Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-02-21
A MANIFESTO.
Judge Terrelrs Position Regarding the
Question Of Land Monopoly
Clearly Defined.
Some Highly interesting Historical Facts
coliR,ed by Terren's Frsends--An
Doubts Removed.
Special 10 the ,;a,o,tc.

Special TO the Gazette.
AUSTIN, Tx, Feb. 20.--The friends of |
Judge Terrell, an aspirant for the
United States senate, devming him mis- !
represented on the land question, de-
termined to issue the following mani.
festo:
Some editors have endeayored to place
Judge Terrell in a false position regard
ing the question OF land monopoly.
Justice requires that the people should
have the following facts, taken from the
senate journals;
On the 18th Of February, 1876, after
passage OF bill to relieve railroads,
under which the Texas Pacific secured
millions OF acres, which Terrell, Story,
McLeary and others attempted to re-
claim for the state, Judge Terrell placed
on the journals OF the senate a lengthy
protest, in which occurs the following
language:
"There are urgent reasons why Texas
should not permit herself to be trified
with longer by this giant monopoly.
"The claims of the school fund
upon the public domain, emitting
II to four millions of acres more
than the INDICATED half remain
ing, TO compensate that quantity
granted to the International Railroad
company, tine necessity to utilize the
100000 acres set aside by the Constitu.
ton to erect new capitol, and the I'M
portance of securing TO actual settlers
our land, are considerations that appeal
to this legislature TO resume control OF
this large body of territory heretofore
reserved TO the Pacific railway, The 4,-
000,0 900 acres over and above the half OF
the public domain which the state owes
the school fund, the 100000 dedicated
to build new capitol, and the 100000
| dedicated tc endow university, In all
| 5000, 900 acres, must be found ont OF u
| little over thirty million acres, which Is
all the state now owns, after setting aside
alternate sections for school purposes.
/ Does not every consideration of our own
interest and that of our postcrity demand
that these special claims should first
be satisfied, before longer pursuing
our course of proiiigate and prohtess
prodigality to mammoth corporations.
"Texss has promised conditlonally TO
railroads l2s, 009, 240 acres of the public
domain, as will be shown by a report
made in pursuance to a resolution intro
duced by me; this quantity is about foui
times the amount Of her disposable put
lie domain" Is. j 5s0),
Senator Terrell was one OF only six sen
ators who, in 1876, voted against the gen
eral law granting land to railroads
Those voting with him were Ball, Bias
sengame, Grace, Guy, Henry and Pine
Is. j. Of 1875, p 6sD, No vote OF his
has been found granting land subsidies K
railroads
On February 10, 1883, he reported
bill to limit the scope and power OF pri
waite corporation Is j. p. 44). He moye'
to amend that bill so as to prohibit an,
corporation from owning over Gao acre
Of land IN Texas Is. j p I'D. On motiol
OF another senator il was amended so us t
permit corporation to own GAO acres !
each county, and in that shape 1t becam
, law. Is. j., P 1900
: At the called session OF 1884, Judg
z Terrell introduced in the senate resolu
J tion calling on Gov. Ireland to submit I
: the legislature the propriety OF repealin
: all laws granting land to corporations
except for mechanical and transportatio
purposes, and under authority of articl
e 5gl (Rey, Stat to alter and reform a
I
j tions to hold land so as to limit thei
, duration, and require them to wind u
T their affairs, pay debts and dstribnt
I among stock bolders their assets Is. j
D. 55). GOV. Ireland did not respond I
the call, and the bill was reporte
against.
On the 2sth Of April, 1876, Judge Tel
roll introduced bill TO build new caI
itol by selling to the people land certit
= Gates in quantities OF 800 and "a
d acres IS. j., p. 1907 1t wa
substituted by bill to surve
u \ mo 900 acres OF land to be sold
y actual settlers in quantities of l60 acres
|. and to Others in quantities of GAO acres
y which passed the senate August 8, 81
:, by A vote OF fifteen to eleven, Judge TIE
rell voting for it (S. J. 1900.
That bill failed In the house and no la
was passed that session
IL Terrell was sworn to observe consl
+ tuition. which required 100000 acres
G, land to be appropriated to build capit
a In some tcdy. He had failed TO do 1T
u his way by selling land in small quanl
~ ties 20 the people, and so after waltz
r over two wears at the session Of 1879,
Is adopted from necessity the methods OF
q unanimous senate, as Is apparent fro
u the vote, and voted for law winch pr
yided that the land might be surveys
and snapped TO contractors, who won
10 build the house. In that shape the Ia
y was passed, ecegy senator rotfng Jor
"a There names are; Yeas--Bhchana
-, - Burnett, Brown, Burton, Dave
- port, Duncan, Edwards, Ford, GooC
Grace, Guy, Hobby, Houston, Lane, La
Ledbettier, Martin, Mccormick, Moor
Motley, Patton, Ripatoe, shannon, Stol
swain, Terrell and Tilson. Nays Nol
Gov. Roberts, in his inaugural adore
OF 1879, urged the sale Of the land In I
NC unorganized counties to pay the pup
nd debt and for school purposes. the wh'
public domain could have been cover
under the law as It was by land cert
Gates, then on the market, at cost OF
est cents an acre. The Panhandle count
re-, then uncxplored, was regarded as III
;er for agriculture, aud was placed on
be market at so cents an acre. Terrell
tempted by amendment 10 have the pr
liked at 81 so an acre and failed o. -
gs35, on July ., 1879, the bill pas:
of the senate with only two dissent
red votes, ,Ripatoei and Stewart 81. y
wn lgg). Under that act only S,GoO,ogo
of q, nearly 80, 900, 900 were sold. Whel
IS was found that corporations were ?
.,.a g.stl sara = t.a GGld tn NtNn \