The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-16
The speech of Governor Roberts nj
tSau Antonio.


good financial system. 10 Its preservation
and perpetualion everything else will be
brought to cooperate and harmonizs with It.
1t consists in the collection Of row.
cnue annually adequate to the sup
port OF an efficient government by
means of IN equalized taxation, not
burdensome upon any OF the material inter-
ests of the country and an honest and econ
omical disbursement of the revenue so col
lected without permitting extravaganza,
waste, speculation or frauds thereon.
The very effort to preserve such system
of finance makes il necessary to examine into
and closely scrutenizo the operations of ev
cry part of the government, and thereby the
information is necessarily obtained which il
required to improve the efficiency of tue
government in all of its operations and de-
partments. And then it is left to political
wisdom and patriotism TO advaEce all The
great interests that enter into the operations
of the government in harmonious co-opera
ton to the extent of its ability to promote
them.
Understanding this TO be tho true phil
osophy of government, when the voice Of
the people cslcd me to be your Chief Exec
utive, set about thorough investigation
of the affairs of your state government, al
they were exhibited in its previous history
ayiut txutt bota "a In.
the great Improvements both in efficiency
and in economy, that had been made BY
preceding Democratic administrations,
found that there was much still to be done &c
accomplish the results which they aimed a,
in their efforts to re-estabsh good govern,
ment in this state. found that for thirty
years (leaving out the period Of the civil wal
and military governmentl the revenue col
lected by taxation that reached the state
treasury annually had never been sufficient Ia
delray the an, ual expenses of tho govern
ment, and that from this fact there had result.
oil Two most deleterious consequences. One Of
them was that we were dragging along I'M
der an accumulated floating debt from year
to year, for years past, then still amounting
to about SiOO, 600 which kept the state war
rants ut a discount OF from three to ten peI
cent, therby in elect running the govern
ment on credit, with clear loss 10 those
entitled to tho money of the whole amount
that was made by tho capitalists who bought
the warrants at discount. This was Just
ground and fruitful source of dssatisiac.
ton. The other deleterious consequence
was, that since the war bonded debt had
thereby been accumulated of about $4,000,
600 with u prospect of Increase from year to
uthtn tba,,I n. -.
nually of about $360000 that had to be paid
by taxes upon the people in addition to the
taxes imposed for tho support Of the gov
erhment. Thus we wore suffering II heavy
loss in another shape for having ran the gov
eminent on credit. There were no sub
stantial improvements to show for this debt
except the buildings of the Agricultural snd
Mechanical College that cost about $3.50 600
and the house for tho penitentiary erected
at Rusk costing about $4,000, together
with some improvements about the asylums,
and an additionto the house in which the
Supreme Court was held and the Treasury
building.
1t was found that this debt was not requir.
cd TO bo contracted for the ordinary expenses
OF tho government in the executive and iu-
dicial departments, instituted and carried on
for the general protection of persons and
property. For those expenses had not in.
creased much greater than was required by
the inort ase of The population and wealth Of
the country. II was found TO have been
created mainly by appropriations and OK.
penditures for the Immigration Bureau,
pensions, frontier protection, and police ser
vice, the common schools and the public
asylums at Austin.
In accordance with the instructions given
IN the democratic platform, under which
was elected, determined to make q strong
effort to accomplish three objects, to.wit: To
bring the expenses of government within the
revenue collected to stop borrowing money
and increasing the bonded debt, and to bring
the state warrants up to par, and prevent the
loss of their discount to the loss of those
entitled t. them, and thereby cea u the run
mug OF the government any longer on q
credit. By this means we should make a
starting point at once in the establishment OF
good solid basis for good system OF
finance
This task was rendered the more difficult
and in great measure experimental, from
tho fact that no person knew, or, fir m the
reports furnished from year TO year of the
receipts Of revenue and Of tho expenditures
ooud tell exactly or approximately what wac
the net revenue, the product of each f.rmeI
year, or the net expenses of each preyiou.
year. Therefore, it was, as the result proved
impracticable to make correct estimates OF
the revenue and exp nses of the ensuing tive
years then about to be provided for by the
legislature.
With view, therefore, OF accomplishing
the desired objects, with positive certainty,
recommended TO the Legislature tho reduction
OF expenses, wherever 1t could be done with.
out impairing the efficiency OF the govern.
ment and the increase Of taxes upon such
objects of taxation as would not affect the
material interests of the country.
The sixteenth legislature, entering fully
into the spirit of this effort, and fully appre.
ciating its Importance, complied with this
recommendation even more fully than had
requested OF them, on some subjects, by the
passage OF numerous laws concentrating. in
the accomplishment of these objects.
They VIII DO found to cover over almost
the whole scope OF legislative action relating
TO the operations Of the government in the
different departments, and are too numerous
to be here exhibited with their objects.
In passing these laws it was proper that
they should keep in mind and strictly observe
certain fundamental principles relating to
the expenses OF government, and 10 taxation
ON the people TO deirsy them. First, that
while efficiency is leading element in econ.
ony, Us. less extravagai CO is tho parent Of
corruption and dissatisfaction. Second, that
as The true fou dation Of the right of the
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