The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-01-13
SEVENTEENTH LEGISLATURE.
sENATE--FIRsT DAY.
SENATE CHAMBER.

cditeU 10 OTutF DN the llOu- 81. IL
Savers, Lieutenant Governor of the
state
Prayer by the Rev. c. c. Chaplin
of Brenham, chaplain ofthe last sen
ate.
The roll being called the follow ins
Senators answered 10 their names:
District No. l. ;. B. Cooper: Dis
trict No. ,. w. w. Weatherred; Dis
trict Mo. 3. II. NJ. Wynne; District
No. 4. l. Hightower; District No
). w. III. Tilson; District No. 6. W. j
Swain: District No. :, $500. ); District
No. s, John Young Gooch; District
No. 8, III. W. Lightfoot; District No
10. -: District No. II. j. NJ. Mar.
tin, of Cooke. District No. II, W D.
Lair: District No. -. Arson Rainey;
District No. IA. F. NJ. Martin, OF Ma;
Yarro: District No. 10. j. y. Hender-
son: District No, Is, j. +. Buchanan,
of Grimes: District No. Il, ..........
District No. Is ................ Dis
trict No 10. j. B. Stubs; Dis
trict No. 20, W. X. Holman; District
No. p, A. j. Harris; District No. %,
L. S. Ross; District No. %, W. r.
Shannon; District No: "a, =;
District No. 25, \. w. Terrell; Dis
trict No. &c, A. w. Moore; District
No. 81. S. c. Patton; District No.
%. E. II. Lane: District No. 29, $3.50.
District No. 30, a. w. Houston
District No. 81, w. IL. Burgess.
Senators Buchanan of Grimes,
Burgess. Cooper, Harris, Hender-
son. Hiohtowcr, Homan. LightfoOt,
Martin of Cooke, Moore, Itainey.
Ross, Stubbs, Weatherred and
WINNIE. being newly elected, APP
preached the Presidents desk, and
took the oath of office prescribed
by the constitution.
The Lieutenant Governor then de-
livered the following address
SENATORS AS coordinate
branch of the Seventeenth Legisla-
ture, YOU are assembled to devise
and to perfect such legislation as in
the Judgment of yourselves, the
Honorable House ofRepresentatives
and the Executive may be deemed
most essential to the welfare and
prosperity of this great State. You
have been selected by your constitu-
encies as their chosen and trusted
representatives in this body, to do
for them that than which nothing
can be more important or necessary
in the maintenance and perpetulty
of the liberties and prosperity OF
our commonwealth. That you have
the entire confidence Of those, by
whom you have been selected from
the citizenship of your districts and
for whom Won have been called to
perform a great and an honorable
work, there can not be doubt, that
you will successfully and eXpedl-
tiously discharge the high functions
that have devolved upon you, 1t Is
equally certain.
The requirements of the present
age are exceedingly, If not alto
gether, practical in their character,
and the achievements of the states
man are appreciated in the proper
ton that they confer upon the peo-
pie benefits of real and permanent
value. Sentiment and abstraction,
however desirable in their places,
should never influence ard color
legislation with impractability either
as to the object to be attained or the
method adopted. For say what we
may and do what we may, the pop
ular verdict will inevitably favor
that which most conduccs to adj
vance and to improve the condition,
moral, intellectual and material,
of humanity. Personal influence,
undue excitement, party attiliatlon,
angry passion, extreme prejudice
and want OF information may for a
while, as they have often done here
and elsewhere, control and direct
public opinion, but when the hour
of sober thought and careful refec-
ton comes, as is always the case,
sooner or later, and the better and
unwholsome fruits of legislation,
procured by improper means and
for improper objects, have ripened
into hurtful effects. then it is that
the conviction comes to the public
mind that a wrong has been COM
mitted and should be repaired, that
a misstep has been taken and should
be retraced; that the protesting mi
nority, however small, and of what
ever political faith, were in the
right and should have been sus-
tanned. Then comes the reaction,
and the majority of to-day becomes
the minority of tomorrow.
Such has been the experience OF
our people, whose happy lot it has
been to enjoy the rich blessings of
free institutions. and it is this expe-
rience that furnishes the friends Of
republicanism with their strongest
argument in favor of the permanent
cy of a liberal government, where
the elective franchise is free to an
intelligent citizenship. .
Many questions of vital impor-
lance will demand your careful con-
sideration. 70 be evolved into such
laws as you may think that the de-
mands of the time and the interests
of the people require.
The common free school system,
which has been or years one of the
parts of the state govern
ment, vet lacks many of those char
acteristics that are needful TO its en-
tire success. Unfortunately, it has
not been regarded as possessing
that degree of consequence. when
contrastee with other depart
ments, to which it is so justly emit
tied and it has, unwisely l think,
not been deemed necessary to accord
it that commanding position in the
administration of public affairs TO
which il is entitled, if we would
have it attain its fullest capacity for
usefulness.
cannot believe that so long as
public education is considered as
subordinate in importance to other
interests committed to the charge
of the state government, the pubic
free schools can become as produc-
tive ofgood as the present and future
welfare of the people demands. TO
secure to them the greatest possible
efficiency must be q continued effort
with those to whom their control
and management has been COM
mitted, and the legislature should
not be backward IN making such
provisions respecting the free
schools as will furnish the means
for their successful administration.
Nothing short of this will suffice,
if Texas would have her sons and
daughters worthy and competent to
receive and to improve the glorious
legacy which the elders of this gen.
Grafton should bequeath TO them,
aud which ii will be their bounden
duty TO transmit, not only unim-
paired but greatly enhanced to
those who are to come after them.
The amendment of our criminal
law 40 as 10 insure to offenders the
surest, speediest and most econom-