Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-08-07


vocate that free grass which Is OBJ
tanned by DESTROYING fences which In
close lands belonging to purchasers.
In view Of the energetic and eNcep-
tional war made on fence-cutters by
THE GAZETTE last fall, 1t is hard to
understand how any man can say
this paper favors the free grass which
the fence-cutters may have demanded.
The Post correspondent reprints these
paragraphs from THE GAzErTE-and,
In response TO fence-cutting rs means
TO secure free grass, THE GAZETTE also
reprints them and reiterates the senti-
ment therein expressed:
Fro. grass, as general proposition. will
not do A herd law Is the other extreme.
One is In the interest OF the commune, the
other In that OF the cormorsnt. Cannot
Texas protect property rights aud yet do that
with its free grass" which will produce
the most money.
Some men have cattle and no land, and
Others have land and no cattle, therefore we
must have free range. That Is the free range
argument. as 1t has been put. Isn't II just as
correct to Say that the man who has land
and no cattle shall prey of his neighoors
cattle. as that the man with cattle and no
land shall Craze his stock al lnrgc'
The effect OF herd Law is TO compel the
owners OF stock TO restrain them from run
ming at large by combining them with fence
Mt y heavy and unnecessary expense for fenc'
ing and for land. The effect OF free range Tree
grass) is to allow all STOCK to run nj large,
beat down fences blot thu line OF individual
property rights and make nil lands common.
This Is the fence-cntter's paradise,
Free grass as a general proposition
AS proposition to destroy the
fences around lands that have been
bought aud paid for-will not do. Tex
rs can protect property rights, and 10y
leaving all the grass on the uninclosed
lands free, offer an inducement to the
settlement of the West that was offered
to every other section of the state.
The free grass OF the fence-sutter is
not the free grass that would annul
the lease law. THE GAZETTE, more
than any paper In Texas, fought the
fence-cutter and the free grass that he
wanted and tried to get by cutting
fences around even the calf lots of
farmers. THE GAZETTE does not want
that kind of free grass now, but 1t does
advocate return to that policy Of the
state which permitted all uninclosed
lands to be public commons, aud I'M
der which policy the state has grown in
population and wealth and thus been
enabled TO reduce its rate of taxation
until it is scarcely felt by the tax
payer. TIE GAZETTE asks for the
| West the same free grass that the East,
the North, that all sections of Texas
have had in the past. Ii asks this be-
cause 1t Is justice 10 the West and be-
cause rs the West grows will market
be created for the lumber of the Fast.
and because as population and wealth
Increase will the tax on all the people
of the state be reduced.
THE GAZETTE favored tn. lease law
and urged upon the people u willing
compliance and obedience to the
enactments of the extra session; 1t
urged fair trial of what had been
done by the legislature in face of a
great emergency. In doing this THE
GAZETTE did what it deemed best for
the good of Texas and does not regret
what II did. THE GAZETTE made no
war on the lease law because it saw no
injustice in eNacting payment for the
use of public property-in the lease
law and the Enclosure act which COM
pctled cattle men To tease, THE GA.
zETrE Mt the time saw only compen.
sation for.public property, and, there
fore, made no opposition 10 ii, and
this very Endorsement ought to be
proof positive 10 any f.r-minded man
that The GAZETTE is not the organ
of ''free-grass barons" and cattle
kings who would grow rich on the
children's grass But we have no
hope that the Jumper" who writes
for the Post will believe anything OF
TuE GAZETTE than what is bad.
The opposition of THE GAZETTE to
the lease law was the result of the
workings Of the law. That law means
more TO Texas-tar more to West
Texas-than the mere revenue from
grazing public lands. 1t means the
non-settlement of the West, the retro
graduation of promising young cities
aud thriving towns, the falling oil In
last years wonderful increass of taxa
BILE wealth, the giving over of tn,
West to large pastures owned
by "syndicates and corpora
lions outside of Texas anC
such state of affairs rs will de
mand armed force to suppress 1t. Ii
its working the lease law means
division In the Democratic party o
Texas and the growth of sectiona
feeling that will bear fruit in du,
season.
| The GAZETTE does not claim to b,
wiser than other men. Some legisla
tors who voted for the lease law ar,
now opposed to 1t, and some VIII,
voted against 1t are now In favor of It
The GAzErrE's motive for indorsin,
II was one Of Justice, It's opposition /,
1t, In view of its results, will be insti
t.,., L. IL.