Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-21
THE LAND QUESTION.
Some of the workings of the Enclosure
Act Set Forth Very Forcibly.
sWEErWArEh, TN, Dec 10, lss5.

SMEElWATER, TEX, Dec ", ECO.
To the Editor of the Gnzctte.
In view of the fact that your journal
has been so closely identified with the
growth OF North and West Texas, not
withstanding that you did not "come in
with the conquerorH and also that said
growth and development may not have
been seven and symmetrical, " we come
to you now to request the use Of your
columns to speak OF Il question that
interests the whole of West Texas The
legislature in their wisdom saw titto create
a Legislative body 10 deal exclusively with
the land question, with power in TINT
direction limited only 10y their conscience
and the state lines. That the creation of
such O body was constitutional there is Il
very grave doubt but as TO the states
manShip CD and efficiency GU OF their
laws and rules there is no doubt what
ever. Their system of leasing lands is,
unless remedicd, and that speedily, calcu-
lated to cause more trouble, laWlessncss,
litigation and disaster financially that was
ever before known in West Texas. For Il
"yaluablc consideration" they have
leased lands in large bodies to stoCkmen
aud others and reserved the right to sell
to quasi actual settlers one section at Il
untor-for in this connection they are
synonymous--hH to do is TO hlc his all
davit that he intends to occupy said land
Within six months quite recently the
board has changed the time to ninety
days. and the board will award him the
land. Wen, now the Spectator is fixed.
All he has to do is 10 threaten the owner
OF the pasture with prosoCuti0n-crim
ally, under the enclosure act'-in order
to force the "blOatod monopolst" TO pay
him bonus, in order TO secure the
abandonment OF the SPECTATORS claim
This scheme is being paraded with
in our knowledge to consider
able extent to the great injury of
parties who were innocent enough to
think that the great state of Texas would
carry out her contracts in good faith, and
not aid land sharks and claim-jumpers in
bringing financial ruin upon law-abiding
aud taX-pdying citizens Of the state, We
have heard of one case where Il party
leased and lnClosed about fifty sections
from the state, and quite a number of
parties, under the "will-probably-sett
act, aiterward secured claims inside of
the pasture, and recently the owner was
indicted by the grand jury of the county
for violation of the enclosure aCLh In
twcnty-one cases. Someof the "lcssces"
in this vicinity are now threatened with II
repetition of this performance. 1t does
seem that comment on this state of things
is unnecessary, and that Il the land board
would let their little political booms rest
for time and inform themselves as TO
the needs Of West Texas, and either give
the lessee absolute ownership for the
duration OF the lease, or else abrogate the
whole OF them and throw all the lands ON
the market Somethi = viii have TO be
done, or IN all probability there will soon
be inaugurated another era OF fencV-cut-
ting and trouble that will again retard the
flow Of immigration to this part OF the
state that is now setting in, and thereby
check the development OF this section
that would otherwise soon forge ahead Of
that seven, symmetrical development" we
have "hearn" OF, Respectfully,
II. G. UORp.