Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-17
Confusion Worse COMPOUNDED in the
Ranks Of the Champions Of
Land Monopoly.
Friends Of the Lease Law AfraiS to
Make Il Operative Doomed to
Ultimate Repeal.
Tho wonderni Fcats os Political Aero
bat--A senatorial vs. Gubcrns.
toriai Campaisa.
From ono snecInl corresnondcnl.

vi Tvs MVNutHs AlNAfANit NNNliii UiNfUNNtc
the matter very quietly, aud leaves II to
Its neighbors 60 get excited In many
respects this Is q peculiar town, When
1t was held up TO the world as shining
example CT virtue-thee Athens of the
South---where crime was an almost I'M
known quantity, the capital complacently
accepted the compliment as a matter OF
course. Now that its name is
becoming by-word for lawless-
ness OF the most repulsive type
wherever electricity has flashed the hor-
rors of its many crimes, the capital again
accepts the situation, certainly not with
out regret, but as a matter of course. |
should say that there is too much belief
in destiny here for the general good
Without II the hum of a dozen factories
might now be heard from the state-house,
and half as many railroads would make this
the supply depot of the Southwest. Still
one often hears the expression, iii Ben
Thompson were only marshal"
Innumerable theories have been spun
out OF the thread Of imagination to ac-
count for n series of murders, that In
truth admit of no reasonable explanation,
1t is recognition OF this which has led SO
many TO the conclusion that mailman Is
responsible for the whole bloody work.
And, yet, nothing could be more unreas-
enable than such n suggestion. mad
man whose thirst for blood renders him
a model of prudence and discreetness for
fourteen months, and gives him
such cunning that no one
discovers his insanity would, in
deed, be novelty. TO the devil with
all such insanity. My own opinion Is
that whatever of mystery attaches 10 the
long chain of assassinations arises from
Ignorance Of the history OF each OF the
victims. Crime is not estopped by mere
enioinder of law, but through fear of the
law. There are thousands of people In
the world who have murder in their
hearts, but who have not the courage, on
account of a dread of the penalties, to
take 1t In their hands Once demon
strate to them that the danger In
crime is past and no deed Is
too damnable for them TO conceive
or too brutal for them to execute. The
earlier murders in this horrible record
were perpetrated, IA was generally con-
ceded ut the time, on account OF leal-
ousies among the negroes. Tie escape
OF the murderers undetected WAS signal
TO those of equal mind OF the deplorable
| imbecility OF the agencies OF the law.
Since then the record of Austin's crimes
has simply been one of the gratill'
cation of private and long-pent-up
reyenges. The similarity that
nav be traced between the various muir
ders Is simply mark OF that cunning sa.
gacity which would naturally cause the
assassin TO mystify his crime. Never an
admirer of the dead desperado, l an
| tempted TO echo the remark. 'If Ben
Thompson were only marshal"
Gov Ireiand's latest flop on the LAND
question has elected but little surprise
here. Indeed, 80 multitudinous and diverse
have been his movements on the political
chcckcr-board during the three years Of
his administration, that the only thine
left for him TO do which would cause the
least ripple OF astouisbment, would be tC
preserve His consistency forany continued
length of time. When his letter 20 The
land board was read, advising reduction
in the rate OF the lease to four cents
nobody was agltated; everybody
simply smiled and wondered
what would come next
Whether his next step will be TO advise
an increase TO ten cents, or further de
crease TO two cents; whether II specia
session OF the legislature was called h
would advocate rigid herd law, or ad
here 70 the theory OF public commons
! are questions which his most truste,
friends cannot answer. No small mum
} Der Of them are thoroughly Disguised an,
! sick at heart. The truth ~, that having
: trayersed in his positions atvarions time
every phase of belief on the subject
the public lands, II is doubtful II the gov
1 ernor IL able 10 define his opinion
with any degree Of satisfaction q
! himself. In the Eighteenth leglslatur
| Especial SESSION. he tough: the Tcrrcllbil
7 on the ground that 1t was herd law, dc
a clarng that "the time would never com
4 in the history Of this country when ma
I could not tnrn his COW out 10 Craze upol
: the public commons.n Yet more tina
! once he has gone on record with expires
I sions which would admit OF no interpreta
(. tion other than advocacy OF
: herd law. In the land board hi
: career has been that OF an aero
bat whose ambition was TO achieve "a
{ many surprises as possible. This muc
in explanation of the origin
Z the letter. AS to It's contents
( ia unnecessary to state tia
{ they involve square back-down.
must be taken as Il clever bid for popula
aDplause on the score of political cur
Mug rather than In their literal meaning
! To consider them soberly would plat
/. their distinguished author in n very awl
ward position, and no friend OF the ~
minlsiration will construe them oih'
than In a Plckwickian sense. There 81
something like twenty-five million acre
e nj srhaol lands unlicensed aud about thr,
y million acres leased. The idea that thos
4 three million acres exhausted
the desirable public lands on
+" that the balance are on
e two-tbirds as valuable will moi lind mai
Is believers. What the governor real
Il meant TO be understood by his letter wa
|. "Our lease policy has been u failure let
o try another tack.n The board, satisDs
e to exhibit willingness 20 tease, and lea
= full Of the results OF actual leasing 70 az
Is great extent, declines TO heed tae 20
/, ernor's suggestions.
IS Some one may say 'What. DO "
question the ddelity Of the laud boafd
e the lease-law causeyn Yes, dare say
" aud more; there Is not 4 public man
< Texas to-day who holds q rcepectap
D. place IN politics that would assume :
c, paternity Of lease system cspan
in OF accomplishing It's pretended ohjce'
Oh II there Is any virtue In the lease a.
3. IL consists in leasing. That man eanD
T, be found who believes II expedlentto lea
a. the whole OF the school lands were "
NJ possible, or 20,O90, 900, l5,00O,ovV or ~
10000, 600 acres. When the inonopolls'
features Of tho lease are urged, ~ iIien
L. n u