The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1902-04-30
Speaking Saturday Night

ApN'N ""p 'P'"'S w VIZ
court house Saturday night by
Col. Rhodes and w. A. Threadgill
A small audience, about 30 citi-
zens, were listeners.
Col Rhodes only consumed
few minutes time stating among
other things that Judge Hill, his
opponent, has been invited to join
in the discussion but had declin-
ed. He discussed the land ques-
ton briefly and in line with the
speech of Mr.. Threadgill who
followed and "A synopsis OF whose
speech we give below:
Stated that he was Il democrat
and believed in the old democrat
ic doctrine of the greatest good to
the greatest number. He believed
the decision of the majority of
the people on any question after
mature deliberation was always
safe. He believed in party organ
ization when such organization
expressed and reflected the senti-
ments and will of the people, but
if such organization failed in that
and it became necessary for him
TO choose the one or the other, he
would always take his stand
on the side of the people. Coming
to the land question, he said he
considered this the most
important issue before the people
Of West Texas in particular, and
the State in general that had been
or would be considered for some
time to come. Underlying it was
that broad democratic doctrine of
the greatest good to the greatest
number, and the time honored
policy of this great state of Texas
Of using her public lands for
homes for the home seeker.
He showed that the land was in
demand for settlement and that
the people are begging and plead
ing for an opportunity to buy the
lands for homes which he did not
suppose one present would deny.
By reference to the fact that 25
settlers on 4 sections each and
with their 100 or 200 head of cat
tie and their families would spend
more than % times as much as q
large stock man with 100 sections
whose trade was limited practical
~ to salt for his cattle and bacon
and beans for q or 8 hands and
who turned the natural products
Of this country into money and
spent his money IN Kansas City
or some other town away from
here; he showed that San Angelo
and the state of Texas would be
benefited by opening the lands
for sale and settlement. Having
decided that it is to our interest
and the interest of the masses of
the people to open it up, we will
DOW see what rights we have do il.
Mr.. Hill said it would be dishon-
est and reputation to make the
the lands under lease subject to
sale before the expiration of the
leases. This reminds me of the
Gold Standard men who claimed
that to increase the debtors power
to pay by the free coinage of silv-
Yer was reputation and dishonest,
but they never refer to the dishon-
oTable fact that when the free
coinage of silver was stopped in
1873 the debtors power to pay
was decreased and he was robbed
Of half his money which had been
good from the earliest history of
this government. They are in the
saddle and they say it is dishonest
for youto ,pnt them out, they
don tell you they are riding a
stolen horse.
We are in favor, of making all
state lands subject to sale now or
as soon as we can enact law do
ing so whether leased or not and
as all lands not leased are subject
to sale any way, the question
narrows down to making lands
under lease subject to sale, we
hope to show you first, that we
have the legal right to do so,
second that we have the moral
right to do so, and third, that it
would be to the interest of the
school fund, of the state as body |
polite to do SO.