The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-07-03
Hon. John II. Cochran on the state
D.bt.
LETTER NO. II.

your indulgence, would aLalyze the
other charges made by the Hampstead
convention against the Democratic
party, ny contained in the first and
sixth resolutions passed by that con
venlion, and they are these, to-wit
elias increased the offices TO be sup
ported by the people. And
though they have abolished the schools,
which, under II Republican admins
tration caused the most of the tax then
collected, has actually increased and
extended its reach everywhere to the
small possessions of the poor"
"rhat we call upon all the people or
Texas to stand warned of the fact that
the Democratic party are rapidly in
creasing the number of officers in the
State, thus heaping upon the backs of
the peOple'a mountain of taxation.
They having created wore than two
hundred new State anu county offices
in three years, in the form of assessors
and collectors, cotton weighers, Grim
inal judges, ETC., and still the cry is
more officers"
Yes, we have increased the offices,
but not the officers, and still the people
demand an increase of offices, but not
of officers. At the first glance, this
may appear to be II contradiction of
terms, but is it? Now, the sheriff per-
forms not only the duties of sheriff, but
those of the collector of taxes also.
The several justices of the peace per-
form not only the duties of the justice
of the peace, but also those of an as
SCISSOR. Thus, under this Radical plan,
causing combination of duties to de-
yolvc on one officer, rendering it al
most impossible for him to perform in
person the duties incumbent upon him,
resulting almost invariably in each of
these officers having to employ one or
more deputies to perform the extra du
ties of his office. Each justice of the
peace one assessor each, and sheriff
one or two additional deputies or clerks
to attend to the collection of the taxes.
Here are five assessors and two collec-
tors in each county. Seven officers,
in fact, not elected by the people. but
chosen by the principle officer Where
as, under the Democratic plan, one as
SCISSOR and collector elected by the peo-
pie, could, in most counties of the
State, perform the duties, which, un-
der the Radical programme, requires
six or seven officers to perform.
Hence, mere IL IL obvious IhaI VIC navy
not increased the oflicerss, Dut ac!uaily
diminished them by an increase III 'he
offices.
Again, the hauicai party olenueu
the offices of District ana County Clerk
but did TINS reduce the huniper oi
officers 1t is true, 1t does reduce the
number to be chosen by the people
but go into any well arranged Distrlct
Clerks office in this State, ana you
will find in addition to the Recording
and County Court Clerks, one or more
additional deputies, VINO attend O"ty
to District Court business. Then, II II
takes no less officers to perform the
duties of the various CWceS, biendeu
and consolidated by the Kepubilcah
party of Texas. but on the contrary
an increase of offices by the Democratic
party makes decrease OF cUtcGrs !,
why this charge of an increase OF
offices? 1t is because this Radical
blending of offices, which TOOK the
selection of many of the oWcefs from
the people and placed it in the hands
of the few, was one OF me many
schemes by which the Repubiicah
party intended and hoped to be able TO
take the power from the people ana
centraliZe IL In the hands or Tie ie",
and ultimately in the general govern
ment Mt Washington.
Have the people. do they suppose,
forgotten the enormous salaries paiu
by the Republican party TO their paru-
san School Supervisors AMI Directors,
who were appointed by the Radical
governor, or by his appointees, ana
who were alone subject to his or their
caprice? Have the Radicals lost sight
of the fact that the salaries OF tnese
officers have been greatly reduced ny
the Democratic party. ana also py IL
made elective 10y the people them
selves? Have the Republicans so soon
forgotten that they created the n.st
Criminal Judge in the Statc-the
Criminal Judges OF the cities OF Hous,
ton and Galveston? Have they Iaileu
to perceive that in consequence OF the
Intellectual judicial system contalneu
in their "tOuety' Constitution, togetner
with the eincompetency OF Their Judges
who, in consequence oi their ihcompe-
tency, suffered thelr dockets 10 oe-
come burdened with cases, until reilei
become imperative And again tney
say, ''has abolished the schools, hich'
under Republican ADMINISTRATION,
caused the most of the tax then col
lected, has actually increased taxation
and extended its reach everywhere, TO
the small possessions OF he poor"
There is not word of truth in the
above statement, unless II Is IN TIE
phrase, (Which under republican
administration caused the most or the
tax then collected" and tn have been
honest, they should have added, "ahc
now being collected and to be collected
for several years" For u was theii
mismanagement aud proiiigate extrav,
agance In their enormous public school
system, which caused the high taxes
then, and Is still keeping up the taxes
now, to pay the de)t they contracted
during their administration, boih III
tho school and other departments
Had they confined themselves 10 the
requirements of their constitution, and
only given four months tuition annu'
ally to each scholastic inhabitant III
the State, between the ages OF SIX and
eighteen years, they would have then,
even with their one per cent school
tax, run the State In debt ANNUALLY
about one million of dollars. But ~
this tax was In many places not col
lected, and in many Others Improperly
appropriated when collected-and az
they invariably furnished more thaf
four months school, where they coulc
induce teachers to teach for promises
to pay-it Is difficult to estimate tht
debt they thus heaped upon the people
and left to the Democrats to pay. Tht
scholastic population OF the state y