The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-03-29
THE BOrTOnLEss PIT.


Texas, sadly needs reform in its mode
of government. The cost of the ex-
listing system to taxpayers is simply in
toIerable. 1t was devised by the Ruta-
bagas, like the perquisite-grabbing
courts, that the people might be
thoroughly plundered without know
ing it. But the people will go behind
the scenes in these little theaters In
which small men, in a small way, play
fantastic tricks before high heaven and
a weary world. In most towns and
cities, save these of Texas, mayor,
acting as recorder, or distinct record
er's court, determines questions OF
guilt or innocence, and the culprit,
having offended a municipal law or be-
ing wrongfully punished by this one
man power, has his writ of haJeds cor
pus or right of appeal to the State
court. Then comes the costly jury
and the bailiffs and clouds of standing
witnesses, each to be feed, like the
mastering cohorts Of standing jury
men, for their distinguished services
rendered an ever-grureTuI country. Tue
shysters OF cities swing lovingly around
this recorders court to victimize the
innocent and those accidentally drunk
or captured by the honest policeman
because seemingly ignorant, friendless
and unknown. Even in these cities OF
other States, OF which we speak, the
system of government is bad enough
and full OF evil practices and corrup-
ton and baseness. Men are witnesses
and swear 80 often ''on tho book"
that the little reverence originally en-
tertained for the obligations and sane
tity Of an oath is wholly lost, and,
knowing the state OF facts prerequi-
site to conviction, these facts are ever
sworn to. The appearance of the
accused in an ordinary recorders
court is the sure conviction Of the man.
This is commonly true where the city7s
OlHCldlb hIO buldllCus AAOW AhOAOAobAN
must be the law of conviction when
fees and perquisites demand the en-
try, "guilty," opposite the greasy sig
nature of the culprIt at the bar! And
then, when the good mayor is also re-
corder, and ho can popularize himself
by having jurymen feed by the half
dozen in each petty offenders case, the
people begin to see how they are fleeced
that the good man in authority may
have money and votes. And these are
better than most votes given for such
men. They cost the mayor nothing,
and cost the people only about one dol.
lar each. But the beautiful process of
fleeing the public by furnishing drunk
enness, vice and vagrancy has many
peculiar charms for Taxpayers. The
average fine is five dollars, and the
costs that are not named in the reports
as published, average, we are told,
twenty dollars. All this sum is sup.
posed by the dear people to be paid
by the unfortunate "drunk and disor-
derly." Nothing is further from the
truth. Every penny is wrenched from
the taxpayers of the town. The va
grant, Of course penniless, is consigned
TO the calaboose, and the turnkey and
keeper must have their little fees,
which tuu CITY pays. Inc mayor ha!
his fees for rendering Judgment" o
which he keeps on hand large sup
ply, dealt out wholesale and retail a
one dollar per jerk. The policeman
must haYe his witness fees, and ther
that as large sum as possible may bC
. generally distributed, jurors must 81
on the case, and these must be paid
II they do not call for their per dien
= the officers in waiting gobblo it, and
thus there are fine pickings to be pill
fered by placeholders of Texas towns
But not dollar thus honorably earned
in accordance with Rutabaga codes O.
administering municipal systems il
derived from the drunken culprit. H.
goes upon tho street to ''work out HI
fine and &C sts," and the city is charged
with the fine and costs, and instead o
paying the poor devil who bears abou
his spade and pick, the city pays thu
man who feeds the vagrant; it pay
the mayor who fines him; it pays tn,
jury that convicted it pays the Tailor
it pays the turnkey; it pays for all thu
swearing done before the jury; it pay
the jury fees; it absolutely pays thu
drunken deadbeat's fine Of five dollars
and then the whole sum total goe
down into the pockets OF the gooC
men who commonly sit over an empt!
treasury and are constantly telling the
dear people of its unutterable emptI
ness and of the wickedness Of thos,
horrible fellows who refuse to fill it by
paying taxes. And into this mammoth
cave 60 the taxes. Taxpayers ma!
groan and toll and dig and go int
bankruptcy, and while the perquisit'
system prevails the unutterable hollow
meas of city treasury in Texas Is ir
remediable as that of immensity
Talk about sewer from the Capito
to the riverl However indispensable,
to the lives of people who must inhsl,
odors from cutters and alleys, nothing
can be done. Malignant fevers ma,
be generated in foul sinks and alley
and numbers may die, and propert.
values be destroyed, and the work
finally deem this the choices
abiding place OF death, and yet Will
the perquisite system preys upon tn
city's treasury there can be only a
aching void into which money pour
an endless river. finding the pit bot
temless into which il rushes forever
THE Sherman Register approves tn
Dallas Commercials tribute to tn,
worth and virtues OF Governor Hub
bard aud says:
We have observed closely the admin
istration Of Governor Hubbard since h,
assumed the executive office of thi
and F.,l kk.s -. L..