Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-23
TEXAS.
Radical Threats of Another Lou
isiana Outrage.
Davis Talks of Holding on and
Appealing TO Grant.

Davis Talks OF Holding on ana
Appealing to Grant.
The state Democratic by 10000 Ma
j0rity-T ssIR OF COntesting the Plain
VIII of the PeopIe-Absurdities of
the Radical state Constitution
| shall Grants BayOnets be Esfe to
DecieseS
Correspondence of the Union and American.
AUSTIN. Texas, Dec. 15.-Soon after
our Democratic State Convention NOM
mated our ticket for State officers,
wrote you that we would win the fight
by a vote of 10000. The returns ind.
cate that / did not make a very good
guess, as we have already $4,000 ma
iority, and it may not stop short Of
$4,000. Our Legislature will probably
stand, in the Senate, Is Democrats and
Republicans-House of Representa-
tives, 80 Democrats and 10 Reptbli-
Gang.
There was very little excitement
pending the canvass, butwe all feltsat-
isfied that large majority Of the peo-
pie of Texas desired change in our
State officials. But will that change
come? This is
A QUESTION
not easily answered at this time
The constitution of the State of
Texas, in Article 3 Section 6, reads as
follows: "All elections for State, dis
trict and county officers, shall be held
at the county seats of the several coun-
ties, until otherwise provided by law;
and the polls shall be opened for four
days, from o'clock A M. until 4 o'clock
P. NJ, of each day" The Legislature,
at its last session, authorized several
voting places in each county and linn
tied the time of voting to single day.
The Republican party now take the
ground that the words provided by
law, in the above section, refer only to
the place of voting, and did not give
the power to shorten the time. And
this has become a very grave question.
If the Republican position is the cor
rect one, then we have no State officers,
no Legislature and no county officers.
We must therefore wait to hear what
Gen. Grant has to say on the subject,
as he decides all disputes between Dem
ocrats and Republicans in the Southern
States.
ANOTHER AwKWARDNESS.
But there is still another question
even if the Radicals give up in the case
already mentioned.
The Constitution says that the Gov
e1nor shall be elected for four years
and that his term of office shall COM
mence from the day of his election.
Gov. Davis was elected in the fall of
1869, but inasmuch as Congress did not
accept our Constitution until April,
1870, he claims that he was only pro-
visionally Governor until the 18th of
April, 1870, and from this latter date
he is Governor for four years. But our
last Legislature, in the general election
law, fixed on the second Tuesday in
January, 1874, as the time for the
meeting of the next Legislature and
said the Governor shall be inaugurated
on the Thursday following. Now if
Davis holds over till April, our Cover
nor elect, Judge Coke, must certainly
be Governor ON the day of his inaugur-
alton. So you see Governor Davis was
elected IN 1869 by authority of a Con-
stitution which had no existence lac
cording to their version) until April,
1870. Many here are of the opinion
that the Radical party will not dare
make an effort to defeat the will of the
people, expressed by such an overwhelm-
ing vote. But we win find out when
the members of the Legislature meet
the second Tuesday of next month.
Notwithstanding all the disturb
arces among the politicians, the farm
ers are crowding the streets with wag-
ons loaded with cotton, and immigrants
are pouring into the city, grumbling
because they can find no house to rent.
The Texas Central Railroad can't get
the freight off as fast as shippers de-
sire, and last Saturday morning train
caught fire and burnt forty-two bales of
cotton. This is one way railroads
have of
GETTING FREIGHT OFF OF THEIR
HANDS.
The International Railroad will reach
us during the coming year. Property
is held at high figures, and the owners
VI I1ODClLl Cll SOAiSACSS hNC1IltC Gt1Cs
just at this time, suffering on account
of their wealth, as the city authorities
require the sidewalks to be paved with
dressed stone and property holders
must foot the bill. Many squares are
already paved, and we can boast of
pavements equal to any of the Oldest
cities in the United States. In addi-
ton to the many handsome business
and dwelling houses in the course of
erection, Mr.. Murcheson, formerly Of
Tennessee, is putting up
A MAGNIFICENT OPERA HOUSE,
capable of seating 1,200 persons. He
expects to have it ready in the course
of six months. He says no matter
which party may get the State-hOuse
under the constitution of 1869, he is
very sure that he is working within the
limits of that instrument, and will run
the Opera house on his own hook. The
building is really a fine one, and would
do credit to city much larger than
Austin.
LATER-THE OPINION OF A REPUBLI-
CAN JUDGE.
Since writing the foregoing l have
seen the letter of Judge Bell on the
subject of our late election. He takes
the position that the election under the
constitution of 1869 is valid, and that
Gov. Davis term expires at the meet
ing of the Legislature in January next.
Judge Bell is one of the ablest lawyers
in the State-was for many years Judge
of the Supreme Court of Texas, and has
always acted with the Republican
party, except in supporting Gov. Da-
Wis. His opinion has great weight
with the people of the State, but what
effect it will have on that man, whose
motto is LET us have peace" none
can tell. Yours.
Manual of Health.
The edition for 1874 of the sterling medical an