The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-15
GOVERNOR sAYREs' SPEECH.
He Addresses n Large Crowd at Grad
docks opera House,

Last night, as per appointment, Lieuten-
ant. Governor Sayres, candidate for governor,
addressed large audience of his fellow-citi'
zens of this city at Craddock's opera house.
Our reporter is only able to give brief syn
opsis of the speech, but has endeavored to
present the salient points.
He started out by expressing his
regrets that his opponents in the gubernato-
rial contest were not present to hear bis re-
marks and share the time with him. He al.
luded very briefly, but in eloquent terms, to
national politics and the standard bearers of
the Democratic party in the presidential con-
test. He then went direct to the discussion
of state questions. He said at will not
only be the duty of the convention that
meets on the 10th Of August next to nomi-
nate candidates for tho several state offices,
but it is also to say to those nominated what
they shall do and W at they shall not do. In
1878 you nominated your candidates to Gil
the various offices of state; you adopted
platform Of principles and policies, and |
am here tonight to say that however the
present administration of affairs in Texas
may appear to son o, there has been great
want in the discharge ofthosc important du-
ties which every government owes 10
its people. You know how tho
nominations were made when the platform
under which we are now working was
adopted and you know how, when the nom
nation Of the chief magistrate was made
known to the gentleman, he, from his home
in Tyler, without having read the platform,
accepted the nomination, and, in answer,
said that he would soon make known his
policy. It has been my understanding that
parties dictate policy to those whom they
honor, ard that those go hOnored are in duty
| bound to execute, 50 faras they can, what is
made incumbent upon them by the party
that 50 honors them. The condition Il at.
fairs undoubtedly indicates n fearful def
cheney in administrative accomplishment;
aud this has produced tho very
serious differences in the party.
On the 10Th Of January, 1874, Governor
Coke was inaugurated, and on that date the
state indebtedness, so far as has been ascer-
! tained was S1,4lj, b9545, and on the 3lst of
August, 1876, the debt had increased to
| S779,d91S5. This increase of liability was
owing to the sum of Sl3l 30 ,95 appropriated
for the benefit of the agricultural and me-
chanical college, $4,000 towards perma-
ncnt Improvement Oh the insane asylum, 3d.
500 to the blind asylum, $4,000 to the
eastern penitenliary, cOlored college at
Hampstead $4,000, frontier defense oyer
$GOO0OO, school Indebtedness, prior to 1873,
nearly $500, 900, and the expense of the CON
stitutiOnal convention of 1876 all Of which
were unusual and extraordinary burdens up.
on the current revenues. 1t will be born in
mind that priJrtO 1874 the frontier expense
was never churgeable to current revenue,
but that it was discharged from the pro-
ceads Of the sales of bonds In addition
to these extraordinary expenses, there WAS
no law in force that provided for the sum.
mary assessment and sale of real estate to
satisfy the taxes due thereon. The con-
stitution Of 1860, in force until April, 1876,
only authorized the bringing of suit in order
to enforce the collection of taxes, and the
legislature of 1873 attempted to give effect
to this constitutional provision. 1t was
found out however, that such assessments rs
had been made were 50 loosely entered that,
IN almost every instance, it was exceedingly
difficult to enforce them. Hence no suits
were brought, aud the state was the loser to
the amount of the taxes due on the lands not
assessed and unpaid. The comptroller re-.
ports that in 1875 there were not less than
twenty-five million acres of land subject to
taxation that did not contribute one dollar to
the revenues of the government. But when
the present constitution was adopted the
.eurteenth legislature, operating Hereunder,
provided in the acts of August 10, 1876, for
the assessment and collection OF taxes due
from 1870 TO 1876 Through these acts the
lands upon which taxes had been unpaid were
sold IN 1877; but iour.btths of these were pur-
chased by the state and consequently,
yielded no revenue. In 1878, however, there
was an increase in the revenue sales of land
being held in both 1877 and 1873 The two
act of August 2lst, 1876, operated in
future, but were similar in their provisions to
the acts Of August 10, 1876 From the book.
of the comptroller the revenue receipts for
year ending August, 81, 1874, we're $685.
li3 81; Of 1876, $1,000 $50 77;of 1876 ST.
2SS,I 29 30. and of 1877, Sl,575 269 so.
Such was the condition Of affairs upon the
induction of the present ministration.
| Upon recommendations of the comptroller,
the sixteenth legislature provided for the re-
demption of the lands purchased BY the state,
and also for the sale for delinquent taxes in
future of real estate by continuance from
month to month until purchasers other thar.
the state had been found. The same legi;.
lature also provided for the better assess.
ment of property in unorgani2ad rs well
rs in organized counties. The bonded
debt, exclusive of that of
doubtful validity, was, on the 8lst
day OF August 1874, $5,03Il09 On the
first OF January, 1879 it had been reduced to
S5,O20,S61. On March |, 1880, it was $1,000
1917, though 100000 had been expended I'm.
der the act OF the sixteenth legislature to
diminish the debt AS predicted by the
comptroller, in consequence Of the election
and assessment laws of 1876, the revenue be-
camo so muchincreased that on the 3lst of
August, 1879, they amounted to S2,06S..
942 81, though the acts of tn sixteenth leg
islature contributed but little if anything, 10
the increase of that date On June |, 1880
the revenue amounted to S2,066,Sl5 SS. The
revenue of 1880 was, of course, in some de-
grc' attributable to the acts of the sixteenth
legislature, but undoubtedly in more special
degree to the acts of the fifteenth legislature.
The report of the comptroller for March 5.
1 1870 shnya that in arsw O.,