The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-02-28
LETTER FROM AUSTIN.
A HOUSE FULL OF LAND BILLS.
something About Them and the Debates
They Provnke-The School Gext-
Book Issue Bringing Out
Burning Eloqucnee.


in the house. There were believe four
land bills introduced in the house, all
referred to the committee on public
lands. Out of these four the, committee
formulated substitute bill for all of
them. 1t comes up Tuesday in its regu.
lar order and Mr.. Scott OF Kerr county
moved to substitute the bill he had pre-
pared for the committees bill and in
the question of the substitution the
house has been listening to speeches
pro and cor.
MR.. SCOTT.
in advocacy Of his bill as a substitute
for the committees bill, made a lengthy,
logical and eloquent speech, speaking
part of Tuesday afternoon aud Tor per-
haps an hour longer Wednesday morn
ing. He was answered by
ROBINSON, OF JACK,
in forcible speech, lucid in its explain
alton of the features of the committees
bill, and in discussion of the lease and
free grass question and the settlement
of the great northwest, from which sec
ton he comes.
The next speaker was
MR.. MUSE,
who obtained the floor just before ad-
H.
was entitled to it when the afternoon
session met, at p. In. HIS speech
was not long one, still it was
a clear close, clean-cuJ argument in be-
half Of the bill of the committee, of
which he is member, and as it was his
first effort during the session, he was
listened to with marked attention, which
his remarks truly merited. He is a cog
gent reasoner and fluent talker, bat
without any display of special oratorv,
or Of rounded periods.
MR. BROWNING
followed him On the same side with an
exhaustive discussion OF the lease sys.
tenn and the free grass idea.
All the speakers spoke on the side of
the actual settler, but in reality, in my
tute are but Tree grass p pro-
positions in disguise. 1 have read
bot h bills closely and the analysis of
each one leads me 10 this view.
THE BEST THING
the house could do in my judgement,
wOuld be to re-cOmmit both bills TO a
special committee of five or seven men,
bers, none specially interested in the
grass question, for the formulation of a
bill that will do justice to the stock
man, the plowman and the school child
rem of the state, whose land grows the
grass.
Another question ofinterest, and it is
measure appropos TO the sc hool land
question, is that Of the establishment of a
UNIFORMED SERIES
OF textbooks Tor the public free schools.
There is bill from the committee on
educational affairs for the adoption by the
state of Il uniform series of text books
for the free schools Which will ere a
great while come up for discussion. II
has already been partly considered and
some amendments to il have been
adopted. l take it that it is now prema.
ture for the passage of any such bill
The state il is true has q magnificent
free school fund when 1t is fully and
properly developed and made available,
but as that fund Is principally still in
lands and taxation is necessary IL
augment it, that the free schools
may still DO kept going is
it not better to await until the
Again, as ours is Democratic govern
ment, and'the voice OF the people rules
i'll all things, is ii not better, not more
in consistence with the genius and
spirit OF our government, federal and
state, that the counties should individ
ually select their textbooks than for .
state board TO do 1t for them?
MoNoPoLIEs
arc antagonistic TO our form of govern.
ment, to our Democratic ideas aud
would not the placing of the selection oil
textbooks for the free schools in the
hands of a board tend to monop
olyP say let the PEG
ple choose for themselves, the
people, the patrons Of the free schools in
Zach county, or at most, in each school
district or community choose for item.
selves,
TAKE THE HISTORY
oI states adopting the text. books FOL
their free schools and il will be seen il
has proven failure;an absolute failure
delusion and snare. 1t has breedeC
contentious, chickering's, criminationi
and denominations. 1t has built nj
and fostered monopolies, and ever.
state and territory in the union that ha
tried IL, aud nearly all OF them have, ha
been forced to abandon it. 1t Is cost.
to the state, costly to the patrons of thu
or two or three, perhaps
publishing houses have, o
can enter into competition. The pub
fishing houses continue pool issue, an
the state has to make contracts tina
make immense inroads upon the pock
cts of tho people. The state can not
BECOME A publisher,
because it would take at least five year
for the state TO get up uniformity {
text books. The outlay for machinery
material and manuscripts of book
would be immense and cost so much &c
first outlay, and for yearly approprii
lions to keep the machinery in motto
the books could not be sold at a price
patrons, that book publishing concern
could not successfully compete wit
without great cost TO the state. Flu
thermore, experience has taught that
STATE UNIFORMITY
is detrimental TO the best interests
the free schools, In proof of these q
sertions, not assertions, but truths, {
to Kentucky, Minnesota, aud numbl
of the eastern states, aud learn fro
them their experience, their sad, cost
experience.
These are few reasons ] have to {
fer now why the legislature should II
pass this bill, why the state should n
adopt text books. When tho tin
comes for action in this direction,
each county adopt its own serit
There win then be in tho mark
lou or ZUO seeker lOr bcnO
text book, not one, as in t
case of the state doing it, a
book publishers with so many compe
tors will have no show for monopo
no show for fancy prices.
The tax oil being prepared by Ca
Ed Linn, chairman of the committee
revenue and taxation, is about reaC
but II will remain in the hands OF
committee some days yet. The |
valorem tax will be y cents on the 81
the school tax 10 cents and occupati
taxes will remain about the same. La
yers have been raised to $40 and la
agents reduced TO $40. The reason OF Il
il that all lawyers do more or less u la
business, and Il WAS but fair to tn
and the land agents on the same ba'
Whisky license, billiard license, 81
ETC., will not he chang
A great many bills rsisi
the license on these occupations.
have all been referred to the commit
on revenue and taxation. Capt. hi
very sensibly argues that II IL better