Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-06

y
style, an advocate of the lease law
states the case in this language;
Every blade OF grass on The public domain
belongs 10 the state. Thestats has a just and
legal title H. Those who would enjoy the
land must purchase Il at market value or pay
n rental adequate 10 the privilege exte nded.
The state has a right TO every dollar II can
make from a disposal OF the public lands
Texas needs millions 10 give hen--schools n
worthy support. The watchword OF Texas Is
and ever must be education. The state needs
her money. No man hes the rightto within Id
one penny from the funds that belong 10 the
school ehldreo. ODD so ia criminal; TO do
80 Is treason; 20 do so is to sacrifice the
hollest interests ola nation to a person. al and
temporary benefit.
That "every blade of grass on the
public domain belongs to the state" l.
30 self-evident proposition that its
statement is unnecessary. Certainly
the state owns it. and "has Just and
legal title to 1t. But who or what
composes the state? Is II the land
board at Austin, or the people of the
state in their aggregate capacity? If
the former, then 1t is right that they
should be allowed to lease the land If
they want to, being its owners and
masters but II the latter are the state,
as many people have been taught to
believe, the states interests are their
interests, and whatever is good for
them Is good for the state. Tit can he
shown by sufficient evidence that
Texas will derive more money from
the leasing of her lands to foreigners
In immense bodies, whose in
terest is in favor of excluding
population and keeping the West
nothing but pasture, than
by selling those lands to actual settlers,
who build up the country, add to the
value of every acre OF land near them,
and pay state and county taxes on
their ands and possessions, then by all
means let the lease be the favored rule.
Rut will II? Such u thing is incapa-
BILE Of demonstration.
Many leases have been made OF
bodies of land exceeding 30 900 acres
In extent. This is more than seventy
eight sections. Put seventy-eight set
tiers on this land, and their improve
ments at once increase the value TO
81 90 or s. per acre. The land cost
them 81 an acre, of which they nav
down one-thirtieth and ) per cent. in
terest on the remainder. Their state.
school and county taxes cannot be less
than seventy-hve cents on the 500.
Then the account stands as between
lessees and settlers:
FROM LIaSsKRs.
| BY lease OF 200 acres at Sc .,,.,,... 81 IA,
~ state tax on say 6.uv0 cattle. -. 30
Total ......... .......... 81 ~
| PROM sLrrLEps.
| by sale OFFS sections ut e. peracre
one,thiriieth paid down ...'....,-. 81 Say
hy Interest ON remainder ut s per cent, 1,Ss
Ivy taxes state aud county.,,,............ i,ii
IoAl ....,"..................... sgf,s
The advantage from a money point
of view is IS, 27S in favor of the settlers
1t may be objected against this that
the entire country will not be taken
up by actual settlers at once. This
can etfectually be balanced by saying
that 1t Will not be leased at once, and.
In Fact, never will be leased, for as soon
as the pasturemen have possession OF
all the watered sections they can con-
troll the rest OF the lands without leas.
Ing them. And further, If 1t will not
he taken up now by actual settlers, il
certainly will not be taken up when it
is fenced in by wire fences.