The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-08-05
THAT CUTS TO THE BONE THE
FAULTS OF THE PENDING
AMENDMENTS.
ALL THREE ARE HIT VERY HARD
Especially Are the Irrigation ana
Reputation Amendments Prop
rrIy shown Ip-A Strong Voice
From West Texas.


! pFONcnent ana development OF any cOull-
Try by the people. and would encourage
any progressive movement tending to benc-
fit the downtroddcn sons of toll. But look
ing 10 the proposed constitutional amend
mcntS to be voted on August 3 | see dan
gers and diSappontmcntS that will make
me not only not support or vote for them,
but use every effort in me to defeat them,
hence | desire little space in your valua-
bic paper to point out some of the objec-
lions to these dangerous and Improbable
schemes. | am malterably opposed 10
any kind of bond issues and eternal indeht-
| cdncSS of all kinds. and think the whole
country would be better off without any
such things. Any enjoyment of such tenn
! pOrary blessings is more than cOunterbal-
! anccd by griefS and sorrows of an ever
! growing taxation and bitter recurring of
! the pay day. Such things are contagious
and continuous in their effects, as the his
tory of the past will clearly prove. The
issue of bonds for one thing calls for an
! issuance of bonds for another thing, and so
on I'd infnitum. and too soon the Hood
gates of that hell of eternal commiscration
are thrown too wide open to ever he closed
against the cOrmOrantS and the combines
of capital and monopoly.
The proposed irrigation amendment is
one of deep concern to every man. is II
right or is it wrong? Irrigation as prill-
ciple may be right in Il country where all
the tillable lands may be irrigated: but
is il so in Il country where only onc-hun-
dredth part of the cultivatible lands are
subject to irrigation? Would not the IN
creased yield and superior quality of the
irrgable products glut the market and
drive out the products of the uplands! II
So what would become of the vast major |
ity of upland farmers? Would they not |
have to fold their tents and steal away oe,
fore The frowning gaze OF monopoiiStS ana
sOullCsS corporations who would thch ne |
masters of the situation and gobblc all
the rich lands subject to water and use the
fertile prarics for their grazing herds:
have department stores and pay OF their
neon laborers with Sclf-drawn orders Tor
supplies? The west would once more he
placcd on our maps as the great Amcll-
can desert" with the irrigated farms
marked as GASES. where few people
dwcled in loneliness. This amendmsnt
fixes an arbitrary value on the lands or SO
pcr acre. and issues bonds running forty
wears at 6 per cent. interest and per cent.
sinking fund. and makes further provis-
ion for an additional levy for re-
nnirs This all will be IN
addition TO the regular state and county
taxes in valuation of SD per acre
and. further. this does not renee ana M
provc the land, nor does it put i'll the |
private bitches. latcrals. dwellings, ana
many other things. Figure the cost OF
all this per acre for term OF fof'y
years. Is there any poor or slhGlc-hahu
cd man able to meet il? If not. his land
is put up for sale. the irrigation corpora
ton has the right TO buy it in. and the
small man is driven out to starve and
his land contiscatcd. and the strong man I
or corporation rcvcls in the good things
of life and grows fat on the downfall |
of his fellow man.
Again. this amendment ut one tcli !
Swoop does away with the homestead
rights in these districts. and this law
does that which our beloved constitution
has always said to us should not be
lone. Every foot of irrigablc land be- j
comes responsible for the payment of
The tax and interest and sinking fund
10 redeem the bonds, and no matter if
YOU have only home it will he sold and
You and your families turned out on the
old charities of the world without your
lwn permission or consent. Neither You
Tor your wife have any say so about II.
This is but an inch in the ell some poll
icians have long been seeking. Look 4
well to your homes, everybody. In the y
west lands along the streams are spot !,
ed One tract may he fine, rich soil. \
capable of raising anything, and its !,
lpghbOr tract he gravelly and white, =,
,halky subsoil and not fit for cultivation
This law taxes both alike. acre for acre !,
md there is no relief for the owner of :,
he poor tract but to let it 20 without :
price, which will double up the liabilities !
If the balance of the corporation. and so Y
IN, finally drifting into the hands of Il y
'cw or bringing on general reputation
I'll over the land. Oh. but it is said that !,
he question is of local nature, and 7
zone need have the effects of the law :.
lnlesS they desire to do so. Let's see .
Mr. a has 10000 acres in IL body. He =
nay be a corporation or syndicate or not. t"
Now say there are fifty small land own
RS in his proposed district. a" wants
irrigation. His fifty neghbors do not.
amt a. sell on long time to all his IL
cousins, uncles and aunts, say one or two ,
'crcs cach so as to get ffty-one votes !, n
n favor of irrigation, carry his point.
lefeat his ncghbors and then sell out 81
lis Scrfs under deed of trust and own :
he whole business in less than no time. Ii
With the nonresident property thrown in G.
or good measure? Y
II this amendment carries and the T.
,Xpectant results come about, the state of II
leXas will never sell another foot of e
II her school land in west Texas. excppt l.
t be for grazing purposes. and then at o
lbout % cents per acre. The state has u
10 irrigable lands. Il
The Railroad Amendments. Il
AS TO the railroad bond amendment il !
'eems to me that the people of some parts {
If Texas have tried this monstrosity. and W
most all of our people have read of bleed s
NJ Kansas so much on this very uues !
ion that there is no fear of this thing, '
The state of Texas has given Il
more than one-half of her lands away n
o railroads already, and east Texas got
he entire benefit of it, and now east Tey. il
is wants to forever cripple and cumber "
vest Texas with such bonded loads that o
can never come out from under them, ii
The Valuation Act.
AS 70 the validating act on bonds held
~ the school fund, we would like 10 ask \
whose fault is it that those holds are "a hn r.
validated! The state of Texas made tho O.
avs. rules and regulations governing the c
ISSUANCE of all bonds. The state of Texas b
llso. by her attorney general. governor Ii
md board of education, were to mass m. h
IN the validity of all bonds before they n
purchased them for the school fund I
Then. who is chargeable with this great $
wrong! Who is il that hos oo++o, - | =,