Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-06-29


rapid strides OF material prosperity,
challenging AZ they do the admiration
( and reapect Of every thoughtful man
upon the American continent, our peo-
Pile have not lost sight OF the duty OF
the government 10 lay only a light
hand upon the taxpayer, and to adhere
to the automatic principle that IA gem
eral diffusion OF knowledge Is essential
to the rights and liberties OF the peo-
/ pie" for II has carefully and regularly
\ reduced taxation until now citizen
OF the state scarcely feels II, while a
colossal school fund has been created
/ and set aside until today every child
IN the state. without reference to his
| parentage. sex or color. IL entieled TO
and receives a fair education at public
expense. While for general revenue
ana public school purposes the tax
rate Of ISL amounted TO 80 cents on
every 500 worth OF property. the taxes
now only aggregate ~ 10 cents on that
! amount OF property each year. The
condition OF low taxation IN cur state
can better be illustrated by the state
ment that for the value OF 15-cent
l cigar you can pay your annual general
revenue taxes TO the state government
\ on a hundred dollars worth OF prop
| erty. Permit mo to further Illustrate
the relation that well-to-do citizen
| bears To our state government In tax
alton. He has. for instance. 200 acres
! or land, valued at $4,000 Ave COVE and
! their calves. at 500. 20 sheep, at $50:
horses Mt $3.50; 90 hogs, Mt $50. l car
riage, at 500; 1 yoke OF oxen. at s75;
] wagon. at $50; aggregating s2is5, on
which he must pay taxes. lie has UNI
der the law $3.50 worth OF household
and Kitchen furniture exempt from tax
alton. Now he must pay the state
annually for general revenue purposes
10 cents, and IL Ia cents for public
school purposes, on ench 800 worth OF
| that property, and also n revenue poll
tax OF 80 cents and a school poll tax
| OF 81 per year, aggregnting 1888 that
he must pay the state government for
NIL purposes every yenr. lie receives
| from the public free school fund annu-
ally through the state treasury $3.50
as tuition for each OF his children at
tending school. Therefore. IL he has
four Of them at school, he receives
SIS. or S967 more than he pays in taxes,
II he has only two children attending
school he gets back from the state
government by way OF tuition 81 cents
each year more than his taxes TO the
state government. If he has no proper
ty. his children are denied no privileges
on account Of II.
Our public school fund consists OF
about 20,000000 acres Of land that can
only be sold TO actual settlers In good
9 per cent annual interest. When IL
Is not applied for to be settled, It can
be leased for stock purposes for
limited number OF years. The money
acquired from the sale Of this public
domain Ii kept intact and can only be
Invested In prescribed intereet-oearlng
securities and used as directed by the
constitution. In addition to this land
| the school fund owns now about
S2SO0o,O0O in lnterest-bearing land notes
and county and state bonds. The In
come received from the land-rents and
interest on notes and bonds, together
with IL i-2 cents nd vaiorum. and the
81 per capita tax. and | per cent an
nuaily OF the permanent fund. and
one-fourth OF the Occupation taxes,
compose what is called the available
school fund, which Us appropriated an
nually by the state 10 the cause of pub
lie education. This fund Is prorated
upon the per capita scholastic basis
equally among the whites and blacks.
Each town. district, city and county
has the right to supplement this fund
by local taxation to support the schools
of any grade for any period that may
be necessary.
We have n FIRST class university, en-
lowed by constitutional appropriation
with 100000 acrea OF land, and Is
otherwise aided and supported by the
state government. In addition 20 this.
riculturul and mechanical college, a
normal school for the education OF white
teachers, and one also for the education
OF the negro teachers all wen supplied
and equipped and In healthful opera
ton We have three commodlous. COM
Portable. wen appointed asylums for
the Insane one for the blind, one for
the deaf and dumb, and one for the
blind and deaf and dumb OF the negro
race we also have u reformatory and
an orphans home. well supported by
the state government, There are many
other institutions endowed and SUI.
ported BY private enterprise In the sew
erel communities OF the state both for
the white and colored people Added 10
an these, marking the gratitude OF a
philanthropic people, we have home,
comfortable, convenient and well sup
ported Tor the old, disabled Confed-
crate soldiers Down our way we be-
lleve that II II but right and Just for
any government, when II culls upon It's
citizens to support its measures OF
war 20 take care OF those who have
been wounded or afflicted by disease In
It's service.
While our state has undergone WON
derful changes, and developed beyond
the most extravRgant expectations OF
the old settlers In the past ten years,
we are proud that with all this pro-
gress under local self-Eoyernn,ent
where sound principles have been adj
hered TO and promoted. the expenses OF
the state government last year were
100000 less than they were ten years
ago. These illusions TO the wonderful
increase in taxable wealth, in material
progress, In railroad building, in popu-
latlon, In agricultural productions and
70 the concurrent decrease OF the ex-
penses Of government. seem 10 call
forth the question. why should not
everybody 80 to TeNasY In the flrst
pl0oe, we don't want everybody 10 10
there. We propose to be a little choice
Ia the class OF immigration thai may
hereafter reach our state. We would
be glad az any time TO have the honor
able, intelligent, clean population
American and forelgn-come amonr
us, but we draw the line there. orr
state II fast hllng ny with law
abiding, progressive, independent
class OF citizens, proud OF American
institutions, who will gladly always
support n republican form OF goyern-
nent and stand by the stars ma
stripes" against foes from within or
without or all the crimes Committed
py our general government under the
name OF liberty, there is none worse or
more menaclng to free Institutions and
a lloerty-lovlng people, than the ad-
mission OF criminal and vicious i'm.
migration from foreign cotlntrlas