The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-12-16

vork of that body ana the duration of i
o,,on. Already Chief Clerk Lambert,
II N. house, is engaged il putting the hall
.orking order for thos ion, and work of til
II ,.,oe character will suon commence ia III
,,,te chamber. The hall Of the house wi
have new carpetinL, the desks and chairs wi
s renovated and repaired, and q geners
eearing up is going on.
The heads OF departments the comptrol
q, commissioner of the land. office, secretgr,
I cfstste, treasurer attorney general aud tn
ssc-eary of the board OF education ar
al busily employed on the regular reports t,
/ be presented to the Legislature.
Il learn that the secretary of state is mucl
A embarrassed in making his report, by the alb.
Il .ence of retarns of the election FROM the va
rious counties. Up to this time not more
Than one half the counties have made theil
II returns of election of county officers, not
outstanding the law requires it, and the
necessary blanks for that purpose were duly
forwarded to each county before the election.
Among those which have as yet failed
10 LoIWau iotulns, regret
to have to name the populous
counties of Grayson and Galveston. Such
derilcton of duty should not be overlooked.
II county judges cannot spare half an hour
to make these returns to the state depart
ment, they should give place to others who
can.
The report of the comptroller this year
will be very carefully and deliberately made,
giving very full data as TO the financial con-
dtion of the state, and to the workings of the
tax laws for tle past two years. 1t will DO II
very interesting document, and will treat, at
The close, particularly of the finances and the
deb. problem.
The report of the secretary of the board of
education will also be very elaborte one.
This most important branch of the
government is, however, most lamentably
crippled in its workings by the lack
Ofsutlicient clerical force to perform the ar.
duous duties of the office. The secretary of
the board is his own clerk, and there is
work enough in his office to keep several
employed, particularly dring the closing
months of the year, when the annusl reports
of the Vhole state have to bo collected aud
condensed into one general eport by the
secretary. An experience of four years of
the workings of the school law, under
the enactment of 1876, has demonstrated the
necessity of various amendments that should |
receive the attention of the legislature and |
notably among these is one in the organic |
law, looking to the return to the former sys- |
TEN of having superintendent of public iu-
struCticn,, 10 whom should be intrusted the
whole direction and supervision Of the school
system Of the state, instead of cOnsigning
It to a board composed, rs at present. Of the
comptroller and secretary of state.
Besides, it is evident to anyone familiar even
by observation, with the official labor per.
aiming to two of the officers composing the
,Osrd of education, viz: the governor and
that they have as much to do
n connection with their respective offices MS
an possibly be executed with due regard to
he public interest ana the health of these Of
GERS. Especially is this the case with refer
nee tC the executive. The mass of our peo
10 have not the faintest conception of the
mount Of work perforL ed by the executive
f the state of Texas, and the imposition
pom this officer of OK oflicio duty in the
hape of board service tthe governor in the
resent administration being a member of
10 less than FIVE different boards should be
deprecated for three reasons
'irst. 1t is too great u tax upon the mental
nd physical strength. Second, 1t has II ten
ency to lower the dignity of the office.
bird, II retards and weskens the admins
ration of the affairs of state, belonging eX-
lusiyply IN the executive Office
l might elaborate further and suggest
ther changes in the school system which
ccur to my mind, but time and space at
resent forbid.
1t is to be hoped that tho approaching
legislature will give this subject calm ana
thoughtful consideration, to the end that eur
chool system may be brought up TO the
highest standard of excellence.
Rumor here connects the names of several
prominent members of the house with the
The most notable ameng these
Iro Hon. George p. Finley, of Galveston;
Hon. B. NJ. Baker, of Pamela; Hon. George |
B. Reeves, of Grayson; Hon. .. i. Wurz-
zach, of Bexsr and Hon. j, L. McComb, OF |
Montgomery county. Any of these gentle
men would grace the position OF speaker,
having, each of them, served their constitu-
,nts faithfully in several legislatures of the
tate; but the most experienced Of them,
perhaps, is Hon. George r. Reeves, of Gray |
on. He was member of the house in ante |
,ellum days, and has represented his section
everal times since the war;
Candidates for the various clerkships in tho
legislature are as yet not very numerous. In
he senate most if not all the old
,fficers will be candidates for re,elee-
ion. The accomplished Colonel J. Z.
.. Whitehead, for secretary w. Nj. Kamey
for first assistant; Walter Fisher, sergeant'at
arms, and old Uncle Bill Fitzaug, no of
Collin county, for dOor.keeper. j. w.
Swindells, formerly of the Dallas HERALD,
will be candidate for reelection as caIan
lar clerk, and Asa NJ. Bevin, for engrosing
clerk. have heard no name mentioned, rs
yet, for enrolling clerk, second assistant Sec
rotary or assistant sergeant-at-arms.
In the house Will Lambert will oiler Tor
reelection as chief clerk and young Mr.
Autry, Of Corsicsna for enrolling clerk,
and perhaps, most, if not all the old olileeFs
Of the 10th. ,
Tho board having in charge the building
Of the new capital, which, under the lazy Is
of the governor, comptroller
commissioner of tho land Office,
and encouragement, held a meeting on
Saturday, at which but little business was
transacted. They are progressing, however
as rapidly with the matter MS possible, under
the circumstances. The meeting was an IN
formal one, called more particularly with the
view of discussing the propriety OF utilizing
the present capitol building, by adding wings,
and oterwise enlarging and improving II;
and with this view, the commissioners, aren't
tects, and few Others interested, were In
vited TO participate. 1t was almos. inc
o,,. - ,;o;a,, of tho anr ference that tho