The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-06-16
A STATE POLICE.

The American people have an uncon-
querable prejudice against names, very
little against principles. For instance,
we can not stand the empire. An
emperor would to our idea of things,
be political monster whose existence
could only be atoned for by speedy
and very cruel death, and yet we have
for fifteen years lived under govern
ment as absolute as any which has ex-
isted in Europe dus ing that time. The
executive will has made and unmade
state governments, governors, legisla-
lures, laws, returning boards, etc, with
out limit, and has even furnished deeis>
ions for the latter when probable action
was at all doubtful. Still the empire
hating people of the United States feel
no alarm until some one suggests the
proPriety Of putting the crown upon the
head of an individual.
SO it is with the idea of state police
force. Davis organized one Its SIM
pie organization was admirable, but that
worthy placed it in the hands of blind,
bitter partizans, and instead of hurting
it against the lawless it was sent out to
war upon the innocent because they
were all opposed to Mr. Davis and
the republican party. Hence tre>
mendous prejudice arose in the
public mind against the system. Sol
administration since Davis has felt its
self strong enough to recommend the
system TO the legislature, while prscti.
cally one, or partial one, has been in
fall force all the time. We do not call
it state police. We Oall il the frontier
battalion, McNelly's men, and nov,
Halls rangers. These forces are very
properly employed in the arrest of
criminals and in the protection of the |
courts and ministers of justice, in those |
thinly- districts of the state |
where the lawless are so much in the |
ascendancy as 20 require this extra pro- |
vision for their safety We applaud the |
act of Governor Coke in putting the |
force to such use 1t was right in it |
self, AMI is made double so by reason |
of the great necessity for its employ |
ment in this way. However we may |
call it, it is, and has always been, noth- |
ing less than state police force. Why |
should We thus thinly cover up the mat
ter because OF a l.aseless prejudice? Why |
do we lack the manhood sufficient to
enable us to call things by their right
names3
No obseryant citizen of Texas hut
knows that state police force Of some
kind is one Of the gravest necessities of
our state government. Then let as set |
about the task of organizing one,
which viii be not only effective and |
serve the purpose for which it is in
tended, but which will be known to all, |
with well defined duties plainly mapped
out. and strong restrictions to prevent
the abuses so loudly complained of in
Davis day. Such a force, composed of
such men as Jones, of the battalion, and |
Hall, of the rangers. closely and care-
fully organized and handled with dis
cretion, if sufficiently strong in num-
bers, would, in very short space of
time do away with the necs ssity of
such force forever The bad men of
Texas, the lawless and bloody men who |
have taken refuge here because of our
inability to execute the laws, are now
making their death struggle. Two or
three years of vigorous administration
of the law, viii finish them up. Noth>
ing will conduce more to this necessary
vigor than good. live. well handled
state police force, and we for one. are
in favor, not only of its organization,
but of calling it by its own proper name.