The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-03-03
yrRY rLa,x DUr,.

upon tho point whether asTexsr
legislator should, after sixty days, al
low himself 10 he valued at two dol
lars per day. Mr.AIccomb was amons
those who advocated early adjourn
weDt. while Mr. Denman was II
favor. OF the session being prolong
ed, aud legislators receiving two dol
iars per day, until necessary legisla
ton should be perfected. The latter
insinuated that the former.was infu
enced by the amount of per diem
which members would soon be re
quircd to receive, and he made tn.
assertion that neither his own time
nor that ofthe gentleman from Mont
gonery was worth over two dollars
per day. The STATESMAN does moi
propose 10 say whether the fiery
member from Angelina expressed
truth or fiction, but it does propose
as 1t has heretofore, 10 place itsell
on record against this miserable con.
stitutional provision, which provides
that member Of the Texas legisla.
turc, shall under any circumstances
receive only two dollars per diem
This requirement was the outcrOp.
ping of a sentiment which found OK.
preston in such man as ''Old Ruia.
baga" himself, the johnson of Col.
lin, whose spirit was breathed mol
only into our judiciary system, but
in TO all the fundamental law of this
land. lie il was, who said on the
floor oil the House. when the rcsolu.
ton. fixing per diem of members al
the Legislature was under considera.
ton, thai men were thick all over
his country, whose labor could be
procured for one dollar per day and
he saw no reason why q Texas iegis-
lator should receive greater pay than
these laborers, whose Inent al culture
was equal 10 that OF a majority OF
the delegates in that convention,
and who. would compare mentally
with the average legislator. 1t was
this spirit which prevailed and con-
trOlled the action of The constitution
nj convention of 1875, and which
placed at n discount mind like
that of a Ballinger, or Ross. II
was this spirit which declared that
members OF the legislature should
receive Tor sixty days five dollars
per diem, and for any term OF SER
vice thereafter. only two dollars per
diem. The proposition was SUBJ
mitted with the mass of matter la
belled Constitution 10 The
people of Texas. and blythe aid
of Governor Coke and others,
who praised it before The people
while on the stump, and who then
cursed it behind their backs, it was
voted into legal existence. There
should be no constitutional limita-
ton to the term of our legislatures
and there should be no provision
requiring legislator TO receive two
dollars per diem and not as much
rs five dollars. Texas is young
state; its legislation is in a Grade
shape, and much work is required 10
make IL perfect; its area is equal to
that oil any four of The largest
states of the Union, and the diver
sity of its changing interests is no.
table; its laws have to be suited to
greater variety of business people
than those of any other state, and il
requires more time 10 legislate for
all these varied interests than is re-
CURED in any other state. In the
older and thiekly settled states pop
ulatIons and business are fixed, un-
changeable, and the legislation OF
this year will be good twenty
years hence. With biennial ses-
sions of the Legislature in
Texas, every legislature may oc-
cupy thirty days alone upon
Encouragement of judicial districts,
made necessary by changes in popu-
lation and judicial business. Thus
1t is we may judge of our vast and
growing interests, to which legisla.
ton must conform or be, ONE useless.
We are therefore in avor of achange
in tae states organize law, doing
away with this foolish as we'll as
distasteful requirement, and should
the present legislature fail TO pre-
sent such resolution to the people
of the state as this proposed consti-
tutional amendment, then these
members are absolutely unworthy
the places they now occupy. There
should be no false modesty about
this thing. The people desire the
change, in the interest of moro care
full legislation, and that men in
whom they have displayed conf
denee by election may feel I'M
trammeled and encouraged to do
their whole duty, for which purpose
they are chosen Legislators, If the
people Of Texas would still have
cheap men let these legislative halls
be then abandoned TO stitch men as
"Rutabaga" himself can employ TO
pillow and 10 hoe at 81 per day.
THE Now York journal Of Com
ikeire calls Justify for the impeach-