
lest or wantonly destroy them. And
every man who incloses land not his
own without the written consent of the
owner, public or private land, should
be punished AS severely andwith as
much certainty as the man who cuts u
fence or tears il down. Aud in
this class of wroDg-doers belong those
''squatter sovereigns" who squat on
range and hold 1t for exclusive use by
the aid of Line riders (Which is MOTH
ing but another species of fence.
The school lands and other trust
lands, in my opinion, should be sold
only TO actual settlers and in quanti-
ties not exceeding | $50 acres. Should
any man or set OF men under the puise
of actual settlers acquire lands, intend.
ing at the time--by o-operation-to
unite large bodies in the posses.ion of
one person contrary to the spirit of
the law, such persons ought to be nun.
| ished as fence-cutters are punished
All lands not inclosed should be omen
to the public. The class of men who
would 20 there In the IL rat ins,ance ara
those who all through the history of
the United States and Texas have
pushed back frontiers, freed them from
Indians and outlaws, and opened the
way for the tiller of the soil.
The prosperity of the country de-
ponds On agriculture, and the wider
and more perfect the Agricultural
Interests become, the greater the
general prosperity of the peonle and
the higher the type of their ciyiliza.
ton. Large pastures and cultivated
fields are inconsistent with each Other
Where one exists the other will not 20
There can be no question that thSu.
sands of fields, cultivated by thrifty
farmers who raise their stock for do
nestle uses, pay taxes, raise children
vote in times of peace and fight wher
war Gomez, are infinitely preferable tr
"A few large pastures with stock /,
them by the million. One /,
civilization in its true sepsa
the other civilization also, but limit,
and crude. The lease system foster
the pa t)ral interests alone. and an
tagonizes agriculture, while actual s.l
Elements lay the foundation deem mn,
strong of interests that belong To yoof
government.
+ The question of free schools has bss
tackled on to the lease syslemn i,
; such "a way by its advocates that i
forces from me remark concerpin,
, that subject. a good system of fr.'
schools is great blessing I,
any people, and no man NOR,
heartily adv. Gates general nne
free education than do
But 1t istrue of schools AZ II il of every
branch in The science of poyernmsni
. 1t requires tine to perfect the svstam
and requires more time To endow III ar,
! Our present school fund main,ain,
E schools, for large part of the yaar
the fund il growing YEARLY and In d..
time the fund will increase 10 n,
amount TO justify schools throngt
D nine months annually. the nron.
school year. In nv ind yn,.n, 4, iope
needful to rush the school fund nj t uo
expense OF the vravsst 49, W..
: asta of ,l,n o"'S's ihteT