Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-28
The Evil of Il.

1hofe nave been tieu up III pastures,
under the operations OF the lease law,
something near ZOO, 900 acres OF school
ii per cent, were wRtcred. IL Ia fair
to assume that ON an average one sec
ton of watered land controls twenty
sections of dry land, which would give
800 900 acres, practically gone from
the school fund, under nominal
leaschold of but 200, 900 acres. This,
however, gives but meager indica-
ton of the true results attained under
the present system OF leasing. A con-
siderable proportion of the leases were
to pasture owners who. In making
their Enclosures, by accident or intcn-
tion, took In several dry sections of
school lands. a just estimate of
these would he not less than
70 per cent, leaving but $50, 900 acres
Of dry land leased to $50, 900 of wntered
land, or nearly 30 per cent, less than
its actual dependencies. AT this rate
the pasture men will be required TO
lease only sixteen or seventeen mill.
ions of acres TO control the entire do.
main OF public lands. This leasing of
wntercd lands, however, involves far
greater evil than the one indicated. II
IL not 80 much To loo deplored that the
amount Of watered lands leased out Is
entirely disproportioHate to that OF un.
watcred lands, IA that tho tendency of
tue system Ia to give the lessee virtual
control OF the entire West. II IL u
well-known fact that water Ia the
chief factor In value and dcsirability
of land In that section. InaccessI-
billty to II renders tract OF
land almost worthless and un-
salablc. u IL needless to adduce ar
aument 10 show that those who con
troll the water sources OF the country
possess the key To the situation, and
only by their dlslodgement Is the en-.
trance OF those to whom they may be
unfiicndly made possible. The pres.
ont system forbids access to the wa
tered sections to all save the lessee,
and 10 render his iron grasp upon the
country still more secure he Is given
an absolute title TO II for the term of
the lease, which Is also permanent so
long IA the leasing system In perma.
nent' Even the sham pretcuse OF Civ
Ing the settler the preference In this
case IL avoided that no possible way
may be opened up TO curtail the impe.
rial prerogativeofthe lessee. The reason
u evident. With sealed title 10
The watered lands, which the do.
mands Of settlement cannot pi esume
10 question, and which has vitality ma
ong as the people can be blinded into
an Endorsement OF the leasing svstem,
he pasture king can sit In his easy
'hair and laugh to scorn the barren
privileges granted TO the actual settler,
True, the law win allow him to 40 I'm,
'ui II Is equally true that the pasture
nan, backed up by law, will permit
I'm TO starve TO death for water after
Ne Is in, and II perforcS in his distress
he should retreat to the fountains
Which nature has provided and
which In Justice are the heritage of
he poor as well AS the rich, he Is met
the brink by the stern edlct of the
Nv bandished In his face, Preserved
= ne pasture kiag.n II the advo.
'tes OF the leasing system are sincere
'he,r professions OF friendship OF
ie settler; II their words are nor n
ecsery, and their policies toward
m iarce, Why Is II that when he
4 Tor bread they cast him a stone I?
men ne asks q passport into the
eat they fill u out and immediately
Irender into the hands Of the pas.
70 King the key to It's very portals ]