Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-04-18

my clients propose TO hold possession
OF these lands and test by law the
validity of your rule No. s, tender
ing this proposition to lease, with
Justification of IN their Sen'' r Is
TO occupy the lands. Gentlemen, YOU
have within your power the grandest
possibilities for good, you can 10 more
10 develop the material prosperity of
Texas than any FIVE men who have
ever figured In her eventful history.
You have the management OF the most
muniiicent educational fund ever
given by any state for the common
education OF ills children and the guar
dan angel of developing thought is
watching over your every act and
the history Of coming ages
will hold you responsible for the
proper management of your
trust. How can these great
objects be lest attain d.
both for the. benefit of the funds you
represent and the general prosperity ut
eur state, should be your great desire.
Ihele is no question In my mind hut
II this board should adopt fixed
policy 10 sell all agricultural lands TO
actual settlers and lease all the grazing
lands Mt n minimum rrlc of four cents
per acre, subject TO competition, aud
let 1t be. generally known that this
WIN be the fixed policy of the state In
the management OF its special-Mnd
lands, then ia my Judgment all of 1t
IN less Than five years will be occupied
either by parties,purchasing or leasing.
torty.itye million acres leased
cents per acre per annum would give
N,s00,000 per nnuum, or an amount
equal to what Is now appropriated an
nually for the running of the entire
slate governments; but there would
much OF 1t bring more than four cents
per acre, so that you could safely count
ON ut least S2,500,G0 annual income,
enough To more than support q nine.
months public school i'm the YEAR
without one cents taxation to the pat
rons, instead Of n tax for school bur
poses of twelve and One-half cents on
the hundred dollars We could have
one OF the largest aud best
endowed universities In the Union,
where not only our own aspiring
youths could drink deeply at the foun-
tam head of knowledge. but should
ana would be They're lavofite of those
OIL our sister republic, Mexico, where
associations would he formed that
would bind our countries more closely
together and result in lasting good TO
our state. Not only this; by leasing
these lands to our own citizens is the
state furnishing It's own people cheap
money with which 10 develop It's own
resources, something no State has
ever been able TO do on so
grand u scale. With the leas-
ing aud inclosing OF pastures
would come more attention 10 the Inn
provement of stock, an object much 10
be desired also, the killing-off of the
prairie dogs, thnt now annually eat
more grass In Texas than domestic
live stock. In this way you can inn
PROVE and add to the value of tho
speciai-fund lands that you represent,
ana demonstrate what they are worth.
The title will slill remain In the fund
TO which they belong, and II you have
made any mistakes, when the leases
expire they eau be corrected. Adopt
THIS policy and you pM DC backed
oy The iotW and have the
support and cooperation OF every good
citizen In our state. Every business
interest viii spring forward with a
quickened impulse inspired with new
and peace and prosperity
VIII smile on our land and generations
yet unborn Will bless you.