The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 38, July 1934 - April, 1935 Page: 9
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Grass Lease Fight and Attempted Impeachment
"bullionaire." The West looked to him for leadership, a repre-
sentative cowman who could not be bought, intimidated or bluffed.
He made his tender, the Board again told him it was unaccept-
able, and Goodnight informed the group that he would stand on
his legal rights.
"You cannot legislate for me," he said. "I was on the
frontier carrying a gun when I should have been in school. I
served the state as a ranger for four years. I put in my life to
make this a free country and haven't been paid a cent for it.
Now, if this Board can legislate for me," he glared at the
Governor, "I'll leave your damned State."
"Where will you go ?" one asked.
"Russia," he spit out, "it's the next meanest place I know."
"You'll have to pay," came the answer.
"All right, but before I pay the lease, I'll see you all in hell."
The conference closed and, as Goodnight left Austin by train,
a member of the Board, en route too, dropped down beside him.
"I didn't know you were an old frontiersman," he said. "If
I had known it, I would not have favored getting you up before
the Board. I thought you were an Englishman and we had
you up as the leader of the bunch."
"I'm sorry you told me that," answered the cowman. "It
makes me feel mighty bad."
"Why ?" inquired the official.
"Well, I like to live in a country where every man's liberties
and opportunities are the same," said Goodnight.,1
Attorney General Templeton published his official report for
1885-1886, quite erroneously stating that the Panhandle coun-
try was "hostile to the idea of paying for the use of lands. The
sentiment [he continued] controls in the election of the officers.
It goes, doubtless, with the juries into the jury box, and
it is present with the grand jurors in their deliberations, and
while the judge may preside over the court, this sentiment pre-
sides over the judge in at least one district in the State, and
that is the district wherein a very large part of the most desir-
able school land is situated.
"I will describe the farcical judicial proceedings shamelessly
"Goodnight to J. E. H., May 23, 1929; Galveston Voews, January 31,
1887.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 38, July 1934 - April, 1935, periodical, 1935; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117143/m1/17/: accessed May 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.