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

tn less than twenty sections In unor-
ganzsd and to legs than five sections
I'm organized counties 10y such purchase
aud lease of actual settlers;
That all lands leased under the act
shall be exempt from taxation during
the continuance Of the lease
That no person shall buy any sec ion
upon which the original lessee has
m,'de well or tank or any means for
permanent artificial water, provided
that this reservation shall apply to
only one section in every fifteen sec
tioDs Of the lease.
The above are the salient features Of
the proposed law, and there is much in
1t Of simple justice to the cattlemen as
well rs of inducement to the sctual
settler. If il is impossible TO rid IL OF
some highly Objectionable features,
The GAZETTE would accept it as an
improvement ON the present lea Q
law. But, while The GAZETTE
would be pleased to see this bill
receive the support OF all anti
lesse-law members, since 1t seems to
be the best that can be done at this
time, it does seem that the majority
could be made to appreciate the fact
) that the bill can be amended with
great advantage to settlement and no
concession st all to free grass"
There should be some provision
against the transfer of leases, else the
Limitation to fifty and ten sectors,
respectively, in unorgsnized and organ
lied counties, will prove but amockery.
And the provision that present oecu-
pants shall lease oil they now use and
claim is in direct conflict With the
limitation fixed in the bill. II Ia re-
ported that that provision allowing
actual settlers, who are heads of fam.
illes, to lease four sections lying
adjacent TO the land purchased
by them, Is to be assaulted by ultra
lease law men. This assault should be
resisted by every man who does not
favor turning over the country for ter
years to the big pastures OF cattle cor
porations. That proviso will encour
age men to buy within leaeed in
closures who otherwise would NO
venture to do so.
Both parties to this controversy pro
Tess to favor the settlement Of tn,
West, and affect desire to have tina
section the home of babies rather thai
Of calves. The discussion O
this bill is crucial test O
the sincerity OF each, In the yer,
nature OF things cattle.raislng on bi,
scale opposes settlement end demand
a permanent range it is impossible 70
big cettle'rsisers to buy the Quantit,
of land their business demands; thei
only hope for the permanency OF thei
business Is The lease the perpetuatioi
of their business demands the exclu
: aion OF the Man with the Hoe; tn
argument that West Texas is fit onl,
for 9rssing purposes Is cattleman'
: argument, and 1t as old as the resist
ance to settlement itself, and as false q
: that resistance has been futile;
cattlemen thought actual settler
: would invade leased Enclosure
to purchase lands, there woui
DO no leases worth mentioning
] eattlemen know that the power to leas
3 four other sections adjacent to the on
t purchased will encourage and indnc
. invasion OF leases and thus promot
(, settlement.
The discussions on the various $50
0 tions of this bill will fix the status {
all who engage In 1t, and there will b
no difficulty in designating the friend
: OF actual settlement, and the advocate
Ia Texas legislature Of "syndicatt
and corportions outside OF the stste.u
u 1.-THE GAZETTE felt less devotion I
West Texas, it would oppose all con
i promise, and rejoice at the passage ,
u the most odious lease law, confider
u that in short time the revulsion ,
0 feeling would bury both law and Law
q givers out Of sight forever.
Il