Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-08
w. ]. SWAIN.
A Plain Talk with One Of the Candi-
dates for Governor OF
Texas.
A LimitIesa Field OF WORK for our Next
Chief Executive 20 Accomplish
Problems 20 MASTER.



for governor Of the state. The gentlemal
was not only pleased but communicative
ana as be said he was under no bond 0
secrecy, your correspondent obtained
from him the details Of the interview
which seemed 70 crafty him so much. Al
nearly as can be given, the substance o.
the conversation Is as follows. After
the transaction Of other business which
had brought him 10 the state capitol, the
gentleman said TO Mr.. Swain
"By the way, colonel, II now seems "a
be certain you are going 10 be our next
governor. What would DO your policy as
governOri There are no political Issues
AZ stake, and you are not candidate for
the senate; what would you do II gov
ernorf"
i'If am elected governor | will ad.
dress myself mainly TO iustifylng and per-
fectiDg our land laws, and the material
Advancement OF the state.n
nWhat do you mean by material ad-
vancemontf What could be done 10 aid
the progress Of the slater"
III mean that, In order 10 insure salts
factory results, the agricultural Interests
are 10 be encouraged. The sparscly set.
tied districts, including the unor.
gained counties, are 10 be settled
by men with the pillow and the
hoe. The assessment laws are 10 be
amended 30 as to secure fair valuation.
Much has been done heretofore, but much
has yet 10 be done before we get our tax
matters fully adjusted. You see | am
now making notes OF recommendation In
that line for my forthcoming report,
which will come out In November In
1885 we had the mode OF assessment Of
railroad aud national bank property
changed, by act OF the legislature, so as
10 get complete lists and make improve.
f1eDtB as 70 values. The assessments OF
personal property In unorganized coun-
Ties need attention, az there IN practically
no way OF getting at the amount and
value OF personal property In those coun-
Ties, have heretofore called attention
10 TINS oversight, and bills were intro
huced looking to a remedy, but for want
OF time and proper attention no change
was reachedn
"Why, that sounds like an agricultural |
bureau. Is that the import Of your con
teInplated recommendations?
yes that, think, liz the correct idea, |
WINE do not think II proper subject 4
lor me 70 recommend In my report TO the 4
governor, thlnk bureau OF agriculture
t'N fffANoNAJ W. tHIuDllAntu III |
TeXas. ! see and have felt the need OF
such bureau over since I have been In
this department The agricultural inter-
est is the foundation OF all prosperity.
" matters not what occupation or
ay0catlon one embarks In, there can be no
prosperity without the farming people
succeed. The merchant, the doctor, the
attorney, and everybody, depends upon
agriculture and the money coming direct
" and indirectly from the soil com.
mission OF agriculture and labor In con-
neclton with tho commission OF statistics, |
would give Information az To the vnlasd
aud lassltlcaiion Of our lands, the prOd-
uota to be successfully grown upOn
them, We need "A census law like that q {
New York, and we should have the censrs
TAKEN every ten years, beginning, say, IN
1887 aud following with state census IN
1890, and then every ten years, that
would give complete census every hYa
years. one by the general government,
and the other by the state, In a growing
state like Texas II might bo better 10 en-
large the duties of the assessor, and have
him take the census every year AS he does
the scholastic census. IL woald BIZ but
little more trouble. We have no means
OF telling how much corn, cotton, or any
product yields In each section This
should all BIO carefully compiled, The
stock interest would DO greatly improved,
for II Ia not quantity OF stock that pays
the best, but the quality, and poor
quality OF horses or cattle will eat as
much and COST AZ much for care and at |
tontlon, hut they do not pay as much. A |
bureau OF this kind supplemented by |
census, would be of lncaculable advan-
tage to the state In attracting tho atten.
tlon of homo-seokers TO It's rapid growth |
and development, and by showing ourown |
population the actual capacities and
possibilities Of Texas. Business men
take periodical balance-sheets and In
yentories In order TO see what they have
done and can do, and, as agriculture IL
the foundation OF all trade, that which
promotes and advances the product of
The field Is of supreme Importance. II
think IL Is q consciousness OF the noed
for better methods and more system and
greater returns that inspires the move
mont among tho farmers under the alll-
ancc, which is now doing noble work IN
advancing the material interests OF Its
members. Any man aud any community
OF men can more intellgontly better con-
dltlons by such Information. Other states
have such BUREAUS, and no state IN the
Union needs hucn an institution more
than Texas does, We need II for the In
ormation OF our own people as well rs
for an advertising medium,n
"That seems to DO u good idea, but
what could be done by your bureau TO
promote friendly cooperation between
employees and corporations for you know
Texas is becoming a wide iieid for organ
ICED capital, especially In railroad prop.
eriy.n
"That would take In tho labor cues.
ton, and all proper statistics concerning
capital and labor would 10 carefully com
piled from which tho legislature could
bomiormod as 20 the workings of any kind
OF Industry You see the state cannot
deal with classesi II deals with Ia.
divlduals, aud must extend equal prlyl-
leges to all. But we have natural persons
and artificial persons, and when these
artificial persons are created, such as
corporations, they are subject 60 tho
creative power as 10 regulation. Some OF
these corporations extend TO only private
enterprise, aud some are public In their
nature and are quasipublc corporations.
These corporations are subject 70 state
regulation, and should be held to strict
compliance With the laws In their opera.
lions that thov NAV moi aaaua o., H.. 49, 49,