San Saba County news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1874-19??, 1893-01-20

ments in such securities guaranteed absolute
safety. economy promoted by q reduction OF
interest the spirit OF extravaganza checked
ami the present aud fu'nre generations justly
guarded against obnoxious public b .idens
that no government should encourage or per
NIT.
Land Corporations.
The constitution declares that. '.perpetuities
I and mOnOpolies are contrary 10 tbs genius OF
a free government and shall never be allowed,
[ nor shall the law OF primogeniture or email
meuts ever be in force in this state. Article
! l. section 26 The laws OF this state regulating
I the estates otdeceased persons. are amply sui
fcient 10 give full force and effect 70 the spirit
OF the constitution against primogeniture and
{ enfaiimenfs- But there IS no law 10 ehecks-f
Emit title 70 lands owned oy corporations nor
10 prevent monopol es ofreal estate by them
While land corporations cannot, rs such. De
chartered under the laws OF this state yet under
the law authorizing the secretary OF state &c
grant permits to foreign corporations TO do bust
ness within the state tn are chartered in other
| states and foreign countries and are operating
/ herein the purchase and ownership Of lands.
! Titles TO many million acres are now vested in
| them. the lands withed nom settlement eX-
cgpt at eXhorbitant prices. without any law
! regulatin orcontrolling or limiting the cor.
/ porate rights in any respect whatsoever.
/ There is danger in this condition. which seems
TO have aroused the Ieople; for, in their CON
! ven;ion last August, they adopted the follow
! ing platform on that subject:
] 10 We demand the enactment OF a law that
I viii define pelpetuities and prohibit the oper-
! ALlNu OF Aduu CORPORATIONS III lEls STATE IC-
D.. quiring those now holding title or possession
! Of lands for agricultural horticultural graz
j ing and specializing purposes, excepting
/ overhOwed and irrigation lands. to dispose OF
I the same within such reasonable time as may
4 not impair vested rights"
The purpose OF this demand is wise and Just.
| Land corporations having in view the owner
/ ship of large bodies OF soil partend Land
Z monopoly with titles in peIpetuity. There is
/ no institution more inimiral to the genius OF a
( free government. none that should be more
. gtrnuunuglV urultffIta Permit rOVuOratIDug
OF this class 20 operate much longer in this
state, grouping together large bodies Of agricul
! tural and grazing lands, and the time is not
J lar on When- u the people are permitted TO buy
I homes al all, they can only do so at prices aid
l on such terms that bondage OF themselves and
( their posterity must be the result; for an ex-
I cessive mortgage debt On a home, bearing an
nual Interest high enough 10 demand the sur
plus products Of labor 10 meet il. means no
more EOr less than bondage Of an aggravated
form. Toe coalition Of other states In this
respect cannot iail TO be valuable lesson to
I 1eXas.
4 corporation has en- defined to be an arti-
fetal being, invisible intangibled. existing
only in contemplation Of law. with life perpet-
ua'. No power can check its franchises nor
limit OF destroy its life except The government
that grants it, charter. Ope aiing in Texas
lands now are Scotch and British corporations
and those OF other states. While the state has
no power 10 destroy them nor to revoke their
charters she rs the right to tax them and TO
limit their right 10 acquire property. TO pre-
scribe the time AID method of its alienation,
and to exc ude them IN m the state on condi
tons and terms consistent with vested rights.
al will Many OF them arc chartered abroad
with the provision in the grant that they shall
not own nds within the grant or government.
but may 90 elsewhtr- Tor that purpose. II they
were good. this coudin would not be in IN m.
IL IS not well for great people III tn exciting
race for wealth 10 overlook this germ now be
ing sOwed among them, which, If neglected
long, vi ] spring into an overshadOwing
growth that can Meth r he checked nor des-
trOyed- There is a land fan Inc in IN ST Of the
old wOrli and in many sections Of the new.
In the natural drift OF affairs IL may reach
Texas within the next generation. Nothing
can so readily precipita'e IL a. the land corpOr.
alton When known that there are in nine oil
tn OLD sta Is on seven acres per capita that
5aTffTsiy y CIV ll,re ar e,1ly tMelll--
two acres per capita; that in nine strictly
southern states there are only thirty-five acrss
per capita aud that In the whole Unitel~
otat-s- mcldlng the territories, there
ouly thirty seven acres per capita OF
the whole population, and that about one
tenth Of these lands are possessed by land
corporations. there is ar lea-t some excuse for
tAoughtiul people 10 be agitated at this time
the land problem
While the who.e area OF Texas amounts
10 about seveu;y-four acres per capitl
Of her population, she is confronted with
the most serious condition OF corporate owner
ship nt about one fourth OF 10 ALL Statistics
show that IN the United States from 1870 to 1880
The cultiyuble lands in Stable crops Increased
siAts-ssN per cent; while from lsS0 to 1897 the
increase thereof WAS only twenty six per cent
The evident csuss OF this is The growing
se@rci y Of agricultural lands through
ont the government The brad
producing land o. the world is fast be mr.
eXhs listed. While the bread en- unlllig ueople
are Increasing. As the ratio OF production de
crra-es. the ratio OF nrerd crnsuuutfOu from
year 10 year steadily Increases The land
problem after an. underlies the bread prob
leli- 10 j. the duty uf the government to IN {
utfs ana thls ana 10 act Wisely FOR the good OF
posierity This can best be done by restrictive !
Jaws making corporate land monopoly impos I
slblr for the future. While the American /
people have capped the EVIL OF land mon0p {
oily under the laws OF primOsenitufe OF ,he N (
word they may Y find themselves involved (
IN a more serious condition that OF laud mo- 4
nopoig rom illits IL peip-inity caused by I
To comply with this demand Of the people
oI Texas, theref re, who had the rignt t. I
mai II a law now becomes necessary by your
honorable bodies. and the following suggest
Ions therein are respectfully made:
J, Declare that land corporations are contrary
TO me genius OF a free government. and shall
mere iiter exercise n rights in Tex IS except
such a. may be expressly authorized by law
Ihat no such C operations shall here
after be chartered OF be permitted 10 do bu i
ness IN the state after limited period banned.
& That further acquisition Of TUE or interest
in land for speculative. agricultural or grazing
purposes shall be prohibited.
J. nat those now holding title to or interest I
~ Iaiids Tor agricultural or grazing purposes. or
NAT may. under the provisions OF the law au-
.horIine ihcin 20 purchase real estate in col
= Cuoii OF 1eDs, hereafter acquire Interest in or
site u such land. shall within specified time
with vested rights ali nate them To
natural persons wind up their corporate affairs.
md leave the state on prescri ned 1euaIties nfi,i
orr, itures
It would be well 10 so frame the law AS 10
'ernit all manufacturing transportation and
fher corporations whose purpose NAV not b.
ne owner hip OF lands, TO possess. use and re-
ain as much real estate as may BE- pr per for
oTporaie necessities; that those engaged in the !
'uilding and improvement OF narbors homes /
nd additions 10 towns and cities sh III not be I
hecked ~ their work; that the wholesome |
avs regulating and controlling irrigation and (
mining companies in the improvement devel-
Dment and use Of arid and mining lanL shall
ot BE- Affected; that all corporal ons engaged
2 rtdeemiug swamp or overiOwet lands NAV ! I
Q on undisturbed
Under existing conditions there is no public
ecesSliy OF placing any further restrictions 2
round corporations engaged now IN improve
rents and industries beneficial 10 thu bubble { I
he aim OF the movement is 10 prevent the {
lfther investment by land corporations In ] I
erirs tural aud grazing lands and nil Other !
Inis for speculative purposes.