Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-25
LAND ERAnnR.

| The statements printed in the following
letter are worthy at least the attention of
the state government THE GAzETTE
does not know, beyond the assertions OF
this correspondent, anything of the
frauds said By him to prevail. But II
these lands are the sacred trust so often
paraded before THE GAzETTE's eyes dur
ing the discussion of the land policy of
the state, they should be zealously
guarded. 1t will be noted that this cor
respondent does not charge the frauds to
"bulllonaires," but his statements should
be none the less deemed worthy Of Gre
dence for that cause:
A great political upheaval is making head.
way am ing tho people, and IA suggested by
THE GAZETTE in on able and lengthy editorial
short lime after the recent election, in ord r
for the Democratic party to retain that hold
upon The confidence of the people OF Texas
which It has so long possessed, II is necessary
that It keep abrea OF the timesg and respond
TO the demands of progress.
A mat er TO which the attention OF the next
Legislature should be called |. the ruthless and
open violations of the laws regulating the sale
or disposal OF the public sch oil lands. sueak
more positively OF wilbarRer and Hardeman
| counties, though learn that the same state of
affairs xists in almost every county where
there are school lands. While the law pro-
vides that these lands cha be sold only to
those who will become actual settlers upon the
same, immediat ly, thereby keeping them out
OF the hands of speoulators and insuring to the
pioneers who 10y prvatlon and hardship de.
velop the coun ny, the rewards which they
earn, It is a notorious fact tina. large per
cett OF these lands are hel by gentlemen and
adde's living In town, In other para of The
state or tho United States, or In Europe, thus
not ONLY defeating the law, but retArding the
development of the country by preventing the
lands from being taken by those who want
them as homes and who would improve and
beaut fy them. Some OF these parties have
put tenants upon their sectlons to "hold them
down" for mem, while others have done ab
soitttely nothing towards improv ment, notwith
standing they have cliimed the lands from
twelve to eighteen months. These parties
keep their interest promptly paid mp With
perhaps very few exceptions, their lAnds are
on the market, for ale TO the man with the
pillow and hoe for from $500 to 5000 bonus"
Tho law placing these lAnds on the market
also provides that not moro than one section
of agricultural land shall be awarded 10 any
one person still, between the towns OF Quanah
and Vernon and In this vicinity there
are at least hfty sections of as fine
land as there is In Texas that
have been taken up in lots OF seven sections as
grazing lands. learn that the parties VINO
took thiA land up were allowed 10 classify 1t
themselves, which was certainly contrary to
law; and while they regarded 1t as 1t only tor
grazing eighteen months ago, they now ask a
"bonus" o $1,000 section on some sections
The legislature Ia the proper tribunal 10
knock the whole thing into a cooked hat" IL
the laws regulating the disposition Of the
sch oil Hands are wrong they shou d be repealed
promptly; II not, tuey should be enforced. But
they are not wrong. ITO tho victor belong
The spolls," and to The pioneer who stems the
current at the front should belong the fruits OF
'front.' hardships,
VIII THE GAZETTE, in particular, and the
state press in general, take this matter mp, and
never cease until the right succeeds the wrong?
HARDENAN,