The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-06-26
A GREENBACKER SPEAKS.
GEN, CHAMBERS AND FREE GRASS
\ Plea for - Icaiuu, watch over the
Sovereignty ct the rropl"-what
Leader OF the HAT Iaction
iias 10 SAY,

Clrluruc, June 90, t,si-rn 4. Young, chris.
tiuu, Grimm, ShuW and uthVrsi
GENTLtMEN | am duly in receipt uf
your note OF this date requesting me To
give my views, for publication, on what
il known rs the tree grass and school
land question. As To free grass, | very
much distrust that Il IN a dcccitiul catch
phrase and humhug, gotten up by the
cattle kings, money syndicntcs and land
grabbors To deceive and induce the peo-
pie tO break up the lpasing system and
10 adopt the selling system.
They wish tn become the owners of the
childron's land so they can fence II all
up, and then We would hear no more of
the poor man" and Stree grass
Honest purposes are not generally adj
vocated under such catch phrases, They
are much Ike the frcc-tradc howl of the
Democrats and protection 60 American
labor by the Republicans.
Ii ls well known that the Fort Worth
Gazette, the chief organ of the cattle
kings and land grahbcrs, first raised the
howl of free grass, and the song of free
grass has been sung through nearly
every column of the paper since, II
boasts that many other papers are now
singing the same song.
Well, ! suppose the cattle kings and
land grabbcrs have enough
money to induce lots of other news
papers To forward their scheme
Tor robbing the people of their school
lands and all the balance of their public
lands too. Why, they have been at 1t
for twenty years or more until they have
robbed the people till they are rs poor as
Jobs turkey. And no doubt they will
hc down ut Austin next winter rs thick
as"leaVcs I'm NallambrOSia,' with plenty
of money to convince our Legislators.
Money has great convincing power.
Now gentlemen, do not Understand
me Ia he AN advocate of the lease sys-
TEN in large bodies for long periods. In
this shape IL Is only less Objectionable
than the sale system In that ~ the end of
the lease the land rcYcrts To the people
and they can then adopt n better policy.
II i not n little remarkable that these
so-callcd advocates of "freo grass" are
continually lauding the old system of
selling the land in small tracts, hoping,
/ suppose, that the people have forgot
ten The immense frauds under this sys-
TEN exposed by the Land Commissioner.
Well, If the agitation of the question
shall lead TO the adoption of the system
of selling the land In small tracts To act
ual settlers alone, properly guarded
against frauds 10y heavy penalties, much
good will he accomplished. But ! can
not see why the balance of the land not
thus occupied should not bc leased in
limited amounts and for limited periods
with preference of right of lease of
the adjacent lands to limited
extent To such actual settlers
and subject TO II sale TO other actual set
tiers. And 10 prevent monopolies, n sale
or transfer Of such lands should bc pro
hibited under penalty of forfeiture.
And now, If these frco-grass patriots
really desire the occupancy of the com
rs they pretend. such policy would
give favorable opportunity without
any detrimont to the general interests
ct the people, but | opine there is Il
"wheel within II Wheel" and that Is not
their real object.
And now, gentlemen, before conclud-
ing, permit me TO say these questions
should he governed by II great principle,
viz: That the lands, the money and the
public highways ofa state or nation be-
long in equal share, or equal benefits, To
all the people who constitute the state
or nation.
These are great national or sovereign
properties, and are inalienable, except
at the expense of equal rights and SOW
orpignty. Because power ana SOW
oreignty go with and accompany the
ownership and control of these SOW
creign properties.
All history proves that whoever by
ship and control over these prerogatiNes
of sovereignty, acquires power and
sovereignty over tho people. IT TINS
ownership and control is acquired by
one man through power of the sword,
or otherwise, he becomes king; ana II
acquired by any number of citizens Qess
than the whole by purchase or gift, they
become exacting md dcspotic oligarchs,
demanding rent for the use of land, in
terest for the use u money, and tribute
ON the commerce OF the people, thus re-
ducing them to slavery. These oligarchs
are now spread all over our land in the
character of land monopolists, money |
monopolists and transportation monop- |
olists erected out ofthcse sovereign prop |
critics of the people through the treason
able practices ofour Legislators ofselllng,
giving and transferring them or their
iisufructs in unequal shares To individ-
uals and corporations. IL IL treason,
treason against the equal rights
and sovereignty of the people; the fun
damental principle of our government.
And If the people preserve, their iiber-
ties, their Sovereignty and republican
ism they must assert their unalienabic |
and equal rights in and over these SOW
ereign properties and set Their iacos
hard as flint against every legislator,
state or national, who proposes by woru
or vote to rob them of these properties.
Respectfully,
B. j, CHANNELS.