Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-04-16
Origin Of the Lease Svstem

The Colorado Clipper has very
clear conception of the origin Of the
leasing system introduced into Texas
land legislation. The introduction OF
foreign capital into the cattle-raising
business of Texas created demand
for permanent ranges, for your coupon
clipper Of Wall and Threadneedle
streets could not understand how his
property in cattle was safe il 1t was
allowed to run at large on the range,
and he wanted 10 fence the cattle in.
The railroad and other corporate land
owners, as well as the private indi.
viduals who had gobbled up
cheap lands by the thou
sands OF acres, saw in this de.
mand for permanent ranges their
opportunity for profit. 1t was pretty
scheme this union OF land-grabber
and cattle syndicate concocted. The
land owner, by means OF lease law,
would get at least cents annually an
acre for land that had been bought for
so cents and less, until he could cell it
for S. or $40 an acre; while the cattle
syndicate could secure a permanent
range at nominal rental. They raised
the cry of children's grass, and pub
lished glowing figures OF school taxes
saved by lease of the land then
they spread 1t far and wide that the
land was only fit for grazing purposes,
and to-day men are elected to the
Texas legislature TO make laws for the
state who know no more of West Texas
than they do Of the Soudan. They
take IL for granted that the coun-
try is unit for anything but pasturage,
and so they conclude that Gree
grass advocate is the paid hireling OF
the man who is anxious to lease the
land 1t 10 by no means certain that
these land monopolists have been
without their interested advocates in
the legislature itself; and If go. the
devil quoting scripture would not dis.
play more JUNCTION than would a land.
grabber prating. of "a sacred trust,''
1.-THE dear little school childrens
grass" and ''school taxes saved, by
leasing the land and obstructing It's
settlement. Discussing the lease law,
the Clipper says;
Railroads and other wealthy land
cor porations Of Texas conceived the
idea of leasing out their immense
possessions in Texas lands, given them
from the public domain In considera.
ton ofthe building of railroads, etc.
While their lands are Under mort
gage to secure bonds used in the con.
struction of the roads they could not
sell and make title, hence the idea OF
I leasing to the class of people who
were by their occupancy OF these
lands, by their tlocks and herds, en-.
HANGING their values daily. These
: corporations, knowing that the
| state owned and controlled tn,
alternate sections, saw that Il
the state could be prevailed
upon to adopt lease system Their,
: would then be no trouble in leasing
!, their lands, and TO that end they wen
b. to work and by the free use of money
at Austin aud elsewhere have gained
: a signal victory over the people In tn,
. enactment of Just such herd and leas,
} laws as they desired. 1t Is to thes,
r land corporations, who have receive,
as git half the vast public domain
: of Texas, that we are indebted for tn
( passage OF this ubiquitous lease an,
D herd law. Does any one doubt this
a No one will doubt II after hayin,
: given the matter a careful aud impar
tial inves tigation.