Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-30
Mr.. GOSSETT TALKS.
The Author of the Alien Land Bill Gives
His Views.
Dallas News

Dallas News.
KAUFMAN, TEX, June 22-The News cor
respondent seeing the criticisms of J. B.
Simpson and others on the alien land law
passed by the Twenty-second legislature,
and knowing Mr.. M. H. Gossett of Kauf-
man was the author of the bill, called at his
Office and inquired if he had seen the inter
views in the News of the 9th instant, an
what he thought of the conclusion reached.
Mr.. Gossett said that such adverse criti-
cism was not unexpected from those who
measure the virtue of expediency of all
laws by the bold blooded standard of dol
lars and cents.
sin my opinion, said he, ''there was not
measure passed by the last legislature
fraught with more permanent and substan-
tial veal for the future of Texas than the
law which proposes to protect this state
from the iniquitous system of foreign land
lordism. l believe that the people who
own our lands ought to be identified with
the social and political destiny of this coun-
try.
''The law is conservative and does not in
terfere in any manner with rights already
acquired under existing laws.
4 believe the bill announces the correct
doctrines for all the United States.
Congress has passed such law for the
territories and District of Columbia.
THE doctrine that the land should be
owned by citizens of the United States was
first emphasized by the first Democratic
president, Thomas Jefferson in negotiating
for the purchase from France of the Louis
lana territory in 1893
The objection is made that the law is 60
ing to interfere with the business of foreign
land agencies. If it does and has the effect
of driving them out of the state it will do
well. The sections of this country where
the most money has been loaned on farm
lands now look as if some blighting pesti-
ence had passed over it. An agricultural
people cannot pay the high rate of interest
eXacted by these companies and as a conSe-
quence the land is mortgaged for about
what it is worth and abandoned, thus par
alyZing substantial interests and laying the
predicate for alien ownership and landlord
ism like that of Mr.. Scully, who resides in
England and is subject to the queen, but
owns 90, 900 acres in the state of Illinois, oc-
cupied for the most part by tenants who
are ignorant foreigners, and from whom he
receives as rent $500, 600 per annum, and
expends tin Europe.
Under the system advocated by Mr..
Simpson, Texas and the United States
would ere long, in return for English money
at high rate of interest, be yielding up
millions annually, thus paying heavy taxes,
gripping our industries and taking reve-
nues that should remain, and enabling En-
gland to accomplish with her treasure what
she could not do with her arms
st is objected that the law prohibits cor
porations having foreign stockholders from
owning our lands, but if there is virtue in
the principles of the bill there is nothing in
the objection. Foreigners could incorporate
representing 80 per cent or 70 per cent of
the stock and establish ranches and farms
tenanted by people who know nothing of
our theory of government, and whose politi-
cal opinions would be standing menace to
orr free institutions An alien inheritinP
land in this state has six years in which to
dispose OF same or become a citizen, and he
should do the one or the other The law is
prospective only in its operation, liberal in
its terms and will prove wholesome in its
effectsn