The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-03-25
WEEKLY STATESMAN.
LET US HAVE THE RECORD.

Sundar, in regard TO Governor Irelandi
in'rod' air- into the senate bill. grantiae
the J..ttrna'ional gaircad com pany
twenty sections of land to the mile. says
TIE STAE.sIAa's article is q gros:
perversion of truth. John Ireland diC
not advocate tine International or any
other railroad subsidy; indeed, his opposi
ton 10 all such measures was so notorious
thai the Terrell crowd fixed uuon him the
soubriquet OF "0xCart john"
This is a very broad assertion of the
Times. Let US SEQ whether IL is true or
not The Times demands the record it
shall have it. Remember that the Times
declares Governor Ireland opposed all
measures appropriating public lands TO
build railroads, and, if we are not very
much mistaken, asserted, few days ago,
that ne did not vote for any such measure.
The Times will find that The STATES
MAN is much better posted than it sup
posed.
Let us start fair, at the very beginning
OF Governor Ae.anG'5 legislative course
on appropriation or public lands to rail
roads in the state of Texas, and give SEES
sion, day and page.
We imagine the Times will be surprised
when it is informed that John Ireland, who
was member of the Thirteenth legisla-
ture in 1873, voted to give sixteen sections
per each mile of road constructed, to
each of the following railroads, as wit
messed by the votes recording the "yeas
and nays" as follows, to-wit:
f.. April o. 1873, to the G. W., T. Il Pacific rail
road, house JOURNAL page $40.
2.....April 2, 1873 10 Colorado, Austin & Lampasas
railroad, h /, . 80.
Be-" April Z, 1873, TO Lockport 81 Laredo railroad,
h J, p57l.
:. May 9Th, TO the Atlantic & Pacific railroad, 1g
sections on both sides Of the road across
Texas, and reserved IL from location, h ], |
g., May I'd, to Beaumont, Corsicana & Fort Worth
railroad, b j, p 5s3
May lat, TO st. Louis & Mexican Gulf railroad,
hi, pS23.
s May. sd, 70 Palestine & East Texas railroad,
nj, ? 1913.
May 10Th, to Sabine Pass & Jefferson railroad,
10 May 2sd, TO sherman, Wichita & Panhandle
railroad, h ], p lll9.
H. May 10Th, to Houston, East and West,
70 Mae Tss sSib rn ~ a%l, i s%5,, Inn ,
10. May 18th, to Fort Worth & Denver City rail
road, h j. p l1s0
n May 18th, TO East Line, Denver & Red River
railroad, + p ll05.
10. May 18th, to Galveston & East Texas railroad,
h., p 1880
6'''May goth to Orange, Jasper 4 shelby rail
MAY Both, 70 lndanola, San Antonio & FL Pase
g.. May 18th, TO International railroad company,
h ], p 1857.
There, Mr.. Times, is a nice little table {
If eighteen different railroads to which, in I
he short space of ninety days, Hon. John l
Ireland voted TO each sixteen sections of s
and per mile. Does this look like THE {
STATESMAN has been deceived? {
Not only this, but on March "a, 1873, he l
bill TO grant sixteen sections t
,er mile to the Columbus, San Antonio a. S
Iio Grande railroad; see house journals t
age 425. r
Let us look little further into this u
natter, and see the result of this waste of O
he public domain. Ii
Under the grants passed at the session 2
( this Legislators, for which Governor Q
Ireland voted, the charters of the roads l
allied for an aggregate of over $500 il
allies Of roads iu Texas. At sixteen sec. C
ions per mile, under the grants that t
Governor Ireland helped TO pass, if the o
Dada had been built, the state of Texas
ould have been compelled to give away a
yer thrty-fve millions of acres of land I
iore than she had after setting aside t.
,hool lands. n
You have called for the record, charg- a
70 The STATESMAN with being deceived c
n the subject. Who has been mised, Il
10 Laredo Times or The STATESMAN?
he Times is attempting to make the r.
eople believe that Governor Ireland Il
hen in the Legislature was an opponent
these subsidies. Is it true? What
)es the record prove?
But the question is, was il wise state -
olicy! Roads are now being built with W
at the subsidy of single acre of land, T.
Ister than they were built under such nj
olicy of extravagant donation by Gov n
nor Ireland and his friends, and of w
'urse, he was the most influential mem .,
IT of the Legislature thus granting lands n
roads. ..
Now let us see later, when Governor T.
elqnd was senator from the Seguin All
strict, in 1875, in the Fourteenth legis- 20
ture, what happened on the subject of Oh
Q International railroad. The Laredo 20
mes says: "THB SrArEsMANs hi
ticle is gross perversion of an
ith John Ireland did not advocate the bo
ternational or any other railroad sub
ly; indeed, his opposition to each and WI
of such measures was so notorious that ba
, Terrell crowd fixed upon him the So DIN
lquet of 'Ox-Cart john" al
It is matter of no moment to the pub. trc
how this sobriquet was fixed upon Gov un
lor Ireland. II is, however, to be noted the
n iha atatapnant .b,t 0To..u , !.