The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-11-02


and distorted them, simply to be
proven in the end manufacturers of
and circulators of falsehood.
BELYING THE CONSTITUTION.
This ranting Independent candi-
date for the state senatOrship, the
triggering Trlgg, has been up in
Williamson county, talking 10 the
people about legislation touching
the new capitol. He tells the
people, away from Austin, that
the commissioner of the gener-
al land Office has no consti-
tutional right to issue certificates
for land TO other than actual settlers
and to these for not more than 16O
acres each. He makes this state
ment in face of the fact that the con-
stitution positively directs that the
first legislature, which sat after the
adoption of the present constitution
should set aside and have surveyed
and designated three million of
acres of the public do
main for the purpose of
constructing a new state capitol.
The, law then setting aside and des-
ignating this land by points and
boundaries, was in obedience to all
unmistakable constitutional provi-
sion, and shows how utterly false this
mans statements are. But the law
as it stands in the statute books was
drawn by Senator L rrell, and this
and another matter induces the I'M
warrantable statement made by his
present opponent for the senator
ship. But let US consider the effect
of this declaration that the law set
ting aside these lands is unconstitu-
tionsl. If we may be excused for
referring to Col. Trigg as a consci-
entious man, and for assuming for
argument sake that he is one, then
he would, if elected state senator,
have at once to turn his batteries
against the law setting aside the
capitol lands. And hereby hangs the
tale to which reference is made
above as another matter" If the
law be unconstitutional, there is no
reason why certificates put down
upon it or files made upon it should
not hold good. Were Col. Trigg a
land grabber, or were he work
ing in the interest of land
grabbers, he could not do
a more pleasing thing for
them than to have this law repealed
ON the ground of its unconstitution-
atty, and it remains to be seen
whether those who have an insatia-
BILE greed for public lands give him
aid in an attempt to defeat the
gentleman who, as a state sena-
tor, prepared the bill and Sc
cured the adoption of the law
setting aside these lands. And,
just here, let US raise q warning
voice for the benefit of the people of
this section. Col. Trigg says the
law is unconstitutional, and, there
fore, if he be honest, he would have
to oppose it, and he would labor to
have the law repealed. We do not
presume that he could successfully
attack the law, even were he q state
senator, but we do want to know
what on earth any person in Travis
county, as far as that is con-
cerned, Williamson or Burnet,
would want with such a
man as Trigg in the legislature.
Were he to be guided by honest
convictions he would have to oppose
the building of the capitol, destroy
the law, open up the capitol reserva-
ton, and give the land grsbbers one
more glorious game of acquisition.
1t is said that few sensible white
men and good many sensible col
ored men, intend to vote for Trigg.
Will they do so after he
has thus appealed to supposed |
local popular prejudice against |
constitutional law, in the interest |
most probably, of spectators. These
white and colored men especially |
desire that the capitol shall be built
the undertaking is creditable to
all Texas, and decidedly beneficial
to the community in which these |
men live and earn livelihood. A
thousand laborers, who will be di-
rectly or indirectly benefited by the
building of the capitol are asked to
vote for this man, whose oath of Of
fee, as he pretends he understands
the question, would require him to
labor against the carrying out of the
capital contract as it now exists.
But suppose, and the superstition
requires no stretch of the imagina-
ton, that Col. Trigg is insincere in
his utterances; then he is utterly
unfit for the duties of state senator
and especially is he unfit to rem
resent these people in the
Estimate the man
as a disorganizer. as the probable
agent of those who would despoil us
and then place him in the senate, and
there the despoiler would begin the
work that must add to the spoils of
the few who hope to use him, ifnot as
a knave as one who bellies the consti-
tuition of his people.