The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-08-12
LET Us HAVE PET GASES.

Sheriff Corwin, in his official adj
dress to the sheriffs. in convention
at Dallas, called especial attention
to the many difficulties in the way
of peace officers doing what is ex-
pected of him. He claims that the
root of all the evil, standing in the
way of peace officers apprehend-
ing criminals, and the exc
cution of criminal laws, and
the preservation of the peace,
finds its origin in a defective code.
and yet these defects are overcome
to some extent by consultation and
perfect understanding among sher-
ifs. Owing, in great measure, to the
efficiency of the constabulary force |
of the state, the last year shows |
more apprehension of criminals and |
greater punishment of crime than
ever before, but il is commended
that many needed reforms in the |
code are required, and that they |
must be secured, if high standard |
of morality in this force is to be |
maintained. Mr.. Corwin, who is a |
close observer of the present admin
istration of government. is led to the |
belief that now is the opportnne |
time and the golden opportunity |
to redeem our grand and greatly |
abused state from the whitening
curse of lawlessness." Besides
it is known the people are
alive to the Importance of correct
ing evils, and as to juries Mr.. Corwin
properly says that in most places
they are doing their duty as well as
can be expected under fearfully de-
fective criminal law; indeed, if we
may judge by the number of cases
reversed and sent back by the Court |
of Appeals, they are doing more
than their duty, by sometimes sup
plying little law, when it is needed
to fulfill the ends of justice" With
the administration of justice alive
to obligations, the people anxious,
and officers eager, but the laws de-
fective and means wanting, the
question presents itself as to how
opposing obstacles may be overcome,
and touching this point, affecting the
legislative branch of the government,
Mr.. Corwin says:
When we consider the facilities for
escape from justice afforded crimi-
nails by the vast extent of the sparsely
settled territory within the limits of
our state and Immediately adjacent,
and how easy it is for them to flee
for refuge beyond the reach of the
law officer with his limited facilities
for pursuing, and when we consider
the great number of laW-breakers
who infest the country and engage
in their nefarious business with skill
and boldness worthy of a laudable
enterprise, and knowing, as we do,
that whatever action we take, and
whatever efforts we put forth must be
at our own risk, and to great extent
at our own expense, we cannat help
feeling that the sheriff, as the legally
constituted chief peace officer of his
county stands before his people APP
parently perfect Hercules in
strength and power to protect. the
people, but in fact handcuffed,
shackled and crippled by law. Meth
err can we help thinking that ii is
now time for the state of Texas to
come to the rescue, and through all
her governmental departments,
stand by, sustain and encourage the
constabulary force. Let the state
furnish the 'Esinews OF war" and the
authority of law, and the officers
will no doubt furnish the muscle.
When we see criminals escaping I'M
whipped of justice because we have
not the means and can not afford to
pursue them, and when we have, at
our own expense, brought them be-
fore the bar and held them for trial,
we see them escape through the
meshes of the law, we naturally
enough think that the code of GRIM
inal procedure is badly in need of
doct0Ping. What the state of Texas
can do to put down crime has been
clearly demonstrated by the prose-
cution of what is known as the
Gland fraud" cases." sometimes called
the states pet cases. There never
was a more thoroughly organized set
of shrewd scoundrels than these
land thieves. Possessed of wealth,
influence, talent,an determination
to defraud, and confidence in the.
weakness of the law, they felt secure
as the murderer does at the pres
ent time. But the State of Texas
stretched forth her strong arm and
they were soon landed in the State
penitentiary, and the whole business
in which they were engaged COM
pletely squelched. How was this
done? In the first place, the legisla-
ture passed a new law so that they
might not escape by that door. Then
$4,000 was appropriated to pay the
expense of catching and prosecuting
them before the courts, With what
complete success this has been and
is being done everyone knows.
Let the state make pets of all classes
of criminals, and in four years there
viii be little to do in the line of
prosecutions.