The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-11-13

The Radical press Of this State, and MS
henchmen generally, arc Wanting al astra
what they are pleased TO term Governor
DaYis's honesty. They ring the changes on
it Gd nduseaB1, for it is q sickening mess Of
pottage at best to offer the public, this con-
tinual bepraising Of q mans honesty. It
must be, and is, q doubtful species Of that
blessed quality that needs an eternal lauda-
ton. A public man, one occupying the po-
sition that Governor Davis does and aspires
to again, should, like Caesars wife, be above
suspicion on this point, and his honesty
should be so true and so genuine, to speak
Of it even would be superfiuous. But to
make ga campaign document Of it, to
make it the main argument in his canvass,
is an admission Of the necessity, to bolster
and fortify that point.
We deny the honesty Of Governor Davis,
and we propose to prove our position, TO
show the truth of the matter, by a little
page Of history, by the records that com
pose part Of the archives of the State. At
the first session Of the notorious Twelfth
Legislature in 1870, some time in July Of
that year, bill passed the House of Repre-
sentatives, styled House Bill No. 299, which
was an act making appropriations for the
fiscal year commencing September /, 1870,
and ending August 81, 1871, and to cover
deficiencies in the former fiscal year, the
amount appropriated being 81, GAG, 800
This bill was sent up to the Senate for pas
sage in that body, and was referred to the
Committee on Finances, of which Hon.
John s. Mills, of Grimes county, was chair
man. This committee, after carefully con
sideriBg the bin, reported a substitute for
it, in which substitute the amount of appro-
pration was $780, 5S6 II, showing q differ
encesin favor of the latter Of 81, 266, 213 80.
Among the items included in this House
Bill No. 200, were some for the especial ben
eft of the Governor, to show which, we
will quote tie exact language of the Senate
journals from the report of the Committee
on Finance: SIN the bill reported by the
House Finance Committee, under the head
of Executive Department, appear these
items, to-w1t: For furnishing md miscel-
laneous repairing Of Governors mansion,
$500; for repairs and improvements on
public buildings and capitol grounds, $50, :
600; for the contingent expenses of the
Governors mansion, $4,000; for porter and
gardener for Governors mansion, $500.
Your committee submit that all expenses of
this kind should be, in each case, provided
for by special appropriation, specifying as
nearly as possible the nature of such re-
pairs and Improvements. The item of
$4,000 for contingent expenses of the Gov
ernor's mansion, as well as that of 5000
for porter and gardener are expcndi-
lures that, to your committee, have
been excessive, and virtually and in fact in
crease the salary of the Governor to $10,-
600, which is in direct and open violation of
section five Of article four of the State Con-
stitution, which says: The Governor
shall, at stated times, receive a compensa-
ton for his services, which shall not be in
creased nor diminished during the term for
which he may have been elected. His an
nual salary shall be five thousand dollars,
until otherwise provided by law, exclusive
of the use and occupation Of the Governors
mansion, furniture and fixtures The APP
preparation of twenty thousand dollars for
repairs and improvements on public build
ings and capitol grounds, if expended un-
der direction Of the Governor, will nullify
the statute creating the Board on Public
Buildings aud Grounds. Taking these
views on the foregoing items, your com
mittee have omitted them from the bill. y
Now these items of $4,000 for contingent
expenses of Governors mansion and 5000
for gardener and porter, were dictated and
demanded by Governor Davis; and his
willing tools of the House readily granted
them, but John S. Mills of the Senate,
Chairman of the Finance Committee, not
belonging to the Governor, and not being
willing to see the people robbed in any such
manner, by this honest Governor, opposed
and defeated this little scheme Of plumber
on the part Of his Excellency, this pattern
Of honesty.
For this action on the part Of Mr. Mills,
he was removed from the Committee OF
Finance by Hon. Don Campbell, and his
place supplied by Senator w. A. Saylor, OF
Brazos, one Of the Governors Fridays, and
whose devotion was afterwards rewarded
with judgeship. Now can any one doubt
that this removal Of Mr.. Mills was the work
Of the Governors He wanted men chair
men Of committees who were pliable and
who would follow his lead.
Now, does not the question naturally
arise in the mind Of every man who reads
these facts what was the nature of those
contingent expenses of the Governors man
sion for which this h0ncSt Governor wanted
an appropriation Of $50009" Is it not sug
gestive Of -four bacon, lard, silk dresses,
fancy groceries, broadcloth suits, purple
and tine linens And then that gardener
That IS decidedly rich, is It not9 IfitwerC
AlAN NA-N lIftSA AcA AlAN ltlAo W AuAA-cA llr
Excollency with cabbage, bects, lettuce,
etc., in the vegetable line, does it not occur
10 a thinking man that it would be cheaper
to buy them from & market gardener than
to pay $500 to a gardener to raise them on
the premisesi As Sheridan Knowles in one
of his plays has said, s.Isn't all this rather
thin2' Contingent expenses 5000, a gar
dener $600l That is about the first edition
OF a Credit Mobilier, a salary grab, that We
have heard Of. ''But Brutus is an honora-
bic man. Governor Davis IS a model Of
honestly He would not gobble up any OF
the peoples money. Oh, mol He only
wanted his contingent expenses paid; he
only wanted gardener. And Brutus !.
an honorable manp
Death o. Juage q. ". smith.
From lhe colorado cisizenl