The Colfax chronicle., 1898-01-15

sivatiou utmost exclusively tC
cotton. This insures the land owner
MS rent money, even if the price OF
cotton is so low rs to leave nothing for
anything else. 1t is reasoned that
cotton In Texas can be banked on
as sure crop, year in and year out.
whether other crops are failures or
not. The landowner cares little
whether cotton is high or low. All he
Is interested in is his rent money.
Cotton is always sure to bring him that
much. Seldshness. totally devoid of
philanthropy or progress, is his guide.
This policy will explain to the outside
world why so much cotton and SO
little grain is grown in Texas. It is
the true answer to the question 40 per-
sistentiy propounded from the unin-
formed outside: Why doesn't Texas
diversity it's ceopsY 1t is simply be.
cause the landowners, as class will
not permit the tenant farmers to do
it.
but the tenant-farmer is beginning
to have something to say under this
head. At the Cotton Growers Protec-
tive association meetings being held ALI
over the state. among the resolutions
usually adopted is one something like
this:
That the landlords be prevailed
upon to permit US to SO divide our
crops as to plant not more than two
thirds of the land rented in cotton
that each renter be allowed to sow five
acres of wheat to every 25 acres culti-
waited by him. II this policy can bo
made general one it will not be long
before Texas will at least double her
grain-growing acreage.
AN erroneous impression prevails
largely outside of Texas CONCERNING
The personnel OF its tenant-farmers.
The idea is that most of them ara
shiftless and thriftless negroes. who
rent from rich landowners and con-
line their energies to the hand-to-
mouth limit This is not the case.
The great mass of the tenant-farners |
Oh Texas. particularly in the |
ricn and populous northern
ana central sections of the state
are sober. intelligent and industrious
white men. They are not types of the
natural-born nomad species, so fami-
liar IN early days, with decrepit prai-
ne schooners, bone-factory teams and
long enrollment of .yaller. dogs.
ihey are good. average American citi-
ems. But they. their wives and their
children are pitiablc Representatives of
'overty's partiaiity. None has n word
% say against Texas soil, Texas cli-
nate, Texas health or Texas manages.
nent Of public affairs. All have one
'rievance, however--'Iow cotton and
ash rent They would go ba elk and
pend The winter in the old home in
ne Old states. If the new movement
or crop-share rent should be accepted
y the landlords they would come
ack to Texas next spring; if is
mould not, they would stay away.
The landowners have not baar
earu from IT'S class on the demands
The tenants. They don't. need to
urry. Crops don't grow in the win
u. IL is u long season till cotton
ianting time in 1898. They have, as
rule, collected all the cash rent that 1
as owing to them in 1897. Sufficient
the day is the evil thereof an I
ears to be their motto. But if thev ,
not heed the WARNINGS going up !
ON every county in Texas. the un- ]
pc threats of sowing johnson grass S
nd burning buildings may ripen into i
'wiess action on the part of the more i
elementin the spring to come. t,
'iready Gov. Culbcrson has called
Attorney-Generai Crane for opin- t
ms on the laws covering threats made Il
white caps and kindred peace dis. v
'roers. This shows how seriously o
e situation is viewed through oificial h
es, under certain contingencies :,