Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-09-30


passed by the Legislature. The infer
ence is, Of course, that Gov. ireland
would do so. THE GAZETTE is not In
the confidence Of Gov. Ireland and
does not presume to speak as enc hav-
ing authority for him. But this we
know, that no enemy Of the governor
has ever yet called him dishonest
man. THE GAZETTE, whose opposi-
ton TO lease law in any shape and
however modified is well known,
is content to take Gov. Ireland's pub
lie utterances as bond for his public
action. Gov. Ireland asserts that the
first consideration, In dealing with the
public land question, is to provide n
revenue for public school pur-
poses, because the legislature set
aside certain lands for that specific
purpose These lands he considers
dedicated to a special purpose and the
lease, he thinks, is the best means to
effect that purpose. In this the gov
ernor but again evinces his devotion
to what he considers the law. Gov.
Ireland had nothing to do with franz
ing the lease law. AS he says, 1t was
no pet measure of his, but was passed
as compromise measure between
factions contending over an improve
ment of the policy that had been
inaugurated before he went into office.
It was the best that could be done.
But Gov. Ireland further said that the
land board, OF which he Is a member,
raised the minimum price from four to
eight cents and reduced the duration
of the lease in order TO pre-
vent all the land from be-
ing gobbled up by cattle rails
ing syndlcates-that, while the
provision of public school rev.
enue was the first consideration,
the board did not wish to provide that
revenue If in so doing the lands would
pass for long term of years into the
hands of syndicates and corporations.
In his public addresses, the governor
further says that the people should
send men TO Austin who will faith
fully reflect the popular will, and II
these gentlemen shall, In their wis
dom, see fit to change the law, that he
will not interfere with their action.
THE GAZETTE has repeated the sub
stance Of the utterances Of the governor
before public audiences in North Tex
as, and, however much 1t may differ
with him on this subject, can see no
inclination on his part to thwart the
wish of the people.
Let not anti-lease law advocates
practice that intolerance Of which they
complain in others. John Ireland is
as much entitled to his views on this
subject as any other man. With
Democrats it should be enough to
know that he is II Democrat, that he
is the Democratic nominee, that he is
an honest man, that he has no pet
measure to force on the people and
that his very devotion to what he
knows as law is guarantee that if the
lease law be repealed John Ireland is
not the man to interpose his personal
views between that law and the will
of the people. On this subject we
reprint the following from the Austin
staff correspondence of the Houston
Post:
A 4
been appraised OF the contents OF letter re-
ceived by the governor from gentleman in
one OF the western counties. The writer OF
the letter is man OF intelligence, and the
Democratic nominee for the legislature. He
says there are many Democrats In his county
who will vote for wash Jones unless Gov.
Ireland shall pledge himselfnot 10 veto a bill
repeating the lease law, In case such bill pass
the next Legislature. This is very strong evil
dence OF the fact that the people up there
have been unnecessarily excited upon this
subject, and In consequence Imagine
all kinds Of improbable bad re-
suits TO themselves, While II Is
not at all probable that the governor OF any
state would pledge himself in advance not 10
veto any particular measure, GOV. ireland
has said all that any reasonable person can
ask upon this subject. II is not the province
of the executive TO intefpose his veto power
except 10 prevent measures which would, IL
his Judgment, prove disastrous to the state
and as the lease law itself is as yet but par
tally tested experiment, 1t lsnot at all likel,
that It's repeal could be construed into disas
ter TO the whole state. Those who threaten
to vote for Wash JOKES because Ireland will
not say more than he did IN his Fort WORT
speech, want TO vote that wny anyhow, an
VIII probably do so regardless OF anytlin
which the Democratic candidate might Civ
u,terance 10.