The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-04-04
THE COMPTROLLER VS.. THE GOV.
ERNDR

ERNOK.
Ten of the longest columns in Sunday
mornings Statesman are taken up with
an open letter to Governor Roberts Tho
letter is signed "W. M. Brown. Comm
troller Of Public Accounts" and is an
elaborate explanation why he(the Comm.
trolier) declined to issue warrants nv,
the university fund for the support of
The Prairie View normal school The
Governor side Of this imbroglio was
gwen to the public and discussed by fbe
press months ago II If were p purely
personal matter between the executive
ana department otiicer-an issue h.v-
ing no bearing on present or prospec.
i've public weltaTe-we should be sorely
tempted 10 Ignore Mr.. Browns replv.
there should he retribution for the in
iIctIon of such voluminous document
as his on people who have never done
him any harm. He could have stated
MS case IN q column article and every
PAPER in The state would have repub-
hshcd il entire, with real cheerfulness.
As It IS, not one man in ii thousand will
read It They viii swear that life is too
short, and outside the Governor, some
Of the politicians and the luckless ne " F.
paper men, who have to wrestle with
such thing5J il will go unread. 1t is
the newspaper men Mr.. Brown has
wronged, for the people, while they viii
not read the letter If given a chance,
viii YET expect to learn the why's and
wherefores Of the Comptroller's posi-
ton. But We desire to do Mr. Brown
justice, and, what is more, the time
may come when his action
IN this matter may prove a precedent
Of very grave nature. The Comptrol-
Ter holds, 10 sum up his posi- ION, that the
constitution gives him absolute discre-
tlouary power in the management of his
department He Is independent OF the
executive and law-making departments.
lie cites the constitution IN support of
this general proposition, and, also, in
defense OF his course Ia this particular
matter. He also quotes decisions from
the opinions OF the Governor when
Chief Justice Roberts) sustaining the
position now asserted by himself tthe
Comptsoller, Ia the abstract Mr.
Brown may nc right about his constitu-
tlonal discretion or prerogatiyes. We
rather think he Is, Tor the constitution is
Il notorlously defective instrument. But,
admitting, for arguments sake, that
he has Il right to construe the organic
law a. he may see proper, it does
seem that Le uAs selected very small
matter uut OF waich to create an issue
His authority to do as he claims Is at
least subject 10 some question, ialthOugh
it Is not raised here and he might, with
ont doing violence to his conscience OF
IT, AZ! uhiic interest, have resolved his
doubts Iu favor Of the views held by the
Governor and legislatures, who were
equally responsible, with himself, to the
public for d proper administration of
public affairs. He has simply made
much ado about nothing, and this Is the
sum total Of his case The episode
should put people to thinking, and out
OF their reflections should come the re-
solve that the constitution shall be
So rs to ,bviate another clash
of thi, kind. The next one may jar
the whole ma hinery Of state govern
ment. M Brown has shown what is
possible. Arm d corrupt, or even an
honestly obstinate but pig-headed Off
cial with tins precedent, and he might
make serious trouble.