Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-07
COL. M'GAUGHY SPEAKS.
TALKS ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND ms
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
what lie Has Done While Lana
CommIsSioner--IInr in the
HanIss-lrhe Present state
Administrations.

McGaughey, state land commissioner,
who II not candidate for office, spoke
here yesterday Col. MeGauhey has
been spending few days in Granbury
and was invited to make an address to
the people. with whom he had made
his home 10 long. He spoke as follows;
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen OF the
Democratic Party Of Hood County
After arriving at determination 10
address you on the Issues OF the day,
and w explanation OF past events
wherein / was potent factor, II
Is reasonably natural that the place
selected should be one dear to all as
soclations OF the past Home IL a spot
Of sucrcd ties. and especially so where
friends have unHelhshly ana devotedly
kept watch with ce05eltss vigilance
over my political fortune and have al
ways, even In the darkest hour Of seem
ing adversely and calamity, met every
dsnand OF home and home ties. where
could n more suitable place be found
Tor council than IN the bosom Of polit-
icnl happiness and social ues2
You have never failed when called
upon, and never will as long as / prove
true to your trusts. I have lived n
near neighbor to you for quarter Of
century, have represented you in
the halls OF legislation for six years
with such ability and Integrity as /
possessed, and finally reached the eN-
allied position. II such 1t be, OF place
IN the cabinet Of your state executive
department. These honorable places
We're secured in very great measure
by your Invaluable aid. and the cnor-
nous bond / am under was filed by
you unsolicited on my part No one
not similarly situated can appreciate
my gratitude to you for unwaverins
devotion to my success on all occa-
sions. | came among you "a stranger In
strange land, possessing but little
more than health, "a wife and two lit
tie children and willing arm. The
track NJ the red man could be seen In
the trail and on the creek bank at the
very time and place We settled and
where our residence now stands, but
this was the last raid, for not even one
lived after the battle to tell the sad
story % their defeat and death. We
nclghbored then many miles. aud on ac-
count OF these friendlr ties and because
am not candidate for any office In
the GIT Of the people, I feel that II
anything can be said by me for the
good Of the people politically, and
especially for the Democratic party. n
becomes my duty to do so Feeling
under lasting obligations for favurs
that cannot be paid. and In obedience
to request OF your honorable chair
man ! VIII discuss some OF the ques-
tons agltntlng the minds of our people
today. In the premises let It be under
stood that there are no enemies ON this
occasion to fight, and no malice 10
Braufy, but it Is deemed only manly
and brave 10 possess the courage 10
meet every issue and give a reason for
the faith that ls In me,
The Land Department.
Before entering the political arena
viii give an account OF my steward
ship as commissioner OF the general
land office. l Will not boast personally
Of the condition OF this great depart
ment OF your state, but for the sake OF
the faithful employees thereof / will
say that all Is us clean as new gar
ment, but the people who deal mostly
with MS win finish the story. The
state sold fifteen and half million
acres ~ land from the year 1874 to
the year 1892. showing wonderful in
crense In population aud wealth. The
laws under which these sales Were
made are very different The act of
1874 allowed only a limited quantity
10 be taken at $3.50 per acre. and set
Uement was required to be made by
purchasers, Notes ran for ten years
to bear 10 per cent interest The act
OF 1881 ala not limit the purchasers In
amounts; was sold at 81 per acre and
h'A NV h''lAliF htAAlflltlAt AhQtf ms
act the great pastures Of the baruns OF
the North, West. South and Southwest
spraug Into being, The laws OF 1881
limited to seven scctiuns, or 1850 acres.
and all subsequent laws have cur
tailed amounts that could be pur-
chased by one individual and now not
more than three sections 1920 acres of
purely pasture land and one OF agri-
cultural, can be purchased from tho
state by the same individual. There
has been n growing disposition on the
part OF the state to limit the purchases
not the amount owned, Of all new
settlers. | would be glad To see the day
come when all lands are assessed for
taxes according to true SOIL value, and
not as now according TO the amount
In cultivation Some OF them work a
great injustice to the settler and small
purchasers FOR instance: The act of
1881 Will not allow original and subso-
queut purchases TO be separated In
the land ofice, nor separation Of Ac-
counts 10 be made IN the state treas
urcr's department, Under the act OF
1881, claims cannot be divided as in
other acts, but u party who first buys
from the state though he may sell
fractional portions OF his section to
other settlers, is held responsible for
al Interest and final payment Oh the
whole claim, TO make II palmer the
party who holds by deed from the
origlnnl purchaser IL dependent entirely
ON HIS vendor for Interest and final
payment, that Is. the man who buys
from the hrat purrhar.r cannot pay
his interest separately on his home
nut must pay ON all the section
Neither can this vcndee pay out his
part OF the section unless the entire
claim Is paid out This is a great hard.
snip on settlers who have bought and
settled on fractional subdivisions ~
these lands. My best efforts were
spont IN their behalf before the COM
mlttees OF the last legislature. hut no
change was made, The. AGRICULTURAL
lands sold under this net have baen
repurchased by farmers from the orig.
mai Nendees OF the state, and their con-
dition l. deplorahle. Their interest has
not been paid In majority OF cases.
and will never be by original vendors
who have long since abandoned their
claims to a great deal OF this class OF
land.
some Recommendations Made.
The state win not permit payment ON
fractional part and the result will be
a forfeiture OF the homes OF these un.
fortunate people. They ought 70 have
relief 4 should have been given long
since Permission to split the claim In
the land office and the account In The
ueasurer's office should have been
gwen by the last legislature, Each
purchaser could then be held Tor his
own debt, and each settler could pay
out his own home, have deferred
the data on these claims that suits he
not brought I'LL another crop he gath
a. -.