Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-13
4 EFT OF HLSTORY.


Governor 0. NJ. Roberts was the au-
thor of a land policy, the chief aim of
which was to bring revenues into the
state treasury. That policy was bitterly
opposed by those who saw in it the ele-
mentS of land monopoly; who preferred
homes to ranches; babies TO calves. The
governor triumphed; the opposition dis
played but n mere handful against him at
the Dallas convention, in which he was
renominated
Within one year after his second
inaugural Governor Roberts stood
almost alone,as an apologist for the land
legislation which he inspired. The sober
second thought of the state condemned
the traffic i'll public lands with spectators
and cattle barous. For every dollar that
Governor Roberts land policy brought
into the state treasury the state lost
twenty III the delay of settlement, in the
Capitalization of land ownership, and,
above all, i'll the reign of lawlessness
during the fence-cutting era, of which
his policy was the legitimate parent, and
immediate cause.
Governor John Ireland was known to
by his predecessor when he succeeded to
the governorship. His theories seemed
to favor the settlement of the public lands
as the first and chief object to be at
tanned. But the cry for immediate
revenue for the public funds was too
strong for a nature presenting a
singular combination of stubbOrnness
and weakness Governor Ireland yielded
to it, departing, however, from the pol
icy of his predecessor in seeking for rev.
enue from the rental rather than from
triumph over the opposition to his land
policy was not less signal and complete
than that of the Old Alcalde.
The Eighteenth legislature evidenced
its zeal in his behalf by adopting by over
a thirds vote resolution OF endorse
ment, the propriety of which was ques-
toned by his strongest friends. In the
Houston convention 10 one ventured to
raise a voice against his denomination,
which was made by acclnmation.
When the noise of his secoud campaign
died away Governor Ireland found him
self at the head of an inharmonious gov
eminent containing but one member,
aud lie the least important, who supported
the policies of the head of the admin
istration. The legislature which had
been so intensely loyal to the governor
faced about and if it did not actively an
tagoniZe him manifested stole iEdiffer-
ence TO his cOunsels and wishes. Re-
ceiring his denomination as a hearty in
dorsement Of his land policy Governor
ireland did not finish the first half of his
second term before the cool Judgment
of the country had pronounced that pol
icy failure. The legislature repudiated
1t with q bill which the governor vetoed,
and an administration begun in the
glamour of popularity went out under the
cloud of public disapproval.
These facts, known of all men, are re-
called to emphasize an assertion which
THE GAZETTE has often made:
That the inevitable end of any
policy which does not have for its chief
object the settlement of the vacant pub
lie lands is failure. Prejudices die away;
facts survive. Revenues are temporary;
settlement is q monument that lasts for
all time. History will write down every
administration Il failure that contributes
in the remotest way to delay i'll the de-
velopment of Texas. 1t will justly de-
clare that the best which does most for
Texas development.