The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-03-05
GREER COUNTY !!
An Uonored Texas Veteran Ex-
presses some views as TO
Pen ding Legislation.
How the Republics Hattie
Scared soldiers Came to
Locate i'm that Territory.
An In'eryiexv that is of Nuci,
Interest Just at
This Time.


Gesicr day afternoon Major Erath,
of this city ana Mr.. Geo. Green, the
oldest settler of Milan county, hon
ored the EXAMINER sanctum. FROM
tiersman, a soldier of the war of indie
pendcnce, member of the Texas con-
sroes, ."d of the first legislature,
senator before and since the war, one
of the Mier expedition, in fact
stamped on nearly every page ofTcxas
history, Major Erath requires no
introduction His comrade, Mr..
Green, has also passed through many
of the stirring epochs which have
crystaliZed this into one of the grandest
states Of the union, and ii is little
wonder that the conversation took -
retrospective turn. Chatting pleas
antly of the times that tried mems
soul's, of the hand-to-hand battles
with the willy red man and the scarce
ly less treachous Mexican,the occasion
was most enjoyable and ediiyiug.
During temporary hull an EXAMINER
man propounded The query:
"Major, what do you think of the
bill pending in the senate anmlling
land patents in Greer county y
Il say'-(this with emphasis -"ihat
1t is unconstitutional, and il doesn't
take lawyer to pronounce il so. II
isn't exactly original, either. At the
time OF my arrival in Texas Chen Il
part of McXico) over fifty years ago,
there was continuous clamor for the
wiping out of land titles by arbitrary
| legislation. This the MeXicans were
PRUDENT ENOUGH 10 IGNoP'i-
TO the Mckinney decision OF 1851. an.
peal after appeal was made to con.
gress and the legislature for enact.
lnent of laws on this subject. The
lawmakers, however, wisely left the
matter to the judiciary, and the decis-
ion referred to was supposed to have
put quietus on il. But at this late
day, and in the face of precedent. we
are confronted by bill wiping out
titles in territory several thousand
square miles in extent. II is rank
Injustice to the veteran locator and
innocent purchaser alike"
major, you doubtless can giyr
the true inwardncss of the location OF
veteran certificates in Greer coun-
typ
"Yes, | am pretty familiar with the
subject, but l will have to make long
story short. Before entering into de.
tails wish to state that my opposition
TO the pensioning of Texas veterans is
wei known. The number really en-
titled TO pensions is small and the host
of iInpOsters is great. The republican
constitution of '69 and the 18th legis.
lature oyerdid the thing. They
aroused claims which could never be
satisfied. My opposition invoked the
criticism of fellow legislators and VET
Grams. Ny course was Justified at the
next session, however, whenthis ultra
benevolent legislation had to be I'M
done. Alternate sessions of the lepis-
iature have since amused themselves
ny passing and repeating pension acts.
"A lew sessions ago an act passed
granting veterans of the war of indie
pendence / $50 acres of land-unasked
ana unexpected by the majority of
the meritorious survivors of the war.
with this gratuitous bonus In hand
they naturally looked around for suit
able locations. Here is
WHERE GREER COUNTY COMES IN.
"fou haven't the space, nor ! the
time to go into the history of The
wrangle between the federal and state
governments over this bit of land. !
belieVing that possession is nine
points OF the law, Gov. Ireland rec |
ommended the surveying of the
county, and its occupancy by Texans |
as lar Ms practicable. Before, tbis. how
ever, Gov. Pease "a republican and
yetcran), had expressed the conyic.
non that II these veterans certificates
we're located IN Greer, the then repub-
icah administration would concede
ne ute OF Texas to the territory.
Ion John Hancock was an ardent adj
,ocate OF this theory, and the entire
leNas delegation acquesced In H.
thus encouraged and
BACKED By THE MORAL FORCE.
1 least, of state officials, many voter
ms located their certificates in Grenr
ounty. some, like myself rave bnIfl
otier parties for locating. Now,
want 70 show you whore gross iu-
isuce crops ont IN this pending bill:
hold 6fOhcres OF wild land In Greer
Inhty, which have never seen. and
ever expect 10 see. IT | hayeto tjqbf
ptIl the tnlteu states aud Texas for
tiile, the land wouldn't fee a rc,ncct-
Die lawyer. The locator is NOT bound
relocate IL, aud il lit the cerritl.
ite ana give II to another party for
location, what remains, after dc.
icing his share, won't pay a notary
= witness ing the proper papers. Il
0ks IKE the legislature Is irving in 4.
ID rather than reward US. We sIand
Q chance of becoming puorrr in
'ckei Than we were before mi, Ora.
Gus GUT was pruilercd. LISA Teg.
ar elephant ON our hands,
"but Tins Is not the only or fine
ost serious feature. A great many
tcrans have sold ;heii. patfut, ~
nooenl purchasers. m Sc lave
ne on ,he lands and improved
EN-; have built their homes on ll,en
a we're thinking some day OF sitting
Ider llGeir own vine and Gg irce
len thi' Jill comes alor & and 7,
EUDEn AwAKgNs
EN-. II proposes 10 Sweon I
ef!body Out bag ana baggage J ,