The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-17

:, o'' .cism may be applied 90 =
age. avs
= y" when the salient points CT the bill
~ attacked GOVERNOR IRyahAND dis
lays the ability of keen lawyer, and
the honesty and imparti9,lity of a good
executive. The bill allows the lease of
an unlimited domain by any person,
firm or corporation. Whole counties
may be taken up and held by
syndtcates in defiance of the
actual settler who would never be
permitted to prospect on the leased land
for home. The present system of coy
ering thousands of acres, and hundreds
OF square miles, with one huge rancho
would be perpptuated under the protec-
ton of law. 'rho HERALD is in favor of
wisely-fraDl lease law, one limiting
the amount of each lease and getting
good rent, but certainly not one en-
abling ono "person, firm or corporation"
to lease all wost Texas.
But q more serious objection IL the
provisio for selling these vast tracts of
land at ~ PER acre, watered sections and
all. Who best knows the valuable tracts
and the watered sections2 The ranch
me1, now IN possession of them, and the
very day tho bill befam0 a law they
would, Is actual settlers, enter upon
and purchase these cases in tho desert,
and practically control the entire range.
A man who had 100000 acr5s leased
wo'1id goadily consent to remain three
1 yo'rs upon a wateCed section to yet au
alb solute title thereto, and would placs
hts cowboys on dozens of others adioin.
ing, also as actual settlers who, in thyaC
y eara afterwards, would acquire EtlC
ana convey it to their lord. With tbt
Vsterod lands grebbed by great syrdi
oates at W per acre, who would least
or purchase the Other practically
wcf thless landsj In the HERALD's cpin
ion these two features ought 10 hay,
killed tho bill. They were in reality
though possibly not so intended, di
rooLly into the hands Of tho grea
renchmen and Gyndicatss, who, undeI
an unlimited lease, the preference be-
ing first given them as now in POSSES
sion, and tho opportunity 70 purchase
through an oasy evasion OF the law, al
che watered sections for 81 per acre, ant
acquire absolute title IN three years
would have bean in six months in prac
tically indispensable control Of all oui
western lands. And 1t will be observed
that the organs Of tho barons have haC
but little to say in opposition to the bill
Failing as it did, therefore, to limit
the possibilities of acquiring princely
domains, by the capitalists and large
operators, az against the poor man far
from the ground and unacquainted with
its advantageous or undesirable f,a,
lures, and absolutely giving away the
water which should be re.
served in common for all, the
land bill of the nineteenth
Legislature is Catally defective to correct
existing evils and prevent future ones,
and Gov. IRELAND appears TO us To
have acted wisely in vetoing it.
The fact may occasion an extra sos
sion Of the Legislature, but If that would
give to the state such lease and land
law as wisdom and common justice to
tho poor and would-be sottor dictate
and demand, the expense ct the extra
session would not be begrudged by the
people of tho state. Tho failure OF the
nineteenth legislature to meet the ext
gencies of tho case during the regular
session, however, affords but little
ground for better work in an extra ses.
sion, unless the members can profit by
che governors suggestions.