The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-08-22
MORE RALAkLAvA RLuNpERs

MORE BALAkLAVA BLUNDERS.
CowPER, somewhere in his works
uses these lines:
"Dropplng buckets into empty wells,
Aud growing old in drawing nothing up"
This is peculiarly the case with the
efforts of the Galveston News against
the State officials at the capital. Com
pletely nanked in its Bslaklaya blum
der in tho furious charge of possible If
not direct corruption" 1t oased off
under that of "criminal negligence
with Intelligent design" Baflled aud
defeated again by the clearest of refer
ence that established the fact that
under tho Enclosure Act the land
board was not bound to act, as it had
assorted, as that Is criminal statute,
having no reference whatever to
that board, and as such WAS
matter tor the attorney general,
all az provided for In the first section,
it now turns to new fields and says:
"Again under leave of the land
board-fOr it is an honorable board ana
permits discussion OF its acts-tho
News would ask question. BY what
authority have the capitol lands been
given IN possession to the capitol con.
tractor? Had tho lands been sold;
had the proceeds been placed in the
treasury 10 be paid TO the contractor IN
installmonts al the work progressed,
haI al
to the contractor before third Of the
work had been completed, an univor-
sal howl would have gone up that
would have shaken the earth and frac-
tured the foundation OF the capitol.
About the same thing has been done
III giving the contractor possession OF
the lands, which, IL appears, ia followed
immediately by placing thom on
the English market for sale. "
Doubles tho lands will be rs well
cared for as would no the cash. In
this connection IL may be asked IL the
etlorney-gonera had not previously
decided that the contractor had no
right to claim possession Of the lands,
and ii the board had not refused it's
sanction TO that claim? If this be- true,
1t was a great discourtesy to the attor-
uey-geueral to Yield to the claim, and
Ii his opinion was correct IL was not
courteous to the people, to say the least
81 II, 20 grant possession without pay
Tor the use Of the lands before thoy
were earned"
Flrst-ln reply TO the first query:
Does not the News know that the said
contractors have the written authority
obtained moro chan three years ago
from GovEENOR ROBERTS, CoMSu--
sIoNERs LEE end NORTON, along with
tho written opinion OF its own emf
nent cItizon and legal iavorito, JUDGE
BALLINGER, as also COLONEL a. j..
PEELER, OF Austin, and also Of a lead
ing Chicago attorney, that they ware
entitled to possession? And yet with
his known answering anc eternally
vigilant devotion to tho welfare Of
Texas, GOVERNOR IRELAND refused to
recognize all this, and told them that
they could not got possession without
paying for il!
Second-Doos not the Nows know
equally well that tho State could not
lease the land TO others? How
could it do so? ono Of the
conditions Of lease IL tenure.
Tho contractors entitled ID the lands
as they might esgn them, how could
lease to somebody else DO mad ?.
Who would he guilty of doing business
in such "lopsidDdn manner rs that2
TLird-It would be discrsditaSlc to
pay a momont's attention to the prop
oaition Of ealo OF tho lands by tho
STATE
Fourth-Oa tbs other hand there are
very excellent reasons for lease prop.
oaitiou. 10 give them q lease, aud
thus allow Thorn to turn out iutrUders,
will force the parties so ousted TO lease
other lands OF tho State. IL this q
reprehensib.o piece Of business Ia tho
general interest when wo thus got
back a part of tho "milllon aud three
quarters which the State haS loat bo.
cause never made?
Fiith-Il tho contrac. fail then we
have the 100000 acres well
leased. Besides, this practically
amounts TO an additional security for
tho speedy erection Of tho structure.
Now what becomes ofall tho fusillado
made against the capitol board? 1t
would seem that against MEssRs, LUu.
BOOK, SWAIN and WALSH thoro Is do
termination TO DO critical to cousure,
and 30 thrust into their sijos al the
errors committed For no blame eau
attach to tho governor, who 10.
fused to grant tho possession claimed
And ATTORNEY GENERAL TRIPLE
TON seems TO be protected under tho
proposition since 10 also decided tha
the contractors haa no right TO claim
possession Of tho lands, IrMH. SWAN
continues TO be driven into such posi-
lions as arc being thus assigned &C
him by tho Newg, as a mombor o.
tho land board, as member o. th,
capitol board, o,o,, along with his
mlshap on the luokl3ss Indiana sloB,
affair, our North Texas gubsrnaLor!o'
candidate win hayo his fair prospects
most distressingly damaged, and vii
cry ont nt last In thodspths of despair
"GoD save mo from my frlendsw
For the rest It romans that like u,
bold, blameloss warrior Ia days of cid
the more and the heavier tho stroke
dealt against his Nrmor all tho brighter
FURNISHED is the breast-plato OF tn,
stern stole that has hls hand on Ia.
helm Of our State in tho Chiet Execu
tive OH CO at Austin.
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