Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-29
SOME FACTS
On the Free Grass Issue Now Before the
People.
A Question Greater to Northwestern Texas
Towns Than the Tariff.

A Question Greater to Northwestern Texas
Towns Than the Tariff.
MlSEofA, July 81
To the Editor Of the Gazette.
VIII you allow me space to say a few
words on the subject of free grass? 1t is
one of great importance TO |
any and every man having inter
csts in West Texas, and who
wishes the rapid development of that
country. In the first place shall dis
cuss an argument advanced by the de-
Tenders OF the present lease system, viz:
that the lands are leased subject to sale
to actual settlers. Now We admit that
that idea is embodied in the law, but
we hold that as law II is practically
| failure, aud that as an argument IL is
| fallacy. And In substantiation Of our
position we would offer the following
| plain and indisputable facts;
| When an actual settler leaves his
home In one of the older states and
comes West, bringing wife aud
| children and usually very little money,
he wants to settle quietly down on
homestead aud aniagonize no one.
Now, in view of this fact, / hold
that 1t is absurd TO contend that actual
settlers, with the smallest number of
exceptions, would purchase one hum
dred and sixty acres of land In $4,000
acre pasture fenced around with
barbed wire and owned and controlled
by one man or company Of men, as
the case might be, who would regard
him as an interloper and detriment
to their business. He simply could
not live there. 1t Is useless for any
man to contend that the cattlemen, bv
means of their line-riders aud cow
boys, drive Off and terrorizs actual set
tiers. Asa man well acquainted with
customs and manners in West Texas,
know how much of that is true aud
how much exaggeration. The cattle
men to-day are better, not worse, than
! they were ten years ago; the day of
the siX-shooter Is thing of the past,
, and the best citizeus of our Western
: towns are men who have large cattle
interests. Let us see If these terrible
cattle kings during the past decad e
have retarded the settlement of Texas.
The census Of the United States In
1870 gave the total population of Tex 4
g ut S2l, l75, and to-day II will reach
1000, 900. We have seen under the
: free-grass system agriculture steadily
r advance and push all other interests
: westward We have seen towns and
d cities spring up over the face OF the
v country the shrill whistle of the loco.
Is motive re-echoes over the prairies
IS every mere antile interest has pros
d pered and fortunes have been made by
n our citizens. In the name of God
what more do the people want? Is II
possible that the unparalleled prosper
ity of West Texas has aroused envy II
II some breasts? IL so, we invite them u
n come and share 1T with us, for fire.
n grass means free to everybody unit
I'd actual purchasers under the laws O
Texas, have the right To inclose laud
] noticed some days since In Til
GAZETTE a communication froT
m Bosque county, favoring the lease syi
tenn, in which the writer claimed tha
rs the school lands were only suited ia
er grazing purposes, and closed by invi
of ing everybody to come to Bosqu
ne county and buy land. Now, Is 1t nj
Id possible that he struck the keynote
d. and that the tide of immigration
IN flowing too much into the west TO SUI
c. our Eastern brethren?
IL 1 will not lay the charge of envy q
IT. thu feet of the rank and file of tn
Of people who oppose free grass, but d
n they not listen too eagerly to the sac
sad story of how the cattlemen hav
grown rich on the "children's grass?
aud Ii At story is kept ever before then
by wide mouthed politicians who pei
sist in calling themselves the people
~. and who are trying to create curren
upon which to ride into Oil sc or popu
''' lar favor.
On / claim, sir, that after the ample dc
ty nations made from the public domai
no for the building of railroads, whic
-, have done 80 much towards the deVe
III opment of Ea 1t TeXas, 1t Is wrong !
nd the forum of conscience for That SCI
nd ton to step forward now and say. "
he will bar your progress for lew tno'
ell sand dollars, even admitting, when
is do not, that the public schools VIII d
es- rive a larger revenue by leasing tina
raj selling the lands. AS u business maj
mt would say, in conclusion, that
EN- know of no issue, not even the tart
ed question, that deserves more earne
err attention from the business men
Ter San Antonio, Waco, Fort Wortl
ell ID alias and, In fact. all towns depen'
lal ent on the western trade u
zen support, particularly those =
lis tenipting "a jobting trad
las The growth of their business depend
ice on the settlement of the country we
ter of them. Perhaps majority OF u
men who lease large tracts Of land
eek not live in our state, and II they did,
iii Is the host of small farmers that mus
he support cities and towns In our cour
try. The man who reclines In an eas
er. chair In Edinburgh or Chicago, an
TO pays eight cents per acre ON tease
of land, a1y candid, we'll info ID ma
must admit is nothing In developln
the business and resources OF tn
. country.
Lyt 1free grass" and free trade" |
the leading notices on the banner
the Texas Democracy during The pre-
= ent political campaign. for the 40
trines are founded on eternal justice.
we Il. +. w.
BILE
u.nso Hartrudas