The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-05-29
Us LETTER.
w. L. Malone, Esq >, Editor Fort Worth
Gazette Fort Worth, Tex,

w. L. Malone, Esq, Editor Fort Worth
Gazette, Fort Worth, Tex.
Dear Sir-I desire to thank
you for the publication in
full of my speech delivered in
Williamson county on Wednesday
last. There is nothing in the same
issue of your paper to indicate that it
meets with your disfavor; at leastit is
evident that the columns of the
Gazette, as usual, are open to mat
tiers of general public interest, and
that it regards the information of the
people as one of its missions. The
Gazette is located in one of the most
enterprising and progressive cities of
the State. Under your control it has
consistently labored for the advance
ment and prosperity of Fort Worth.
My conviction is, too. that the pros
perity and development OF West Texas
has always been the desire and object
of your paper. While 1 have not al
ways agreed with the Gazette as to
what policy was best to secure this
end, still 1 have never doubted that
the advancement of the West was de-
sired by the Gazette as earnestly and
as honestly as by myself. / believe
now that it is the duty OF the State to
relieve the West of some of the bur-
dens it is carrying. The Dem
ocratic party of Texas has al
ways meant, am sure, to do equal
justice to every section of the State.
There has been no intention to op-
pose any section or even to advance any
section at the expense of another. l
feel it my duty in consideration of my
present relation to the Democratic
party OF our State to call attention to
few things in connection with State
finances wherein justice, as Democrats
understand 1T, demands that there be
a modification of certain laws relating
to State finances and taxation. The
comptroller's last report shows thai
the fund appropriated for school pur-
poses for the year ending August 81,
1889, was derived as follows, to-wit:
Receipts from interest on State
bonds. Observation-Disclosures, S12l $40
Receipts from interest on county ~
bonds, .......................:. 1863, 796
Receipts from interest on lands
sold OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 571,661
Receipts from interest on railroad
bonds o.. :.....,.................. 9O,697
Receipts from leases of school
lands. Observation-Disclosures. 234,225
Total. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1S2, 1S9
making a total as is shown, of ST ,1S2,-
189 derived from lands and invest
ment of funds derived from the same
source. Of the above amounts, $500
600 are from the lease of school lands,
and interest on sales, and 1916, 900
represents interest on the investment
of the permanent school fund. The
amount received by taxes for school
purposes is about $1,0O0,000. From
the above it will be seen that the an
nual revenue from interest on lands
sold and lands leased was As as much
as all the money raised for taxation
in Texas for school purposes. This
$500, 600 comes from the West and is
distributed according to scholastic
population throughout the State. The
West alone also pays her share of the
taxes, and it is safe to say that Cen
trail and West Texas pay tn ree-fourths
of this. What I would call especial
attention to is the injustice of requir-
ing the purchaser of school lands to
pay taxes on the same, as if it were
his, while, perhaps, his interest in the
land is only 1-10th or 1-20th or pos
sibly 1-40th of the interest still held
by the State. To illustrate, the set
tier who goes to Tom Green county to
make his home buys section of land
at W per acre, paying the State $32,
which is 1-40th of $3.50, the price of
the land. He gives his note to the
State for the balance, viz: $1248.
This land is then assessed
against him just as if
he had paid the $3.50 cash, while
really it represents but an investment
of $32. His yearly interest account
on this purchase is $62.40, which
must be paid under penalty
of forfeiture and reversion of
his home to the State. 1t is the
duty of the State to encourage settle.
ment and development of her unoccu-
pied territory in the west, and the
pioneer who converts section of this
land into farm and home is public
benefactor. In many cases the 50
per acre (the minimum fixed by law
is large price for the land.
Certainly these settlers homes should
not be assessed for taxation like it
we're his, but the amount OF the States
lien should be deducted from the valu-
alton. Let the law say that the
States lien on land sold under the
acts of 1883 and 1887, and the same
act amendatory to the latter passed in
1889 shall be deducted from the as
sessed value of same, at least for taxa
ton for school purposes. AS it is
now the State, while still owning
$3.50 or 1910 of a section of land,
taxes the purchaser of same as if it
were all his. This would not be so
grievously unjust if the money
TINS raised was snent at home