Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-25
SHANNON'S SPEECH.
The Senator From Parker County Dis,
cusses the Terrell Bill.
A Practical and Ccgent Argument
Against That Measure.
An Appeal for Small Stock Owners
Against Discrimination.


T., discussing the Terrell bin in the
Trxns senate last Saturday, Senator
shannon of Parker said:
After the affirmative of the PROPOSE
tion to adopt the majority report from
thn committee on stock aud stock
raising had been so ably presented 10y
the senator from Travis and replied to
nv the ananswerable and exhaustive
arguments of the senator's from Bexar
aud Cooke. he felt there was but little
Left TO ne said on either side. IL was
his purpose, after listening to the dis
cnssinn up to that time, not osay any
thing i'm the debate. He ielb like the
case was about covered. and that what
be could saw would not he likely to
Influence in the slightest the result of
the contest. nor was he of the opinion
now that he would be able to influence
he course that senators miEhi TAKE in
the matter. and but for the fact that
,.ilnrts had been made 10y senators on
the other side, notably by the senator
from Montague to place tn Sc OF the
senate who differed with the major
itv us to the btst mode "t sup
pressing the lawlesSness which Is pow
rnmpant in the land III false light
before the senate and the country. lie
would most likely have had nothing
to say, Mr. Chairman, senators ON
b tn sides of this question have enter
tniuyd the senate with their views rs
to the cause VIII ch has produced. or
the causes which have contributed
| largely toward bringing about the
uresent condition of lawlessness l.
too. have my ideas on the subject, but
whe, her | am right or wrong in my
couiertures as 10 the course Is not
uerhaps, of very great Importance
| of me fact there is no question, that
is. there is at this time an unusual
g 'ndition of affairs; there is n gouo
deal of deviltry going on; lawlessness
stalks abroad unhlushing and unre
strained; thousands of dollars Wo u
of property is being destroyed ant
millions in values are being affected
society is. to some extent, endangered
and men are talking in bated breatl
of the gloomy prospects of the imnre
diate future of our state. Whlle socl
ETY. is aboring under the effects of this
panic. for it is II panic, we, Tie sc
erted lawmakers OF the state, arr
called together in .eXtraoidinar.
session, and the country expected
of us, and it has Il ris Int to expect of us
that we address ourselves To the sub
iect of correcting the evil in an intelii
gent, patriotic and conservative way
If we are sensible we will not engage
in this discussion in an unfrl' ndl1
spirit, attrbutng selfish and unpatri
otto motives to those who differ will
us rs to the proper remedy, and if W
are patriots and honest men we vii
not attempt to take advantage of tn
prnic which has :, lied upon the publ
MUD 10 advance our selfish ends o
promote the interest Of any particula
cas-.
He, for one, wanted 10 It up the mis-
chief, and eff cluallt and lie was will
lug aud prepared to do whatever, in In
Judgment, would be surest To accom-
pli.h that end. He objected TO the bill
under consideration, and was opposed
10 the majority report thereon, becaus
IL If Ied no remedy, in his Judgment
FIR the evil complained of 1t was iru
it proposed grass commission,
standing army, band and gli-tenini
bayonets. 1t was true it proposed L
make the violation OF its provisions
felony IL was true il proposed rene
dies extraordinary and unique, but fo
all thu il offered no remedy for tn
evil and no protection 81 relief to thos
of tneIr iello"-c tiz rs when prop' r..
was BENZ so waDtOu Y destroyed
Senators may he Startled at tnat asse
ton, but he would enueavor 10 den
onsl rate before he closed that what h
said was undeniably true. and not
Nlthslanding the fact that 1t wa
claimed by the supporters OF the ma
jority REPORT that the opposition
oil RS nothing rs u subSti ut
rs IA means Of stopping lawlessne-s. h
asserted, with ut the ear of surcrssfu
contradictions, that this was the oul
mr,surr that had received any con
= sdtr ton at the hands Z
the senate that offered absolutely m
remedy or any fort tat "a remedy. i
was bill ITO regulate the grazing q
, stock and to riescrib- and proviie 10
, "lif"rci & penalties for its violation,
, aud II was claim, d by It's FIJI .nds tina
IL was IA panacra for the existing evil
ana they charged that nothing wa
Offered a. II substitute fnr il. He hn
hts tn answer, there had been "a YER
, II ~d of bills introduced into the tw
branches of The legislature dealin
with The subject;
In reference % the qu stion of tn
senator from MonlagI" Al, 10 the pos
non OF those of them who opposed tn
majority report on the sub ecl of fire.
gas, hr had This H. say: He ha
never lou sht u d ssuise his ideas %
the subj Ut He ~aid II hai been tn
cnlliIlr'n law throughout the lengl
ana breadth nf tie continent from tn
days at its fii-t settlement do an I
the esent, That mn mel S ID Lands wer
AS lar 40 the grass thereon was cor
ceriIed. commons. IL had been tn
uninterrupted Iule in Texas since il
earliest settlement, aud he knew n
3 'ou reason for | = abolition. III
lhuu9 nj the owner alone had the RICH
10 Withdraw his land from the con
nous, and II he saw iii 10 let his lam
go unienced he did not believe the leg
islature was called upon to fence it f.
nm. He believed he had Il light I
renee ilis lands in small tracts or II
large ONES, II by doing so he did no
inlflige To too great an extent upol
the 'risht-ofway, which Is common
10 all, the right of iugres
ana tgress to and from hi
property, and n reasonably direc
pa-snge through the country, an,
when any citizrn saw proper So to Ia
ciose his iahd-, he believed IL tn be tn
auty OF he law making power 10 pro
tet such property, ann lie would go u
iar as nee ssary TO give thai proIec
,th. But, until tue owner of tn
'aius sees III to withdraw IL from tn
commons BY 80 n, act of his, Il,