The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-04-21

| fraction of a section, have in order TO
take IL out of the market? lfthere be
on whole tract of any size one acre
covered with such timber does ii save
the whole tractY What sort of
"shingles" or "lumbcr" must the
| land produce? Shall the old mes
quite, which makes most durable
and valuable fence posts or hsingles
and plank, save the land from sale ?
! Will the burr oak, that is used so eX-
| tcnsiyely for wagons and other like
vchiclcs-will the live oak, which fur
nishcs SO much tannin and is so use
full for ship building and other pur-
poses, save this land from salei viii
the post oak, the hickory, the pecan,
the blackberry, the cotton wood, the
elm, the pine, the cypress, the cedar,
render the land exempt from sale
How large shall it be, aud who shall
determine?
The twelfth section confines II pur-
chaser TO GiG acres. If il be true that
one section was thought TO be so in
significant that the purchaser might
break up some other contract by lcas-
ing over former lessee, why coniine
him to one section2 In the region of
country where the great body OF thcs
lands are, one section is not enough
for family, and the purchaser should
be permitted to buy from one TO four.
Coniino the head of u family to one
section of land in that country, when
he depends OH his little stock tor n
great part of his living, and he is like
" to starvc. But do not believe the
right to purchase u home should he
confined to the head of family.
There are thousancs of Young men
who would like to go and prepare
homes in order that each might fit
himself out 10 he the "hcad of u iami-
ly.' In this respect the law seems un-
equal and to discriminate. II is true
that the single man can purchase as
high rs 100 acres. The young man
starts out aud gets his 100 acres, but
unless it has fine water privileges, or
n valuable mine, il is almost entirely
worthless in that country. No man
that expects to become permanent
citizen. or even raise family, would |
accept such land rs GIFT if lie is COM
PEELED to live upon it.. lie has al DIN |
ing him neighbor who may have
leased 100000 acres, because that |
neighbor happens to have the money. |
lie himself may have the means to
pay for home of two or more sec
lions, but his government will not al !
low him the privilege. This is not n |
happy contemplation for that indi- |
,idual, or calculated to inspire n pa
triotic regard either for the laws un-
der which he lives, or his native or
adopted state. True, the tenure of
the 100000 acre man is not so durable, |
bnt he may renew when his first term |
expires.
by the nineteenth section the origi |
nal purchaser may sell after three |
years. lie may sell to anyone who |
will go on the land and occupy it.
This vendce may he the head of Il |
family. or he may not. Proof of set
tlement may be made by tie sub-ven-
dee.
This bill recitcs an act making ii a
penal oilcnse to occupy any of the
lands named without authority, aud
yet il gives to particular pal ties sixty
DAYS over other and unollcnding citi-
zcns in which to deliberate and prcparc
to purchase 1t is admitted that
large bodies of these lands
are now held in def
ance of and in direct violation
of the act of 1884, and yet the bill |
under consideration gives such tross-
passcrs and violators of the law pre-
ference over other people in buying |
aud leasing! do not think it cor
rect public policy to thus oilcr prem
iums TO those who defy the authority |
of the state.
The twcnty-lifth section provides |
f-r one of the clerks employed by the |
commissioner of the general land Of
lice TO act as "rent ageht;' but there
is no machinery provided to enable
this person to collect rent. BESIDES,
the bill provides that the rcntor shall
pay up, or suffer his contract to be
declared forfeited. But this agent is
to see that no one uses these lands
without authority. Here, again, the
power is not given him to perform
this duty; but even if il were, ii is
wholly foreign to the caption aud
purposes of the bill 10 require one of
The clerks to see that no one violates
the act passed AT the extra session,
| 1881, aud rccitcd in this bill.
The twcnty-ninth section PROV .dcs
for selling the timber for 50 per acre.
Now, the lands may have timber suit
| able for shingles aud lumber, but the
quantity may not be worth 81, aud
vet II cannot be sold unless 1.-THE
timbcr-br.ngs So Fer acre.
The thirticth section restricts the
sale of lands, ha, Jug timber suitable
for lumber or shingles, to actual set
| tiers for So. Here, again, one section
may have upon or over il some TIMBER
such MS is described, yet not sufficient
to make IL worth more than 81 per
acre, but the purchaser, If he desires
TO settle on 1t, must pay 50 for the
land. BY the last Section the small
tracts of lands in organized counties
may be sold. twill be remembered
that this is the constitutional objection
TO the bill That pointed ont
in the beginning of these remarks.
This land does not belong TO any of
the institutions named in the caption.
Again, these strips or small tracts
will furnish thousands of small home,
stcads for humble people, and should
be iealously guarded. Our conslitil-
ton still oilers prescriptions free.
Adjoining these tracts may be men
who own their leagues and hail or
| quarter leagues, and yet they are CIV
en- preference TO acquire more over
, the man without an acre ana without
home. five restrict the purchaser
: in the northwest TO one section no
, GOOD reason can he given for allowing
| those who have comfortable homes
, with thousands of acres, perrlance
{ already, to purchase the small tracts
= referred TO, aud thus add to theii
. abundance, in preference to the poor
4 aud deserving settler who tolls IL
+ build for himself and his little one
: the means of existence and the simple
: roof-troe which he loves TO call hi
! home.
But apart from MI the reasons thu
}, far assigned, there is one general oh
a | -. A Z. Il.n ILL IInI hncnnaA moi On