The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1871-08-31
Attention! Voters and Tax
RAKRna


ed to few items of law, and of facts,
in all of which you are deeply inter-
ested That a great wrong is being
done the people of Texas, there can be
no doubt. TO doubt it. would be the
exhibition of an imbecility Of intel
lect, and perversity-of spirit, so great
as TO shock the moral sense of all hon.
est and candid men.
Heretofore yon have paid, by way
of taxes, to support your State Cow
eminent, not less than four hundred
thousand dollars annually. Since
new order of civilization has been in
troduced, and a new political element
has taken charge Of public matters,
how stands the case F? In this ever-to-
be remembered year, you are called
upon TO pay between FIVE and six mil
lions of dollars. Not only SO, but your
general elections, heretofore, did not
cost you anything, Or if anything, the
amount was so small as TO make no
impression; but how is it now {?
The registration act of 1870, twenty
seventh section, requires you to pay
twenty-five cents for the humble priv
ilege of expressing your political sen.
timents Say there are hundred
thousand voters in the State, we then
have a small item of expense to the
people of twenty-five Thousand dol
lars. The thirty-ninth section of said
act, appropriates seven thousand dol
lars to defray the expenses of registra-
siOn, making thirtytwo thousand dol
lars. The tEenty.ninth section pro-
vides fer the paying the members of
the boards of appeals, etc, the sum of
five dollars day.
This expense will amount to thous-
ands. 1t is idle to suppose that seven
thousand dollars will meet it and other
expenses attending the process of regis
tration. Like the appropriations to
build a public edifce, that which was
said to be sufficient to complete, was
found to be only enough to lay the
foundation. We conclude, without in
dulgiDg in the spirit of extravaganza,
this matter of registration will cost
the people not less than City thousand
dollars, which will pass into the pocl-
cts Of people who are not of you.
The thirty-fifth section of the elec-
tion law provides that the Secretly of
State may employ as many clerks as
necessary, at five dollars day, to COM
pile returns, etc. This item of ex-
pense to the people, as well as the pay
of Judges and clerks of elections, is
contingent and prospective; and al
though we cannot come at the amount,
we may know by the experience of the
past in other matters, it will be ex
tended and made to assume gigantic
proportions.
The 6lty-ninth section appropriates
ten thousand dollars to defray the
expenses of the election, but this is a
small matter Add to it the other
expenses, and you will see that gen
eral election will cost the people not
less than hundred thousand dollars.
Indeed, as our readers will see, Sena-
tor Hamilton estimates that expense
at least twice as great, and he ought
to be a good Judge. Thus it seems,
on the score of economy in politics
and in general government, we are
degenerating with the rapidity of a
sunbeam.
The twenty-second section of said
act provides
SIC. %. That no district Judge, police JUS
tice or justice of the peace shall interfere, by
writ of injunction, mandamus, or order of
court, to compel any judge of election to do
any act, or to prohibit him from doing any
act, in his official capacity, relating in any
manner to the conduct of the election; pro-
vided, that nothing in this section shall be so
construed as to exempt any judge of election
! from q suit for damages, or prosecution for
violation of the law in the conduct Of such
! election
This section appears to be the nat
ural offspring of certain act of Con-
gress passed to forestall the Supreme
Court, and to. prevent it from taking
jurisdiction of any matter, Or thing
which might prove troublesome to
those in authority. According to this
section, the hands of one branch of the
Government are to be tied This is
precisely what the New York Nation
calls taking the bull by the tail in
stead of the horns " The people have
always understood, that it was the
province of Judges or courts to de.
clare what the law is; and to see that
the citizen is protected in his legal
rights. But here the Judges are told
in advance, they shall not declare the
law in time to protect the citizen
Again, if this section is to be enforced
the judges of elections may commit all
kinds of unlawful and fraudulent acts
to defeat the will of the people, and tc
; advance the ends of party, and the
citizen is without a remedy. For il
seems no injunction or mandamus j,
= to issue; neither is the court permit
: ted to make any order for the protec
| tion of the citizen. Neither is til,
D peace loving (save the mark police +
interfere. 1t is, however, provided il
e substance, that after all the wrong ha
0 been done and fraud committed, tn
t will of the people defeated, aud part