The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-12-25
mo wow Constitution.

M lolIy lOT ltNNh 'hllch nov w lhV''
by their examples an .Et Ft.
------------------------
An, The Now Constitution.
10 the Editor ofthe Dnllas Herald;
In my last ! attempted toshow the
defect, and further Of the new Consti'
tuition, in its provisions for taxntion.
| now take the clauses on ...,-
MuNICIPAL CORPORATIONS AND SUE
t..f a.a W "a. FRAGE.. .e.ah.. .sHA ~
As they affect our city. We are all
more or less selfish, and kick fine at
what hurts us Individually. Section
3, article 0, Of the Constitution DIETER
than Che OLD, provides that all quail
fled electors Of the State, etc, may vote
for Mayor, etc, "but / all elections to
determlno.o of money OF assumption of
debt, only those shall be Qualified to
vote who pay taxes on property In said
town. etc.
Section 3, article II, says: "No city
ghall hereafter become u subscriber 10
The capital of amy private corporation
or association, or make any appropria-
ton or donation t0 the same, or in any
wise loan its credit"
~.'lherc IL. one consolation here 70
| Tie poor man, aud That IL that
while hehas no vote IN such matters,
the taxpayer if he desires 70, can't
vote away anything he has, A friend
suggests chat all the negroes could vote
under this, ~ they own dogs and pay
IN occupation tax on them. But this
portion of the Constitution is neglt0-
4 w, We can readily see good many
improvements that would benefit our
dily,q,nd thatwefwoBId llinBIy aid
Ishould ~ be left to ~ 70 decide, but
7 this Constitution says We Shant &c it
1t IL true you own property, and pay
Flakes on ii, but ncithcrtElose who have
none nor grumblers shall vote IL away
only for such purposes az we direct.
Another matter, in which business
men are directly interested, is the
"homesteado clause Homestead laws
are wise and Just, and intended to pro.
lect the honest and unfortunate, the
widow and orphan, but are not intend
ed ~ as n shield for the, disnoRes
and the sWindltr, and in That view Of
the case, more evil viii accrue under
the present Constitution in Keeping
the latter class than good result in
protecting the former. Section fifty
one, article sixteen, provides that the
| homestead not in II town or city shall
consist Of two hundred acres, pLich
nldy be IN one az IROrc parcels. lii a
n city or town il shall consist of lot or
lots not TO exceed in value five thou
sand dollars at the time of their desig-
nation as homestead, without reference
TO the value ofimlMovements,thereon.
Section fifty of the same article pro-
vides that such homesteads cannot be
gold under mortgage or deed in trust
under any circumstances or fol, any
consideration. \ great many at first
blush are disposed to regard this as n
just provision but when we investi-
gate it clearly we find that it not
only fails to be a real benefit, but de-
stroys elrectually the credit OF the
whole state, farmer and merchant
alike, and simply throws the mantle of
protection around the swinder. For
instance: Take the farmer. He is
protected in 200 acres Of land
for q homestead. This is all right, il
Ne does not have improvements say
manu- taetories-on it, that are. worth
thousands and tens of thousands of
dolhrs.g lie needsia homestead, with
all the improvements and comforts
necessary fol. the support of his iaml-
ly. More than that, the law should
not protect, and [ venture the asser-
ton that notone really honest farmer
in Texas out of fifty, who is not en-
gagged in speculation and trying to rob
or defraud his neighbor, will ever. call
on the law to protect him in thismuch.
Now comes in the provision that these
200 acres may be IN separate PARCELS.
Under that provision, the man engaged
in business in Dallas, or elsewhere,
owing hundreds of Thousands of dol
lars, and having million in his hands
belonging to others, can, at once, shut
his doors, take this money and buy
fifty acres of land adjoining Dallas,
fifty at Galveston, twenty-five ut Hous-
ton, twenty-iiEe ut Austin, twenty five
at San Antonio and twenty-five at
Waco, and on these erect manufac-
tories worth millions of money, and
his creditors might whistle. DO You
pretend to say that this is protection
to the farmer, and wise provision In
the Constitution? Does any honest
farmer desire any such thing as tliis?
Again, the merchant is protected in
his homestead, and place or places of
business. Some OF our merchapts have
magnificent business houses. a. They,
show them with pride TO-, the New
York merchant who credits them, as
IAN evidence of their prosperity, and
ay il is Il part of their capi-
al in trade in their realty and
on which their credit is forced; but
nov, under the new Constitution, the
New York merchants win say your
property Is a part of your homestead,
Is not subject TO execution; aud il
would be better for you II you rented
a house.. What is the efeets aWe de-,
hstroy the credit ofsalls men, good as
well as bad. The merchants OF Dallas
desire no such homestead protection
that ruins their credit--they are not
swindlers hut honest men, and deserve,
mot to be iprejudiced IN Their business
in this way. Again, n merchant in