Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-02

as u candidate for county clerk Twas
informed yesterday he did not get one
vote at NaYajoe and only about ten in
the county. All know of it personally
is that the common talk was that he was
not known in the race.
l mention this only for the purpose of
showing that S. G. Tally does not figure
as a representative of Greer county. As
to our people, who he saw proper to
state, were leaving Greer because they
were so poor, I stand ready to prove
they are among the best of
Greer county settlers financially,
mentally and morally. s. c. Tally
does not rank above the average of them.
Tally is right when he says one of the
reasons of the rush is that they are not
afraid of Cleveland putting them out,
which is true, but that is queer reason
for claiming more than 100 acres. Mr..
Tally should have stated that the settlers
of Greer met Commissioner Hall at Man
gum, August Is, 1888, and by vote of
over 120 against 6 asked for $50 acre
homesteads. There was danger then of
Cleveland. Since that time Cleveland S
proclamation proves the wisdom
of that vote, just as at the
last election they sat down
on Tally, and as his letters proves wisely
There is no more reason for man going
to Greer county TO buy section of land
than there is to walk by clear spring of
water to drink ont Of muddy pool.
Sensible business men do not hunt for
and without a title to invest their money.
The secret of the section plan in Greer
is the hope of the free use a long time
without paying taxes, or the chance of
selling off three four tbs of it in 160-
acre claims to men who can
find no land for home
These two reasons are the ones given by
the section men of Greer, and either Of
them viii not commend itself to anyone
but the man trying it. Mr.. Tally's at
tempt to mix Texas loyalty with land
grabbing viii only excite contempt from
those whose good will is valuable. I have
held but one position as regards Greer
and that is to secure it for the settlers
with q neutral attitude to both parties to
the dispute, having Texas to
keep off Uncle Sans troops and
Uncle Sam to keep off the
Texas land shark. 1t may not be appre-
ciated by the mOSsbacks, but it has won
l 800 900 acres of land from the cow
ranch and made it the envy of Texas
and Kansas as well as the entering wedge
to the Oklahoma territory. 1t is making
Wilbarger county second only to Greer,
and it is making Fort Worth the whole
sale center of the whole move l have
the proud satisfaction of knowing that l
have been working for three years
in the interest of civilization,
and have helped many to get
beautiful homes and expect if I live TO
continue the work. East Greer is nearly
all taken up and the issue will soon be as
to whether the newcomer shall pay the
section man for 100 acres of his claim
under Texas in which Texas viii not sup
purt him, or squat on 100 acres of it
under Uncle Sam IS law. l say the public
sympathy viii be with the squatter, as
100 acres of land free, no taxes, ought to
satisfy every reasonable man If the
present legislature will i'm
prove its opportunity and pass
a homestead law for Greer
under Texas, it would produce revolu-
ton of feeling among the homesteaders
As to the sections of the Texas patriots in
Greer, l give few specimens
One claimed four sections under the
grazing act Isl per acre) and wired in a
big body of valuable timber and COM
menced to sell off the timber to his neigh
bors.
Another one refused to recognize Texas
in getting town lot, but swore Uncle
Sam owned it, and then claimed a section
largely Of timber. He never lived out of
town, but he holds his section and timber
under Texas.
While 1 have advocated 1867
acre hOmesteads under either
Texas or the United States
and law and order, trying to make money
out of any work and leaving a free home
for each new conner as long as there is
160 acres vacant. Two years ago was
cursed for claiming an 160-acre home
stead, because there was no law for it
My answer was, Necessity will make US
the law. - Last year they claimed had
got up such boom on Greer that Cleye-
land would run lis out. That proved a
Now Tally comes to the front
with the statement that we have
starved out. Ny answer to that
is for him to take his 100 acres
and let others have free home
before he is compelled to by his superiors.
The homesteaders of Greer, as q body.
are ahead Of any one 1 know of, and are
far better prepared to prosper than are
those that oppose them, and have the !
proud satisfaction that their action is en-
dorsed by SO per cent. of the American |
people; and that to-day instead of our |
colony playing out, it has grown into the
Oklahoma union and win now control the |
benefits of its own work. 1t is captur- |
ing Oklahoma day by day just as it did |
Greer county. In its ranks can be shown |
more public spirit, brains, wealth, patri-
otism and loyalty to Texas than Tally |
ever dreamed of. Respectfully,
BUCKsKIN JOE.
P. S.-The reason of the Greer county
rush is that our colony after securing our !
location in Greer issued from 5000 to TO-
900 Emigrants Guides monthly, advertis-
ing the fact that we had free homesteads. |
and no taxes, in the garden spot Of the |
West. The mossbacks and cowmen did
all they could to prevent it. No man /
need deny that the Greer boom started
with our colony. No man need deny that
is what we advocated and advertised No
man need doubt but that the programme
will be carried out as advertised.
gghsr rsshv ~. a;cIr ~ yevo far CesAorsa