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

inclosed lands have been public con-
mons from the foundation of the gov
eminent. That policy has attracted
immigration rapidly, 1t has been
an inducement to the farming
classes, who have procured small
homes and made a living with their
stock until they could get to farming
profitably. Especially has this been so
in Texas. do not think the lease
system will benefit the state in the
and retard population. The power
and importance of a state
| CONSISTS IN IT'S POPULATION,
and not in its lands.
Under the lease system the land
falls into the hands of tenants who can
and will pack their traps, drive off
their herds and leave at moments
warning; they have no interest in the
soil, and consequently they
are not valuable citizens, but when
man has his home, owned by himself
and surrounded by his family, he is
the
BEST TYPE OF CITIZENSHIP.
He will defend the country in time of
war, and is first to form the sheriff's
posse to enforce the laws.
"Men going to the frontier seeking
homes for their families are poor peo-
pie who expect to stay and improve
, the lands they occupy. When parties
, lease the lands they do so, not with
the intention of improvement, but To
herd cattle on; consequently under the
lease system the lands are not inn
proved and the wealth Of the state is
, not in creased"
"Do you think, as your argument
indicates that the lease law is dis
elimination against the poor man in
e favor of the rich man."
= II do. Under the lease system the
rich men can lease large bodies of land,
a throw fences around them and convert
q them into vast pastures; and even
;, though the right TO sell the land to
: actual settlers is reserved, yet the poor
!, man will not go into these large
4 inclosed tracts and settle upon his
!. small section, in opposition TO thost
+ who are able to control thou
!. sands of acres, and who would us,
# every means to prevent immigration
az into their pastures. The necessary re
10 suit of the lease system is that it per
,e mits the rich men to
CONTROL THE LEASED LANDS,
while the immigration of poor men il
l. turned into other channels and state.
: where the public lands are free.
no "As an illustration of this. compar
"a Goliad and Ellis countless: Goliad wa
ay organized in 1916, and had more popu
p, lation and wealth twenty-five year
di. ago than Ellis. To-day the land il
TO, Goliad is owned, by large stockmel
ne who have inclosed it in large pasture
lie. ranging from 5000 to $4,000 acre:
he Ellis was settled up and held by mel
u.s. owning from 100 to Gao acres. Not
lct the mere se in round numbers. Eli
is credited with Sl2,0OO,000 taxabl
to values, while Goliad has from s., 900
up, 900 to 81 600, COO. The soil in eac
ate county is similar, but in the one ther
'ay are larger pastures, and in the other W
or find
ali INDUSTRIOUS AND INTELLIGEN
ae FARMERS.
me- Let me extend the comparison furtht
:, and see the amount of school fun
'o- which would be derived by dire,
,as supporting the public schools. On,
DOL half of per cent. would, in Ellis count,
nd, amount to $4,000. This il am ,derat
ON on, tax and, in connection with the pr
ich rata interest from the psrmanel
of school fund, would educate ever
w nea child in the county nine months
any the year. Take Haskell or any uno
ganized county; there are nine hui
Is dred sections Of land in 1t, with 81
tu- hundred and forty acres to each Sc
I'D: ton, making total of &c., acre
lall Take each alternate section, the usus
or amount of school land, and lease the
bed at ten cents per acre and they woul
ent yield only $4,000. Thus you 8
ssh Ellis county which grew up und
& Is free grass rules has seven or eigl
yet millions more of taxable wealth ths
ded o county of exactly the same size, al
ale. upon small tax produces $32 900 mo
z to school fund than the lease lands In b
UGH other would bring at ten cents p
acre. And no one Is foolish enough
DOL suppose that large ps
of these lands will be lease
be IA similar comparison could
n to made between Victoria and Refugl
, in and Hill and johnson. This sh0,
pay that
leg THE LEASE SYSTEM IS WRONG,
the and as there are about sixty unorga
IN lied counties In the state, large D,
Itch tim of which are equal TO Ellis
pass fertility, 1t shows that these unsettl
AIRY counties should be given to the publ
lsti- with commons free to Craze cattle ups
Leg until q population as dense aud thrivil
Q of as that OF Ellis exists in their borders
Thy "Why do you think this lease Ia
any was passed ?"
for II believe 1t to be the result of cru
sys- legislation, and think the legislatu
and governor should have looked INC
I'M closely into it's constitutionality al
EN-, effects upon that section of the sta
Iblic where the lands are situated. /,
not wish to cast any reflection I'M
was either, but this state il so large thai
lure Is a difficult thing 20 legislate ,
b. l cepahly for 1t without careful stu,
be- and thorough Investigation Of all sd
I'M Jects Of legisl -tion. believe that