Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1914-06-10
DANCER IN fERGUsoNs REM PLANK

Those who heard Mr. Ferguson speech Mon
day night may not al be aware 81 the danger
which turks IN his seemingly innocent land rent
plank We doubt whether M Ferguson hun
feli has any true conception OF the gravity oi his
proposition. he would not 70 gl,by announce
and go lightly pass over matter Of such lar-rcach
ing significance.
After giving this matter ol rent regulation but
% moment o sober consideration even The man OF
ordinary intelligence must arrive at the query.
Into what dangers would you lead me that you
would have mc do that which should be sorry
iorp"
Nh Ferguson would have the legislature OF
Texas pass law prohibiting land owners Of ihc
state from taking more than oue third OF the
crops from then lands rent and more than ono
halt Of such crops where the land owner uuishes
The tools and teams TO the renter
Such law in the first place would be an rn
Justice 20 both renter and land owner It would
place the shiitless good for nuthlng ne 81 do well
renter on equality with the industrious. progrcs
we WIDE awake fellow Owners 81 high. priced
lands, the annual production Of which may be two
and three times that OF poorer land. would be
compelled to accept one third OF the income
thcrciiom, although the renter might be willing TO
farm such lands for Il thHd and would realize
more from that third than he would from two
thirds other lands on which hc would be- com
PEELED to perform equal amount even more
OF labor We can where Nh Ferguson law
would tend 10 put the deserving renter out OF bus
ness in hort order ana in his place would stop
: he prons and negroes. h,rcd by The day and
housed in ramshaklc hut, I'll over The black lands
OF the state. just like they now existing the
plantations owned by this same NJ Ferguson HIM
scll
II Texas could fix the rents ou lands hy law
what would hinder the state from fixing the pucc
oi the products OF the andsl II Texas once e.
Gblishcd the precedent OF placing the hunts on
land rents. what would hinder the same Legislative
powers from fixing rents OF any other kind 81 prop
crtyp II the state once assumes the uvht 10 tell
the owner. al any kind Of property what they shall
derive thcreirom m the way oi income then We
have abridged the right oi property control and
'akcn The first step toward The Socialists, doctrine
oi property coniscation.
Arc the voters Of Texas ready To take such o.
step Arc the farmers Of the state aud tho rent
cre VI you please willing to have the state govern
mcnt interfere with then rights OF personal con
ttactp suppose a thrifty prosperous renter wants
90 rent a fertile farm valuable piece oil property
which Is sure to produce big crop ~ cash price
OF SO much per acre Tor gwen year or term OF
wears II M Ferguson law GOES INTO effect such
an agreement OF contract would be- illegal end dc
dared null and void The renter would be DC
puvcd of the opportunity 10 make profitable
deal according 10 hrs good business judgment. and
lhc land owner would be barred from closing 81
business proposition with desirable tenant Thus
the Ferguson idea OF land rent regulation would
work harm and injustice on both renter and owner
And when the idea OF ,hs sort OF progressiveness
would once take hold m the state. how would own
~ and renter whose interests needs must always
Boz closely linked when It comes to the disposition
81 The farm products like the further progressive
step Of regulating prices OF horses hogs cattle
sheep cotton corn wheat. oats etc
Ferguson supporters may assert that there IS mo-
such intention IN the rental plank Whether there
o. OF IS not on the part OF Mr. Ferguson such a
law would inevitably lead to such results rs stat
ID above. the proposition Is alive with danger i
is the most innocent looking bit OF devilty that,
has been hatched by any political aspirant m %
whole decade The thinking voters OF Texas will
not m our opinion. be maled into voting eSccu
tive power INTO the hands Of man who threat
ons to lead as INTO such labyrinth OF danger