Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-06

| IVA Wis ha9 oeeu week OF but
llttle activity in the legislature. Mon
day the boys celebrated, and yesterday
they hlibustered. The end OF the
sixty days session March 1877 is almost
here, and 1t is very plain now that IL
VIII see the perfection Of but few i'm.
p0rtant measures. There IL some talk
OF an adjournment March 81, but IL
even The more vital questions are dis.
posed OF ninety days session seems
inevitable The house has come TO n
stands;ill on
THE LAND ELL,
or rather Is progressing backward,
Unlimited amendments have been
discussed, adopted. reconsidered ana
tabled, and YET the second section
hangs fire after ten days con. idera.
ton. At this rate 1t will take an entire
year, including Sundays, to perfect
the bill. The men who fought so va.
liantly for the lease law duriHg the last
campaign are at last waking up TO
the awkwardness of their
situation, aud are trying
to extrlcate themselves from il with.
out actually taking back water,
IN FULL VIEW OF THE PUBLIC,
The extremists, who are too deeply
welded to their idol to realize
their error who are In rage
over what they term the free grass
billp brought In by the committee.
AS there were only two avowed free
grass men on it, Messrs. Pendleton
and Browning, this is not cnmeli-
mentary to the intelligence of
the fifteen other gentlemen who
were included in It's makeup.
The ruth is that since the
legislature convened there has been
grand breakup In sentiment and
REDIvIsioN or FRACTIONAL LINES
Men who were noted last fall for
their extreme hostility 10 what was
popularity termed free grass are to-day
championing on the floor of the house
the views then 80 persistently urged
by the free-grassers. For instance
yesterday Mr. Cravens, flostoris' rep
resentative from the Houston district, |
offered TO amend the clause limiting |
the term of leases 10 ten years by sub |
siituting six years, because he believed |
the set lement OF the West would be !
better secured
BY SHORT LEASES,
This was adopted ny large ms jor- |
ity. Per contra supposed free-grassefs |
are found peralstenily fighting every
measure which tends TO loosen the |
hold Of the pasture interests on the
West and open 1t up for settlement.
This increases the confusion of a not
inconsidergble class whose votes are |
chiefly determined by the course of
those whom they are supposed to an-
tagonize. The extent vf this influence |
Is illustrated by the remark Of IA men, !
hal hn Nr.s
ton Of the state. After a |
heated discussion over ali
amendment to the land bill, he ap-
preached one Of the leading repre-.
sentatives of the free-grRss idea with |
the query: "See, here, how wns It that |
You and / voted together on that mat !
ter? There must be bug under the
chip somewhere"
A very intelligent member from
Central Texas gave what appears to be |
n q satisfactory explanation OF this to |
THE GAZETTE reporter last night. |
Said he:
both the lsase-lsw and free-grass |
mtn are eub-divided into two factions. |
There are lease men who are profoundly |
interested In the development Of the !
West, but think that the school lands |
should be so managed as without inter- J
fering with this, TO yield a revenue |
until 1t is accomplished. There are |
others who propose to lease out the |
lands without any regard to rtsultO, |
and whose object plainly put Is TO edu-
cate the East at the sacrifice OF the |
West A part Of the frte.gras5 men |
hold to the idea because they believe |
IL Is best adapted 10 promote the inter |
estH OF the West; others are actuated |
by purely selfish motives.n
This diagnosis In the main Is be- |
yond doubt correct II IL gratifying |
TO note, however, that every legislator |
will be compell,d to show his band
before this session Ia through, and that
the day for paradlng In false colors IL
almost over. A favorable omea Is ths |
prepondeiance of conservative senti |
ment, especially In the house, and al.
ready the speeches of Messrs Niue, |
Combes, Robinson and other syowed |
.ease.laW men have carried astonish-
ment and consternstion
TO THE TENTS OF THE EXTREMISTS
Even Jones OF McLennan, who has
been considered very radical in his
views, 1t In said, will Stand by the coz
seryatiyes Robinson of jack, chair |
man of the land committee, declared |
he would not support the land bill uu.
less the provlsiUn was Inc 'rporaIed |
giving the settler the right to lease
four sections, In addition TO his pur-
chase, over prior lessee. The radi-
Gals who favor lease at the sacrifice
Of settlement will make bitter hght
on this, but the tide Is setting In
strongly IN its favor and there is every
indication now that IL will carry By a
handsome majority.
THE DALLAS POsTMAsTERSHIP.
A very strong endorsement has gone