The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-01-12

$1,000 scr, :, or territory >uricier, 10 M re
number OF resp ctaoe states. she has
acted less OF them. and has conferred N >
privileges. frsncasse, and wealth upon them
than perhaps any other state in the American
union. She has taxed them lighter than most
any other country, aud stands ready yet TO
consistent VIA fair dealing -nd Justice to her
y. opie. The law under CONSIDERATION i. ca -
vent The practice Of such ;rauds and swind' e.
50 long p-rpeirsted through this abuse Of cor
pora g fran hses. and viii encourage the IN
ve-tnent OF honest capital IN rai.w way. IN
prov. Inent. II viii protect commerce from
unjust burdens guard the people from bank
ruptcy and s-rvility. ana add str rgth AM re-
spectab. ity TO the iudepeadeat autonomy ot
command thu approval II all impartial, CIR
cumslect men.
Municipal Indebtedness
The state has not escaped the mania preva.
lent throug tcGt the United - .tes Tor loanin =
pro-terity with debts they do no. owe by the
issuance. of i t.rest- bearing bonds 70 CRAFTY
thu extravag nee Of tae present generation.
A. best. publ g bonds. as rule. are not I'M
mixed with evil. County and nun cipai bonds
genei ally bear an Interest OF from SIX to eight
per cent. ana are payable sometimes beyond
the life of the generation executing them, for
the CONSTRUCTION Of roads streets and public
buildings. which. in the nature of things, vii,
have washed away, grown into dsusr or col
lapsed into decay long betor. the debts are d <
To load PROSPERITY with the debts Of the present
cannot b. excusable on any otner ground tina
absolute public necessity The peope appear
70 have been impressed when las. August
speaking through their convent on. they made
use Of the follow ng expressions:
"l5. We demand the passage Of law that will
prevent the useless and extravagant issuance
Of bonds by cities. towns and counties in the
state, contining them within constitutional lin
itation to ac-lal public necessities. as to pre-
serve the pubic faith, to insure lower rate Of
interest, and to protect the present and future
generations iroui burdens that should never be
imposed by such methods
Land Corporations.
The constitution declares that, 'perpetuities
and nouopoes ar contrary to the genius OF
free government and shall nev,r be allowed
nor shall the Law OF pr!moReniure or entail
ments ever De in force in this state. '-Artlc.e
]. section u. The laws of this state regulating
ne estates OF decea- ed persons are amply SUI:
ac:ent to give full force aud effect 10 the spirit
OF the constitution against primogeniture and
ent ailMens But there Is no law To check or
lin itie to lands owned by corporations nor
70 prevent monupol es ofreal estate by them
W hle land operations cannot as such, be
chartered under the laws OF this state yet undcr
the law authorizing the secreta y OF state to
grant perm l. to reign corporal ons to DO busl-
ness within the state III Y are chartered in olhe
states and fo'eign countries ard are operating
herein the pur ,htse and own ,rslp OF ltnds.
Titles % man. mill on acres are now vested IN
Them. the lands withe from settlement ex.
cept at exhorbtant pices. thout any low
regulatn or controlling or lin ting the cor.
lorate rights IN any respe { whatsoever
There is danger In this cond ton, VIII ch seems
TO have al oused the ieope; for. in their COP.
vention last august, they adopted the follow.
ing platform on at subject
10 We demand the enactment Of law that
VIII define PEE petuitles and prohibit the oper.
alton Of land corporations in this state. r..
curing those now holding title or possession
OF lands for agricultural, horticultural graz.
ing and specializing purp ses. ex epting
overfowed and irrigation lands. to dispose OF
the same within such Reasonable time as may
not impair " sted rights"
The purpose OF this demand is wise and just
Land corporations havin: IN view the owne..
M nopoly with tiles in pelpetuity. There is
no institution more inimi'a to the genius OF a
free government; none that should be more
OF this class to operate much longer in this
state, grouping together large bodies of avricul-
tui al and grazing lands, and the time is not
lar oil when II the people are permitted to buy
homes al all, they can only do 20 al prices all
on such terms that bondage OF thems elves and
their posterit! must be the result; Tor an ex-
nual interest nigh enough to d. maid the sur
plus products of hbor meet it, means no
more nor less than bondage OF an aggravated
form. I OaditIOn OF other states in this
respect cannot fail to be a valuable lesson I
exas. While the whole area
Texas amounts TO about seve niy-f four acres per
me most serious condition of corporate owner
ship nj about one-fouTth OF II ali. statistics
how that in the United states from 1870 to 1850
he cutivablC lands in stable crops increased
,iHtr-siX per cent: while from $50 to 1881 the
Increase thereof was only twenty-six per cent.
Tie evident cause of This is the growing
carci OF agricultural lands through
'ut the government the bread
producing land OF the world is fast berg
while the bread con- uming peop.e
IRE increasing. AS the alto OF production d-
'reases. the ratio OF brerd consumption from
'ear TO year steadily increases. The land
problem after all underles the bread prob
en-. II is the duty OF the govei nment to un.
ierstand this and to act Wisely for the good OF
'osterity. This can best be done by restrictive
avs, making corpora te land monopoly imI os.
ible for the future. While the America"
'ly und r the laws OF primoaeniture OF the ID
world, they may Y find themselves involved
n more serious condition that OF land mo-
lopoly from titles in perpetuity caused by
orporate ownership.
To comply with this demand of the people
y Texas. theref re, who had the right u
onorabl- bodies, and the 70 lowing suggest
Gus there are respectfully made:
|. Declare that land corporations are contrary |
o the genius of free government. and shall |
eretfier exercise no rights in Texas except !
ucn a. may be expressly authorized by law. |
= That no such operations shall here |
liter be chartered or be permitted 10 do bu l. |
ess IN the state after limited period nameu. |
.; mat further acquisition Of title or interest |
n land for speculative agricultural or grazing |
purposes shall be prohibited.
!. That hose now holding title to or interest |
n lands for agricultural or grazing purposes, or |
nat may. under the provisions OF the law au-
horizing them to purchase real estate in col
.ction OF debt, hereafter acquire interest in or
tile to SUCH LAID. shall within a specified time
onsistent with vested rights, ali hate them 10
atural persons. wind up their corporate affairs,
nd leave the state ON prescribed penalties and
orfeitures
1t wou d be well to so frame the law as to
ermit all manufacturing TRANSPORTATION and
Their corporations whose purpose may not he
ne owner hip of lands, TO possess use and re.
iin as much real estate MS may be pr per for
uiidlng and improvement OF narbors, homes
nd additions 10 towns and cities sh II not be
hecked in their work: that the wholesome
rvs, regulating and controlling irrigation and
lining companies in the improvement devpl.
pment and u7e OF arid and m ning land, shall