Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-27
KNOCKED OUT.
The win Of the People Respected
The Senates Herd Law
Amendment IL Killed.
The Chances for the Passage Of ANY
Land Bill at the Present SEES.
sion Very Doubtful.
Uncle Ben williams, the Venerable
Colorod Member, Declares
for Free Grass.
KNOCKED OUT.
FREE GRASS FOREVER !
special.

NustiNi lhN'i MhFNn @b.-I me StAl-
wart lease-lsw men were badly routed
In the house to-day. They have been
Growing ever since tho action OF the
senate ON the land bill, and thought
all they had 10 do was to walk In and
wave the
BLOODY SHIRT or FREE GRASS
over the heads OF the representative
and panic would ensae. Instead OF
that the house resisted mAnfully every
amendment of Importance save the
grass commissioners provision which
was adopted on the motion of free
grass man, Mr.. Taylor OF Red River.
Mr.. Robinson OF Jack, n lease man,
opened up the fight In favor OF the
four section lease provision for the act.
tier which has been styled by the
radicals
A FREE GRASS RIDER.
He made "A most excellent and con-
vinoing argument against the repeal
of this feature.
Mr.. Founder replied in favor OF con.
currence In the senate amendment.
He thought the pasture men were go-
Ing 10 take the West anyway, and II
did not make any difference whether
one man or dozen leased the whole
country,
Mr.. donaldson said he was lease
man but not 80 thoroughly welded TO
the Idea IA 10 exclude the actual act.
tier from tho West, He proposed to
give the man with the hoo chance,
Uncle Ben Williams, the venerable
old colored man from Fort Bend,
created sensation by announcing
himself ~ a straightout frec-grass man,
for grass M God madeit. lie delivered
n telling speech against the whole
leasing system, fairly trimming over
with native eloquence and humor. He
brought down the house with applause
time after time.
MIR. Crane argued that the large
leases were confined TO uno rganl1ed
counties, while the settler hunted tho
organized counties.
DIR. Camp OF Limestone said the
actual settler In the West was Joke,
He could not 20 there, or. Mt least, he
could not stay there. He wanted laws
enacted without regard to the actual
settler, ms there was no use OF quarrel.
Ing about him.
Mr.. Woods OF Kaufman declared
that the nattlcmen would have com.
plete control OF the West In ten years,
and he wanted 10 squeeze the living
grease out Of them while they were ac-
qulring IL. He favored vlg0r GUS
lease law.
Mr.. Foster OF Gryson opposed the
engrossed rider autho i2iDg the sttor.
ney-general 10 institute suits where
parties occupied lands and failed to
pay for them, lie regarded 1t NJ aleyer
with which the rich mon could %,
press tho poor. he said ne was IA free.
Sriss man TO the extent th at the lands
Unbiased should remain M public com.
mons while thls was herd law very
thinly disguised
Mr.. Pendleton Of Tarrant severely
criticised the grass commissIoner
amendment Of the senate. He char.
acterIzed II AZ legislative abortion,
and showed that II was utterly i'm.
practicable and absurd.
Mr.. Taylor said that he was antag-
onistic to the system Of leasing on
principle, but that II II was to be
adopted lac wanted some sort OF ma.
chinery TO enforce H.
Mr.. Browning opposed the estab.
lishment OF II grass commissioner with
much feeling. He regarded II ~ an
iDquisitorial power and legislative
insult 10 the West.
Mr.. Jones OF Mcclellan advocated
the grass commissioner. lie seemed %
like II chiefly because the free-grass
men opposed It.
When the question came up on the
amendment defining the unlawful
occupation OF the lands as follows
Herd, loose herd or pasture his stock
for the purpose Of grazing upon any OF
such lGnds by line riding, fencing or
otherwise" Mr. Pendleton OF Bell
entered an emphatic protest. He said
that II the Legislature was ready for u
herd law and proposed 10 override lhe
Democratic platform they should
adopt II otherwise. They should vote
| IL dOwD.
Mr.. Robinson Of Jack also laid bare
It's herd-law features.
Mr.. Foster Of 0faysOn Joined In de-
nounclng IL as n herd law, and II was
almost unanimously rejected.
a conference committee will prot.
ably he appointed tomorrow, and the
conservatives expect much from both
Lieut. Gov, Gibbs and Speaker Foster.
On account Of the limited time LEFT