Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1905-12-02
WORSE THAN THE RAILROADS.
A Candidate for the Legislature Talks
About Land Monopoly and
Other Things.

Terrell, Tex, Oct. 4.-Hon. ID.
]. Anthony Of this city, Pictorial
representative Of Kaufman, Van
Zandt and Rains counties, gave
The News correspondent the fol-
lowing statement today for publi-
cation in The News:
hope the time is not far OIL
when a candidate for Office will
have to have some other qualifica.
ton besides cursing the railroads.
The growing intelligence Of the
people demands something else.
They are growing tired Of such
demagogy. / have no apology for
the railroad companies or corpora
tons that overstep the bounds OF
Justice. There are others. The
acquisition Of large bodies Of land
by few is the greatest menace
that confronts the American peo.
pie today. ,.
According TO recent government
statistics, 40 per cent of the people
in the United States are renters.
| do not know how it is in other
states, but in Texas large per
cent of the renters are in a condi-
ton that borders on serldom, and
the taxation of these large bodies
of land is out Of proportion to the
small land owner.
The land laws Of the United
States a. we'll as the land laws Of
Texas have made it possible for
INSCRIPTIONS men with money TO
acquire all the best lands. The
public land commissioner appoint
ed by the president, in his report
to congress, sums the whole mat
ter up in the following statement:
detailed study Of the practical
operation Of present land laws
shows that their tendency far too
often il to bring about land mon
opolies rather than To multiply
small holdings by actual settlers.
The land Jaws, decisions and prac-
tees have become 40 complicated
that the settler is at a marked dis
advantage in comparison with the
shrewd business man who aims to
acquire large property. Not IN
frequently their effect is to put a
premium on perjury and dishon
esty such as in the acquisition OF
land. II is apparent, in conse-
quence, that in very many local
titles and perhaps, in general, a
larger proportion of the public
land Is passing into the hands OF
spectators and corporations than
into those Of actual settlers who
are making homes. This is not
due to the character Of the land.
In all parts Of the United States
known to your commission where
such large holdings are being ac-
quired the genuine homesteader Is
prospecting alongside of them I'M
der the same conditions. Wherever
the laws have been 70 enforced as
10 give the settler reasonable
chance he has .ettled, prospered
and built up the country, and
brought about more complete de-
velopment and larger prosperity
than where land monopoly -four
ishes.
Nearly everywhere the large
land owner has succeeded in mon
opolizing the best tracts whether
of timber or agricultural lands.
There has been some cutlery against
this condition. Yet the lack OF
greater protest is significant, 1t is
10 be explained by the energy,
shrewdness and influence of the
men to whom the continuation OF
the present condition il desirable
"Your commission has had in
auiries made as to how number
of estates. selected haphazard,
have been acquired. Almost with
out exception, collision or evasion
of the letter and spirit Of the land
laws was involved. II is not neces.
sarily to be inferred that the pres
ent owners Of these estates were
dishonest, but the fact remains
that their holdings were acquired
or consolidated by practice which
cannot be defended
The disastrous effect of thi.
system upon the well being Of the
nation as whole requires little
comment Under the present CON
ditions, speaking brosdly, the large
estate usually remains in a low
condition Of cultivation, whereas
under actual settlement, by indi.
vidual home-makers, the same
land would have supported many
families In comfort and would have
yielded greater returns. Agricul
ture Is a pursuit Of which IL may