Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-10-21

= ton, malnlalnril 0r nlhrrMis iso, Laws
, II 1870, T., la3, sec -, Cons li,uliou
sao II, Art |,
n, An election law has heen pass.
81 and snow eRiUi,e,l, which hr,aks
down in practical eii,s O. all Ihe
safeguards 0i tho ballot, aEi plarrs
Ia thr hands nf lh0se who Ir,siVe
und uouul lhe vnlcs, lhc unrc,irain-
/, "a power a. defeat tho will IT the
electors, anl IA substitute ihcir 0wn
Instead, il authorizes Iho,o who
have the haGdling of the votes, On
one preieNt anl another to cas, out
large proportions al the votes ent
. t0 announce partial unl untrue ~
suits il, by the non-idcntiiiralinn
0f tickets voted, prevents fair aud
full investigation, in eases II con,
tested elections; il requires electors
Ia travel long distances, Ia undergo
heavy expense, and t0 consume
much limo nc0llcssly, To exercise
the right ol suffrage, thus compel,
ling tbs citizen 10 iorcga the cNcr'
else ot the elective franchise, ar else
To submit 10 c:actions, expressions,
aud wrongs, t0pcrson and proncrty,
Laws oi 1870, =. l3n II sry. nra.
Il, Tho Enabling Act places
great power in the hands at The
Executive, in palpablc violation Of
the Consultation, in that, il author,
iscs him to appoint various impor-
tant officers, who are charged with
responsible dllics, who under the
Constitution are elective by tho
people, and 10 remove others, who
are alone removable by due course
of law. Laws of 1870, p. II aud
Is. Constitution, Scc. -, Art. Z.
- The terms of ,hc Police bill
constitute OF themselves, an author
lied violation of nearly every pri.
vatc right Of the citizen. Tho po-
lice force is chosen by the Execu.
tive, and placed under his command,
without restriction or responsible.
ity IL is always ready for action
with arms in hand, having for its
duties the part Of spies, iniDr mcrs,
and detectives, circulating through
the whole community. Tho very
vocation Of such 9, . force, renders
them odious to the people and un-
principlcd of themselves; they are
dangerous rs hirelings to the rep.
uta;ion and lives Of the people. The
practical workings Of this force, va.
ried under the prctcnco Of securing
peace and quiet, and to arrest vic.
laters of the law, has demonstrated,
beyond doubt, that it is an armed
body of men, masscd to oycrawc tho !
citizen, and TO give an active arm
to the Executive to uphold and !
maintain him in his usurpation, and |
exercise Of the unlawful power con-
ccntratci in him. It's work has
been succession of wrongs min
gled with blood-its continuance is
death to every private right, and |
in innumerable instances, TO life it.
self. Laws Of 1870, D. 10.
II. Large amounts of money |
have been subjected and appropria
ted to the use of the Executive, OBJ
tainable on rcquisition, and on tho
sale Of State bonds, to be held and
used by him, without any of the re-
strictions and safeguards which the
law requires Of all others who han
die public moneys. Laws of 1870.
IS. Under the authority Of the
Militia law now in force, and being
daily executed, the Executive is !
vested with unlimited power.
lie may organize u standing ar
my in time OF profound peace; in
the face of heavy fines and penal
ties, the citizen is required to per.
form military duty, and to form
part of such standing army. A
State guard is provided for, the men
and officers of which arc chosen and
selected by the Executive, thus ere
ating special organization Of great
strength, composed Of the pets, IA
vorites and tools of the Governor,
whose interest is to maintain him
in his usurpations, and to enforce
his orders, whatever they may be.
This is an armed body of men, who
may be thrown into any city or
county Of the State, and there with
rapidity and unscrppuIousness ex-
ecute () any order the Executive
may give. lie is clothed with
power to declare martial law, on
the most paltry preteXts. lie may
to all intents and purposes suspend
the writ of hdbeaS corpus, when
there is no rebellion, no invasion,
and when the public safety does
not require. With martial law de-
clared, and the writ of hdbeaS corpus
practically suspended, the Executive
becomes Dictator in Texas, and his
will the sole guide to his action; he
may take property or life, and be
responsible to no tribunal in The
Statc,so long as he remains Govern
or under existing laws. Laws of
1870, p. IL.
Constitution, Sections 10 and II, /
Article l. 1t might be said, that ,
though such united powers is with {
the Executive, yet all the pro5abili-
ties are that he will not call it into /,
exercise; but already under the ar {
bitrary power conferred, he.declar-
ed martial law in the county Of {
Hill, and this machinery rapidly !
extemporized, gathered by the hand ]
of his Adiutant General large sums G
of money from citizens while un- Z
der arrest, and without a judge I
ment of any court of jurisdiction; {
and under the same arbitrary pow ,
er, martial law was declared in Wal {
ker county, and there, under like {
machinery, gathered other large
sums of money from the people, and !
in addition thereto, incarcerated a
freeman, of the State of Texas, in +
the penitentiary; and all this in c
I. - r.f ,.wofn,uI 1900 -rLar 4Lrv.o