The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-25

make this first attack. against US con
cealed under cover of avowed opposition
to spectators. In doing so they have
held up between us and the public gaze
the Day Land and Cattle company, who
actually accommodated many of us by
purchasing their certificates at the high
est market value. Then, in moments of
emergency, they have held you up, sir
you who had shown our right to Greer
county to be as clear as daylight-because
you had located about 100 of our certif-
Gates in Greer county (the only available
domain not reserved against us) and
charged us the long established rate of
and expense. They have done this in the
face of the we'll known facts that very few
of rs, if any, were able to locate for our
selves; that by thus taking possession of
the county for the state we had induced
immigrants to settle therein in such num-
bers as to necessltate its organization
that the United States had then virtually
abandoned their unjust claim to the
county and never would again have
attempted to enforce it had our
rights therein never been threatened by
the authorities of our own state; that by
thus locating our certificates there, each
of us had obtained patent for $40 acres,
which was worth many times more than
his certificate for 1880 acres ever would
have been worth.
This condemnation of the Day company
for purchasing veteran certificates and
locating them as their vendors had the
right to do-and of you. for purchasing
part of our lands a,positive denial of
the right to purchase land, and this in
wolves denial of the right to sell land,
either partly or wholly, and this is to rem
der { utterly worthless to men of our age.
Hence, the plain inference is that the r
generous donation of the Seventeenth
legislature.
But this attempted observation of the
wrongs of the poor veterans, by holding
up other parties between them and the
public gaze,is too transparent to merit the
name of Discrimination. The entire pro-
GEE ding is most clearly as much to the in
jury If the poor veterans as to anyone
else, and it is much harder
upon them than upon any
one else, because they are much less able
to bear it. AS one of them, feel and
know this to be true.
These prosecutions by Il Q state of the
veterans AID their assigns have annulled
the title to every acre of lard in Greer
| county, including the county's title to the
lot on which she has built her court house
revived the unjust claims of the United
States to the territory of that county and
effected the complete loss thereof to Texas
They have also, by precedent, rendered
doubtful the title to every acre of land II
the state.
The privilege extended to US by the
Twentieth Legislature of drawing unlocat
able certificates is of no benefit to US. We
have petitioned the Twenty first legisla
ture to open reservations for the location
of our new certificates as partial redress
| for the loss of our lands in Greer county
That body referred the subject to joint
committee, who reported favorable bill
1t passed the senate by large majority
the house also passed it, but our bitter
opponents procured reconsideration and
effected its defeat. so we are yet without
redress. The Seventeenth legislature, IN
solicited by US, donated to each
of US, for the tolls and dangers
of our youth, 1880 acres OF
land, which the courts and the subse quent
legislatures have taken from US without
compensation. Henceforth, who can trust
the state of Texas for anything? Who
of us, while suffering and fighting for oul
country's very existence, ever though
that she would thus trife with us in oul
old age, poverty and decrepitude?
1t is our duty to know our friends, ant
to teach our posterity to reverence theil
memory. Ever since 1883 the journals
of the two houses have shown who have
been our friends in the legislature. The!
are the men who have continuously advo
Gated and voted for our cause. So far al
practicable, each of US ought to search
them out and keep list of their names
l shall honor each of them as my per
sonal friend so long as live, and sug
gest that each of us do the same.
must uot forget to note our grateful
obligations to the editor and publisher o.
| The AUSTIN STATESMAN. The columns o.
that heightened and patriotic paper hal
ever been open to us, and helping edl
torial therein has never been withheld.
If you have no objection to this pape
please present it, with my fraternal greet
ing, to our worthy association, either di
rectly or through the city press, as yo1
deem the more appropriate.
With warmest esteem, am, worthy com
rade, respectfully, your friend,
w. p. ZUBER.