The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-03-11
THE STATE PRESS.

The Victoria Aduocd Z says that 1.-THE
commutation Of the sentence o. the
death penalty in the case of john Llo-
ham, az Stn Antonio. evidences the
fact that g lverDor r ,berts is opposed
TO capital punishment. and Bever per-
mits IT'S iUf ction' where there is the
slightest pr-text TO commute. Ian
ham murdered the actress Georgis
Drake IN cold blood, ami bis life should
have settled for the brutal ceed."
The SIN Antonio Express suygests,
aud the Waco Examiner thinks it 2
necessity, s'tast the next Legislature
should pass law providing that all pc
titions for the pardon OF criminal
under sentsDce should be published il
s1me newspaper, or otherwise, n the
county from which the petition ema-
mates, the publication to show The 3
ture of the plea for pardon, the name
of each signed TO the petition such
notice to begin ten or twenty days
prior to presentation of the petition to
the Governor.
The FrOntiersman says: &c lvernor
Roberts has committed the death SEN
tence of John Lanhsm, murderer OF
George Drake, variety sctress st
San ALt3nio, to Imprisonment for life.
This was one of the most brutal and
cowardly murders that has ever cursed
Texas, and the death sentence was ap-
plauded by all friends of law and JUS
tice. Yet his excellency in the plenti-
tude OF his power sets aside the verdict
of the jury and puts this human butte
where some other equally teBder-heart-
ed governor will have chance to par
don him. A little more of this and
people will sigh for Judge Lynch"
The San Antonio Herald says: "Judge
Noonau refused to sign Lsnham's petit
ton; Mr.. Fred Cooke, the county at
torney, Sheriff Mccall and the major
ity of the jurors that convicted HIM
refused to sign it. Hundreds of busi-
ness men of San Antonio refused to
sign it-business men who stand as
well as those who did sign If. The
persons who signed that paper are OPP
posed to capital punishment and the
signers of the petition are less than
tenth of the people of San Antonio,
Thousands. in this city are enraged
against Governor Roberts, ard but
for the great respect for law
existing in. this community, j ,hn
Lanham would be taken cut
of j Ill and torn to pieces by men who
hate him for the monstrous crime he
committed. As it stands many per-
sons doubt the sherff's ability to take
him alive to Huntsville. The sttempt
by the Austin correspondent Of the En-
press to justify Roberts will not sue
coed; the seDility OF the old man is sp-
parent in the action; the reporters OF
the daily papers published in this city
reflect in their writing the sentiments
Of the majority of the people of San
and the three dai!ies-divid-
ed on other subjects-stand shoulder
to shoulder in condemnation of this
latest outrage on justice perpetrated
~ the governor of the state"
And how now will the Telegram,
which understands so we'll the pollti-
,al system of Texas, re-establish its
equation. 1t abused the governor
or not spending money on Immigra-
ion, and it has abused him for not
paying she claims of sheriffs and coun-
y clerks. The Telephone, which is al
ways inclined to do right, says: "Sav-
sral of the state papers mention, as an
against the present admins
ration, that while thu governors
friends boast of cash balance in the
State Treasury, there is not any money
here to pay sheriffs and county clerks,
against the state. Let US be fair III
dealing with the governor. It is I'M
true that there is q cash
balance in the treasury and it appears
20 be equally true that the appropria-
ion made to remunerate sheriffs and
clerks for certain services having been
those officials find that
payments of their accounts have
been stopped. But it may be
said, in behalf of the administration,
that this state of affairs Is something
for which the governor is not RESPONSE
BILE. The legislature, at IFS last session,
made specific appropriation for the
purpose above alluded to-. Subsequent
events have shown thai the appropria-
ton was not large erough-it has been
exhausted much earlier than anybody
But this Is legislative
and not an executive blunder. 1t is a
state of affairs which Governor Roberts
cannot remedy, and for which he is
not responsible. Were there a cash
balance of million dollars laying idle
in the state treasury the executive lacks
the authority to apply one dollar even
Of that surplus fund to any purpose
not clearly defined and designated by
the legislature, in the shape of an ap-
The San Saba Ne,os notices an i'm
portant point soon to be decided,
which may greatly affect certain Sec
tons of Western Texas. 1t states that
81. B. Fleming, ]. w. Baker and D.
against whom an injunction
was granted at the last term of our
district court, prohibiting them from
the use of the waters of Simpsons
creek, small stream near town, for
purposes of irrigation, are preparing
to make q determined effort to have
the decision of the court reversed by
the supreme, court at its session at Aus
tin this spring. Prior to the suing out
of the injunction these parties had
irrigated about seventy-five acres an
nuAlly, and had supplied the town
Nth tho .rrnakar nortinn Of ito frnitn