Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-09


! for guarding against the future When
| these foreign capitalists bring their suits.
| as they are now doing, to fOrecloSe vendors
! liens on the homes of our people. lei them
remember that Texas has generally taken
! care of herself, and her legislature could be
| assembled quite as readily to pass stay
| law, until times are better, aS TO repeal
laws under Scotch and English dictation.
The same issue of the Austin Statesman
! which asSaiied ME for opposing foreign
| mortgages on Texas farms, contained an az
| tiCie Of three columns, copied from the
| Dundee (Scotland) Courier, or Scotch loans
| in Texas. which announced withdrawal of
| their money. An office of Scotch money-len-
| dcrs IS located here at Austin, and its
Scotch manager only yesterday. through
, this same Statesman, undertook TO lecture
me on my opinions.
That article states that it is the duty of
"a person 10 watch the interest of leading
corporations" and that he was unwell
when the act was secretly passed" Thus,
when 4 railroad lobby had disappeared
after the passage of the commission bill, its
place was TO be supplied by II person"
| representing S50.0O0.0O0 of foreign capital
to inspire legislation. This is all natural.
for cannot even fool understand that
Great Britain. after converting whole coun-
ties into pastures and covering our farms
with mortgages, will not hesitate to send
her money 10 the legislative lobby to re-
enact her game laws and protect her mill
, ions from taxation
When boards Of trade are already in
spired by the wisdom of Scotland and Eng
land, from what quarter will protection
come for Texas. when all our producing
classes also fall into their clutchesi
The idea that cheap money should be OBJ
tanned for our development, no matter
where it comes from, | cannot indorse.
There is something more valuable TO free
people than quick accumulation of fortunes.
City boomers, owners of town additions,
quick belt lines, and the like, are all very
well in their speculative sphere, but they
should not dictate legislation for the great
army OF producers whose labor is the only
solid basis for the prosperity of all. To
protect our homes even against our own i'm
providence. we are forbidden by law TO
mortgage them. This has always been the
policy OF Texas, and If we will cucumber
them with vendor lien notes, sound policy
requires that it should be done with men
who are not aliens to our laws.
Those who, about a year ago, wanted a
constitutional convention to repeal our
homestead laws. are the very men who are
now most clamorOus to repeal the alien
land act. They are composed chiefly of
spectators and money changers. Among
this class are gentlemen who prize patriot
ism above money and cherish sentiment
even amid the cares of business. And vet
/ cannot forget that in all the earthly pill
grimage of the Savior of men he was never
angry but once, and that was when he
scourged the money changers from the
temple. Let them remember this lesson
and refrain from debating in that temple
where laws are made by the people whose
industry furnishes their 10 per cent.
The doctrine which | heard announced in
that board of trade meeting that sentiment
tally should have no place in business,
70
en-thief We enjoy government free
from foreign control and should have the
sentiment of patriotism strong enough 10
so transmit it to our children. I think
more of the sentiment of that Confederate
officer who put the torch TO his own cotton,
than could possibly think of his business
methods if he had traded with the block
ade runner who proposed TO purchase and
carry it within the enemy's lines.
The argument that we are in no danger
of irish landlordism here for q hundred
years, has no force. The surest way 10
avoid danger is TO begin in time. And
when free state finds four of her counties
in one capitol syndicate pasture, owned
chiefly by the subjects of a foreign queen,
the time to act has arrived.
Let me here correct falsehood which l
found amid the slime OF the columns of the
Statesman. l am accused by it Of having
''bOasted of being the author of the captol
syndicate idea" This IS utterly untrue.
Though l drew all the laws under which
our state house was constructed, the maisf
act was drawn BY me after my bill 10 sell
our land in 800 and 6t0-acre tracts 10 the
people and to build with the money, was de-
feated by the senate. The senate insisted
on swapping the land in bulk to contractors
for state house. The contract was made,
not with corporations, but American citi-
zens. More than a year afterwards that
land passed to the control of English capi-
talists. / appeal to every senator who
served with me for period OF ten years,
and to the last legislature, if did not uni |
formly and consistently endeavor to check
and destroy corporate ownership of lands
in Texas. Every statement 10 the con-
trary is untrue, like that other lie-so often |
told and never before corrected by me |
that l was opposed to free schools and had |
called them 'slums of the wayside.';
1 could have no respect for legislator |
who would claim TO have examined critic 4
ally the 100 bills which deluged the last ses- I
sion: and whether l examined carefully the |
provisions of this act or not, assume nv |
share of whatever responsibility may at |
tach to it. One fact l desire TO mention: |
The caption of the alien land act is defective |
and its validity, for that reason, doubtful |
Mr.. GosSett is I good LAWYER, and DO not !
believe he drew that caption in that shape |
So far as l know. this act and the school |
textbook act are the only bills with such
defects; and it IS worthy of being noted II
that large moueyed interests were involved |
in defeating both bills.
The editor of the Statesman has hereto
fore carried a hired pen from one city to
another to boom their property. He is Of l