Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-24
THE ALIEN LAND LAW.
John Howard Approves of It-An Offer to
Make Converts.
FORT WORTH, TEX, Aug. Is, 1891.

FORT WORTH. TEX, Aug. Is, 1891.
Editor Gazette.
Kindly grant space for the writer TO re-
peat thai in my humble opinion the alien
land law will result in great good to Texas
and her people, too. l said this when the
law was first published and still stick TO it,
Notwithstanding have been charged with
taking this side of the question for the pur-
pose Of getting the good will or indorSe
ment Of Il certain class of people. / care
not who agrees or Gisagrees with me on
this or any other question that has or may
come up. ! have and will express my
opinion regardless of who il may please or
GisPlease.
Without going into details Or giving all
my reasons for saying the law will benefit
every town and county in Texas, l will say
that | Will pay the expenses of any man
who is opposed to the alien land law if ne
viii 90 with me POO miles from Fort Worth
III most any direction in case | don't con-
vert him or change his mind, and have him
admit that the law, If enforced, viii benefit
each town and county and the state at
large. provided he will agree 10 set aside
personal feeling and interest and consider
the best interest OF the majority of the peo
pie and the state.
We Will all have TO admit that some few
men, comparatively speaking, will be tinan-
cidlly embarrassed and perhaps suffer quite
Z little, but if we Will consider the interest
OF the majority and the town, county and
state we live in. l think we will find that
the law will in the end be blessing in
disguise"
There is no new law passed of any i'm
portance that has or will suit or please all,
and If we are 10 consider the interests of
few to that OF many, then the law Should
be repealed.
In conclusion permit me to say, Mr.. Edi
:. - l. Al 20 aa-
behind the times ana were II not Tor the
fact that few men are able to combine to-
geller and own or control tens of thousands
OF acres Of land and in many cases nearly II
not quite control u whole county and keep
the actual settlers out and hold the land
for years, this would not be the case.
In my opinion Texas needs people-Cood
farmers to occupy the vacant land more
tnan she does money. If we secure the peo-
pie. especially farmers, there will be no
trouble about getting all the money wanted
from the Eastern and Middle states: we will
uive no trouble IN getting the farmers
if the land can be had at
reasonable prices; we will let
the people know where it is and whal il
can be RAD for
Hunting for land to make home in many
portions Of Texas is almost like trying TO
yet Il good drink Of water il mid-oceun, It's
al water and 10 water 10 drink, and in Il
good portion Texas it's all land aud no land
10 be had for home at IAN price. You will
ride for miles and miles with scarcely
house in sight, ana you inquire. What
about this land. can | buy 100 or 800 acres
Of it, The reply will generally be: Nh.
Jones or Brown or Smith owns 10000, 20,
GEO or 30.OGO acres OF it'-aS the case MAY
be. lie VIII let you have it al from 81 10
$40 or SD an acre-it cost him a year or
two ago from $3.50 to IL an acre
-. n.,..g h., ,.af,-
from four to six years ago from $40 TO 81
per acre.
Now if those large land owners would be
satisfied at fair and reasonable profit and
sell TO actual settlers. say One-half Of this
land at fair profit, the other half would
readily bring as much as is asked tor ali of
It now. but this they Won, do till they
are compelled TO and the sooner they have
to the better it Will be for them and the
county the land is located in, as well as the
state
In Texas. as elsewhere, Mr.. Editor, we
seldom do anything until we have 10. and
the sooner we are forced TO sell off at least
half OF our land TO actual settlers, the bet
ter il will be for all Of Us.
], is necessity and competition that de-
veLops the nan and country. and Texas has
not enough of either for our own good.
Necessity is the mother of invention
aud when we are compelled to dispose of
half Of our unimproved land at fair value
and profit. we will DO it. and all Will be ben
eftcu by so doing. l believe that the with
drawing Of foreign money will help bring
this about.
Again. we have enough of our own
people, both in Texas and those who live III
the old states, who want to own the earth
and fence it IN, to contend with, without IN
vitiug or allowing foreigners to come IN
and do likewise.
\ "Trip into the Oklahoma country that
was opened mp but two years ago, and the
first year was an of crop year, will convince
any reasonable, thinking man that what
Texas needs is more small land owners
(actual settlers. and less land kings
There Is hundreds of thousands Of good
people and millions of money III the old
states that can be secured for Texas. ana
will be when we make the proper effort,
and the effort viii be made when We are
compelled 10 make il, and that will be just
rs soon as the foreign money is Withdrawn,
aud The sooner the Better. Yours truly,
John HOWARD.
p. S.-AIr. Editor. | viii name Just one
little strip of country that il settled with
farmers as il should he "a family on each
$50 acres that would double the population
of Fort Worth and Gaines vile. 1t is that
beautiful and productive prairie country
living between both cities named, that to-
day is no benefit to speak OF to its owners
or the counties or state it is located in, or
the railroads.
can show YOU in Texas any amount of
inst such land that should be occupied by
farmers. and ii will be when the owners
are forced TO sell and not before. The alien
land law win help 10 bring them TO their
senses. JOHN HOWARD.