Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-06
THE ALIEN LAND LAW.
OBJECTIONS URGED AGAINST
NOT APPRECIATED.
This is the Poor Mans IiGht-The Rich
Can Take Care of Themselves, Can
Borrow or do Without.
FoRr WORTH. TEX. Sept. I. 1891.

|
| ! have watched with interest the stub
| born fight which. under your management,
! THE GAZETTE is making TO secure the moi
! itication of some Objectionable features of
| the ''alien land law ! have admired the
! fairness OF your warfare and the liberality
with which you have accorded space TO
! your adversaries. And l have been pleased
| to see that throughout the controversy
| YOU have not Disseminated between the
! respective functions of the legislative anu
| executive departm entS, ard have not been
| carried away by your zeal to Join with
| those who have used this unfortunate act
| of the legislature as means by which to
vent their spleen upon Governor Hogg.
In the discussion OF this question i GER
| tainly seems to me unnecessary 10 indulge
! any personal abuse, and greatly wanting IN
respect 10 ourselves as citizens of the state
| of Texas 10 attribute 70 its chief executive
wrongful and improper motives in the per
| formance of his official duties. As Demo-
| Gratis and citizens of Texas we were Justly
proud of the reception given in this state ia
| the Republican president Of the United
| States. and believe that we should feel an
| even greater pride in upholding spotless
and unrarnished the honorable reputation
Of our own Democratic governor.
IAN Byrd may be wrong in thinking that
John Towards political sentiments have
controlled his action in praising the Globe
Democrat and supporting without qualf-
cation the provisions Of the allen land
law" but he is certainly right ia his belief
that the latter smells loudly Of protection.
Protection pure and undiluted, protection
10 home money and home money lenders. is
the inevitable and indeed the only incident
TO so much of this act as prohibits aliens
from acquiring and f9reclosing liens upon
lands in Texas.
From time immemorial the great middle
class of the people, those who are neither
rich nor in poverty, have been able 10 Oh
tain longtime loans only upon real estate
security. Members of this class may Dor
row for short period upon the faith of
their personal credit, or upon the pledge of
peliShable and movable property, but in
no other way than upon the security of I'M
movable and imperishapie real estate can
they obtain the use of capital fer such long
periods OF time as are necessary i'll order TO
bring to productiveneSs raw land, or to
establish in 4 new country new enterprises
and new industries.
If we had at home a suficiency of money
to satisfy our necessities, it would not so
seriously injure US TO prohibit our borrow
ing abroad. But, that we have not this
sufficlency is 50 universally acknowledged
that the truth of the proposition may be
taken for granted. a very considerable
majority OF the Democrats of the country
favor the free coinage OF silver. A Very
large number, probably majority, of
the members of the Farmers Alliance favor
the sub-treasury bill. Inquire OF them why
they advocate these measures, and the I'M
mediate answer is that there exists
crying need for money. Yet,
with this fact recognized, vounta-
rily the very men who are most Ger
tain of this deficiency combine 10 cut of one
of the most considerable and cheapest of our
sources of SUP ply.
Money is the life-blood of people With
enterprises anguish and fail, and the or
ganic life of the people IS turned into death.
Protection Of the character given us by this
act of the legislature in his present form is
rejection from the essential principle Of
life, and is death by suicide However
beneficial the sub-treasury bill may be,
however much IL may help US to establish
the free coinage of silver, why is it that we
should he hled 10 death while this is being
accomplished?
Texas is Democratic by u majority of
900, and by an even greater majority
the people of Texas earnestly desire the de-
velopment of that great state of which they
have the honor and privilege of being citi-
zens. Almost without exception, the citi-
zens of this state admit their want of capital
and consequent inability to do the work of
improvement which they wish to see done.
In political principles and in their views of
their abilities and necessities, they are
Il IS.
Faithful work, patient work, Intelligent
work done without ceasing, work such as
The GAZETTE has been and is doing, will
bring our people 10 proper understanding
of this act and its strong and weak points.
And when this shall have been accom-
plished, the days will be few until it will be
so modified as to cease to be hurtful.
l have lived a long time in Texas and am
fast becoming one OF its old citizens. l
knew it IN its cowboy and stage-coach
days, before the advent of the railroads,
ana know tolerably well the sentiments of
the old-timers, and I am quite sure these
want no protection for the n per cent men
with their home money ] am quite sure
these will with me, prefer to pay per cent
to some inhabitant of the British Islands,
or France. or Germany, rather than II, or, if
our need Is great, Is per cent to some
usurer who lives on the next street or in an
adjoining county. They and L will much
sooner see / per cent per annum go out of
the county rather than Il per cent more go
out OF our pockets. And, with ballots IN
our hands, We will trust 20 our ability to
keep the British from depressing US.
Those VINO advocate the provisions of the
''alien land law withot modification fail
to appreciate the objections urged against
it, or are very fearful of squarely joining
issue with their opponents. They fearfuily
point their fingers TO the distress and Suf-
fering of the Irish peasantry, and trem-
blingly implore US TO profit by this example,
but they close their eyes ana stop up their
ears lest they should see or hear the injury
row being done the state and its citizens in
driving away capital and preventing its de-
velopment. They proudly read to us the
declaration of independence. and declare
that for more Ethan hundred years we
have not been subject to any foreign prince,
potentate or power, but they will not listen
when we implore them that they give US
not into the hands of the usurer. nor permit
US to be stripped of our substance for the
payment OF exorb:tant interest. And when
we tell them that what We need is more
money. and not 10 be protected from it, they
say 10 Us; Out upon you. You are mem
bers of The Golden club emissarics OF
British money lenders and corrupted by
British gold
This is the poor mans fight. The rich
can take care OF themselves. Gold will
gather gold Is the small ball of snow rolling
down the hill soon becomes l great mass.
Rich men can borrow or do without. 1t is
the poor. who when they need money and
must borrow need free market, or are at
the mercy OF the note brokers and usurers.
WM. D. WILLIAMS