The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-03-21

lions, "a lupefUtlVcly neCes snfY t0 ar :
dpVplpuunpiit nn ihe one hand, aud su !
dnupprDis uf the other llud9 un pSirn
slyc field f0r operation Nv TeSns, We
have fmiy thousand unenllglilencd
black voters, natural followers, IN Their
simplicity aud Ignorance, Of the uii-
scrllpulOus tflCkstcr aud dclnngogue, ~
some portions Of Texas largely out
numbering the whites, aud having
equal privileges with them ut the bnl-
lot box and In the jury box. From
these aud other facts which might he
stated that exist among us now, WIN
which our people are scarcely yet Iamil-
lar questions must present themselves
| to be dealt with by the trainers OF our
organic law, which should be gravely
and most maturely considered.
The new constitution should he
adapted to our changed social, political
and industrial condition, and to the
growing and changed condition of our
society, and the different elements
and interests which constitute 1t. 10
make such II constitution, we should
have clear perception and apprecia.
ton of Texas, rs she Is and rs she VIII
be. If the people of Texas will take
time and give mature deliberatioh TO
the problems OF government, now, Tor
the first time, confronting them,
which must be solved in the formation
of Il constitution, | have no fear OF the
wisdom of their conclusion. But do
confess to fears of the result of hasty
, and precipitate action. A constitution
: should be made rs If for all time, and
r with view to the evils and dangers OF
Q too frequent change or amendment. III
+ is the most important step ever taken
in the government of state, and III
: proportion to the difficulty of the ques-
. lions to be dealt with, should he APP
t preached with caution and the Sravest
: care The grave financial embarraSs-
e ment surrounding us mt this time pre-
V sents another cogent argument III
4 defense of the wisdom of your course
It in declining to call a convention. The
n expense attending the holding OF Il
o convention, although considerable, Is
10 not the only item to be considered in
|. this connestion. Your honorable
j. bodies have found it necessary, in or.
Ii der to meet obligations now due ana
1t pressing the state, to provide for the
ID sale of state bonds to the amount OF
n 81, 900, 900. ~
t. These bonds must be sold, because
the creditors of the state are clamor-
,r Gus for payment, and there is not a
to dollar in the treasury, and the honor
Id and credit of the state is at stake ana
IN must be preserved.
lis 1t is well known that the stability OF
e, a government enters largely into the
) !! estimate in fixing the value of its Sc
curities. If convention. had been
called the canvass preceding the cleo
ton for delegates would have been in
progress with high party excitement
at the very time when our bonds VIII
be in market; the newspapers or the
&c state would have teemed with discus
= sions, showing every shade and variety
of opinion on the various questions
which have to he acted on in framing
p a constitution, and it is believed that
under these circumstances, when the
I'd organic foundations Of the government
id were about being taken up for readJust-
n, ment and change, that capital, which
ne is proverbially timid, would have
IN shrunk from an Investment in our
n. bonds, eXceptat discounts we would be
IN unwilling to submit to.
re Texas is not yet known abroad as
o. our people at home know her. But
,e short time since bloodshed in the walls
IN of the capitol was narrowly escaped, in
TO asserting the right of her people to free
in government. Under the administers
Ill ton of her government preceding this,
ne the vaults of her treasury We're left
i'm empty, her paper deprecated and her
H. credit dishonored. These things being
ne of recent date and well remembered as
TO facts, it is believed that the causes OF
" them are not much inquired into, OF
n. well understood outside of Texas. Only
or the facts, as they TRANSFERRED are taken
n. into the estimate. Tranquility and re-
We pose, rather than renewed political agi'
a tation, following the accession of the
e, present administration to power, al
IN least for season, seems to me neces
" sary to restoration OF confidence Ill
e. Texas, her people and government, ant
d. q establishment of her credit abroad
he and I believe, in no inconslderapie de
ct gree at home. When conservatism
A. which measures we'll the ground that
of it treads, and estimates well the CON
at SEQUENCES before it acts, rules the hour
m while the people of Texas may wish
d. that speedier progress could be made
w / have no fear but that they viii
if have an abiding confidence in the wis
IT, dom and beneficence of ultimate re
e. suits through measures which, though
d. slow, are surely conducive to the pub
ne lie veal. Many hold that the admin
IL istration is pledged, by the platform OF
O. which it came into power to call
70 convention. This is true literally; bu
Y. why call convention? Certainly, the
n. assembly of the delegates in the CAPT
no tol in convention is not the result
Ie sought to be attained. The formation
M of constitution for Texas, acceptable
e. to her people, and in mode recog
he nized as legitimate and constitutional
H. is the result, for the accomplishment
H. of which it is said in the platform:
h. ave favor the call of convention"
w etc., etc. Now, if that same result is
1e accomplished, if the sovereignty of the
re people of Texas is invoked, and acts in
eft another mode, sanctioned by usage,
I'd and by itself, in producing an instru,
e. ment of organic law, the result de.
re manded in the platform is accom-
Sc plished, and the pledge redeemed in
II substance and spirit would say to
s. those who sickle for "the letter OF the
10 law, that by another clause of the
t. same platform the administration Is
d pledged to economy in carrying on the
d government. Would not this pledge
v be grossly violated, it, when the neces-
a stiles of the government imperatively
y demand a sole of her bonds, we should
q, deliberately do that which should GER
ic tainly produce a ruinous discount on
il them, ii it did not defeat their sale al
v together, which could as well be done in
q another way without affectingthe credit
o of the state at all? The plan of chang
: ing the constitution by amendments
e is one provided for by the people in
= their last expression of sovereign will.
l. It is as legitimate as to call conven-
e ton for the purpose, because the people
n have prescribed it i'm the present con-
/ stitution, as they had previously done
v in the constitution of 1915, as one mode
t in which, if the legislature prefer It,
h the organic law shall be changed, 1t
d is, in my Judgment, wiser plan than