Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1878-12-27
FROM GAY HILL.
Timon Theorizes.


State. In fact the amendment
of our con stitution and the rad
ical change of some of our
laws, seems to be Herculean
task in which all the editors of
the State are engaged. Nor is
it confined to the editors, for all
classes seem to have something
to say or write, on one or the
other of these subjects. The
result of course, is bound to be
much light, but whether this
light will eminate from gas or
not, | cant say.
But seriously, in reading and
hearing the various amendments
and changes proposed, am re-
minded of the anecdote DR..
Franklin told Thos. Jefferson
when the declaration of indie
pendence was being discussed
and criticised in Congress. The
latter it seems was writhing I'M
der the criticisms of his bant-
ling, and to comfort him the
DR.. told him of John Thomp-
son, the halter, who, when he
was to start business for him
self consulted his friends on the
subject of his sign. The one
he had chosen was "John
Thompson, halter, makes and
sells hats for ready money"
with the sign of a hat. The
first friend suggested that the
word halter, was entirely super
fluous, to which John readily
agreed, and it was stricken out.
The next said that he need not
say he wanted ready money"
as few persons would want cred
it for an article of so small val
ue as a hat, and if they did he
might find it convenient to give
it. So those words were strick-
en- out. A third friend said that
when man wanted to buy a
hat he did not care who made
it. So two more words were
dropped and the sign now reads:
"John Thompson sells hats .
A fourth friends advice was
sought, who asked him "who
the Devil would expect him
to give away his hats2" On
this cogent criticism he struck
out another word, and his sign
then, was John Thompson"
| with the sign of the hat. Now,
as the preachers say, to make
the application, if all the chang
es were made that you and 9TH
ers advocate, we would have
nothing of our constitution left
but the title page, "The Consti-
tuition of the State of Texas,
Adopted in Convention Assem-
bled," ETC., etc.
This might be all right, but
if it was, we could not be hap
Ply, because then we would have
nothing to quarrel about. And
with no bone of contention we
would certainly be miserable.
If as is contended by some,
(theugh not by Timon, we have
been going from bad to worse
ever since the war; it might be
well enough to let bad enough
alone. But in my opinion we
have been improving some all
the time, and have reason to
take courage; one misfortune is
that we have gotten SO in the
habit of changing our constitu-
ton and laws that we are not
satisfied to try either fully, be-
fore we want to try something
else. The fact is we want an
efficient government that we
won't have to be taxed to sup
port, one that is self sustaining.
We want laws that it will re-
quire no sacrifice on our part to
obey-I am afraid we not find
either.
Each class of citizens thinks
it can propose something that
will come nearest attaining these
ends. The lawyer says he is
more familiar with the practical
workings of our laws than any
one else, and hence knows bet
ter what we want. The editor
thinks his opportunities for
learning the wants and necessi-
ties of the people are unsur-
passed, and therefore he knows
what is needed. While the far
mers and mechanics may not be
able to tell as fully what they do
want, they can very quickly tell
what they don't want.
Now to give all fair trial, |
propose that our constitution
be so amended, that for one ses-
sion of the legislature only law
yers shall be elected, for the
next only editors, and for the
next only farmers and mechan-
les. This would give all a
chance to show the good that
was in them. And should it be
found that the system did not
work well, why, we could again
amend our constitution.
TIMoN OF GAY HILL.
December 2Sd. 1873.