The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-02

lne early records of tbs land department
are Incomplete aud there Is now no dsiinite
information 1ttaipahls upon that question:.
The recent decision OF the supreme court
bearing upon that question was rendered
upon an agreed statement of facts and
whether the public CONAN has or has no.
pcen exhausted is question for future
doteriuinat.on after the tsnd commissioner
mas thoroughly Investigated all OF tho
records to be fourd In his department. IL
populist leaders have any outside iniorma.
lieu up their sleeves which warrants the
absolute statement tina. thcie was no pub
lie domain in 1897 nor is there any now.
no doubt the land commissioner and the
supreme court of Texas woul4 be exceed
lngly grateful for the same. IL thorough
INVESTIGATION should establish the oousen-
ten Of many OF our oitizens that the pub
lie domain has bSrn exhausted. thcn the
eemocl Aty Will make other prov sion for
The establishments of a colored university,
for such an Institution was provided for by
'hc ucnocrais in the constitution OF the
State sixteen years before the popuust
party WAS ushSred into existence.
Tho NTH charge against the democracy
reads as follows: "rleigci 10 honest elct.
tons. 1t holds office By Harrison county
methods and the illegal Mexican voSe OF
the border" We have no reliable inforiua-
ton as 10 what tho Harrison county
methods" are, II they are Objectionable,
II is strange that our populist friends have
not carried their grievance to the courts
OF the couutry and exposed them. The laws
OF the State afford ample opportunity for
30 dong. There Is an official rccorf In
existence which conclusively shows tina,
immaculate populists sometimes resort TO
WAYS that are dark and tricks that are
valn.' In 1925. Frost, populst, contested
the seat OF O'Neal. democrat in the
house OF representatives OF the Twenty
fourth legislature. The vote OF Cass county
"a 1.Af-
privileges and elections by Hon A. G.
Owslcy, democrat, and Hon w. &C. Cure
ton. populst. The committee unanimous
w reported that at Sprirgdalc. where pop
ulist judges OF election presided, fraud
was comultted against the democratic
nominee and the returns sent 10 tho
county judge and clerk were fictitious and
untrue The report further condemned
the false and fraudulent counting OF the
votes OF the people as mockery OF our
institutions and a crime against frceiom,"
on the adoption of that report in the house
OF representatives every populist member
present voted yea (see II. j. Twenty
fourth Leg page $685. thereby affirming
the infamy OF self-assumed populst lead
ers, with lofty pretentions TO virtue. who
would plan the debauchery OF the ballot"
In View of this Official record, we fail to
understand how our opponents could have
afforded 10 dignity a mere rumor By basing
But let us further investigate this charge
OF corruption. Is the so-called "iliegal
Mexican vote responsible for democratic
supremacy In Texas? BY referring to the
returns OF the election of 1896, you will
md that IL every Mexican vote cast in
that election had been for jerome C. Kear-
by, CHARLES A. Culbcrson would still have
been legally elected governor OF Texas.
inc fact Of the question Is. that North and
west Texas, whore the Mexican and col
ored vote is exceedingly small, has always
been and Is to this day the bulwark of
the Stste ard county democracy II Is n
notorious fact that a large per cent of Mr..
kearby's vote in 1896 was secured by an
u'sholy alliance with the republicans OF
| Texas. When that alliance was made the
death k2ell OF populism was rung In this
STATE and not so long ago honest middle
of-thc-roaders" were Inundated to see
| their candidate for the governorahjp and
other Of their chosen leaders hanging
around the outskirts OF republican. State
convention sniveling for stray indorse-
ment.
The sixth and seventh counts Of their
assignment Of errors have already been
considered; let us pass to the eighth. 1
quote 1t verbatim: Pledged to reserve the
public domain for actual settlers, II has
donated the peoples heritage to railroads
| and non resident aliens, individual and
corporate" Governor Coke, In his mes
sage TO the second session OF the Four
teenth legislature. Of date January ~, 1875.
estimated THE entire public domain of
| Texas at 1854 $50 acres, less g6, 1856 766
acres disposed OF prior to January /, 1873.
| The early records In the land department.
| ara incomplete, hut IL can be stated with
| approximate correctness that the public
| t.ktta att 1ff 10 No.. ~.
as follows: Donated 10 railroads and nom
| Resident aliens 100000 acres; to the
| university and state and county perma-
nent school funds. 100000 acres; for the
erection OF capitol building, 5000 900
acres; to eleemosynary institutions, $50, 000
aoree, the remainder, amounting approxi-
| mately TO $1,000 900 acres. has passed d.
rectly into the possession of the people un.
| der various Legislative acts providing for
| Confederate, frontier and headlight GER
| tticates, etc. In TRUTH the democratic
| party has donated less than 20 per cent OF
1.-THE peoples heritage to railroads and
| non resident aliens" and the land 30 ap-
proprated was in compliance with a weli-
| defined policy which uhe people had re-
| peatedly approved. In his message 10 the
| Fourteenth legislature, second session,
| Governor Coke said: The policy Of Texas
has been, since 1850, to encourage The con-
| slruciion OF raiiroads by granting land
been vlndlcated by the results. In her
struggling Infancy. when her vast domain
was her only resource. and the value o!
| that was only nominal when her popula-
ton was so sparse. her productions ga
| meager, as 10 offer no ndusement 10 capd-
tai for Investment In railroads through her
territory, 1t was wise statesmaushlp To In.
| wife thelr construction by granting sub
| sldlea OF land Tho unity OF
Texas. so dear 10 every patriotic heart. will
be assured by this policy, whNh Will bind
| with iron tics rhc remote sections OF tn.
Stafe together, unite our people in a com.
mon brotherhood md our State In COM
mon development" In the following year
1876. a constitutional convention was held
! and a new state constitution was formu-
lated, submitted 10 the people and by
them approved at the ballot box. Thomas
l.. Nugent, Marion Martin. e. l.. Dnh0ney
and ''Rutabaga" Johnson were members
OF the constitutional convention OF 1875
Section3 OF article xiv ppoYidesfor lam
suDs.dics to railroad corporations and was
Endorsed 10y each OF the aforesaid gentle-
men. by a majority OF The members OF The
constitutional convention and by the pcopl,
OF Texas II was wisely loft TO the legls-
lative branch Of the government TO give
| force and effect 10 this constitutional pro.