The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-04-27

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service. Modify the present law so that
military companies cannot be called out by
subordinate officials, but, through them,
by the governors and when so done provide
he means to pay for their services, lessen
ing the present rates, however, III so dong.
Appropriate sufficient, yearly, to pay the
expense ST these encampments, Tor the rent
of places for the safe keeping OF arms, etc.,
and for the actual expense ana
reasonable pay-not to exceed so many
days in each year-for the general and
field officers while attending to their duties
as inspectors, and also the expenses OF the
Acknowledgement when on that duty, as he
is now by law invested with the duty OF IN
spector general, and others, as already
stated.
The legislature now in session will aid
this department. to the best OF It's pc wers
j. 4. E.
Correspondence of the Herald.
AUSTIN April Goth, 1SS2.-I am in receipt
of series of questions daily by letters
from Dallas an elsewhere as TO many mat
ters which this legislature is supposed tc
handle, and as to probable events, etc.,
such as will this session pass railroad
bill regulating freights, tariffs and
other business of the companies; and
the old acalde stand for another term will
there be another thirty days work Tor our
solons, if they do not finish up that alread !
cut within the period of the first call Will
the occupation tax be reduced, as well rs
the ad valorem, ETC., ETC.? 10 all OF which,
and to many other similar ones, l will an
swer in three words, | don't know. Inc
writers are quite as able to guess at the re-
suits as is the correspondent here. The
question might as well be put as to what a
jury will decide. We are too near on the
heels Of the facts to transpire, to venture
opinions, which, after all, are really value
less for almost any purpose, except to graf
ify the American thirst for dispatch and
curiosity. All prefer TO say is, watch the
columns of the HERALD, ana i'll them, trom
day to day, by special telegram, will be
found full, accurate and reliable reports OF
actual transpirings, and with these one
mans opinions are as good as some one
else's. And those who daily transmit
mass of matter full of preiudiced or one
siued views, statements or suppositions, are
really helping nobody while they may be
injuring some one.
There are some things, however, / may
safely say, and that is that | can discover
nothing in this legislative body to indicate
possible break from the democratic party
and its usages, during the coming state
convention and this falls subsequent cleo
y
remembered. | believe further that there
is now more
ANTAGONIST AGAINST GOVERNOR ROBERTS
than was the case in 1880. The third term
feature is not popular one to the demo-
cratic mind or heart; there is too much OF
the hereditary" appearance about it. Be
sides this the question of the next United
States senatorship filings its ominous shadow
across all questions involved in the next
gubernatorIal canvass. | fancy that the
governor is not in the best temper with the
present legislature nor they III love with
him. The shameless refusal to have his
message read in the house disclosed an I'M
der.current of feeling that makes neither OF
the branches very sociable, the one with
the other, wherefore apprehend no second
call. The executive has done his part, let
the legislature do theirs.
There are now only eleven more working
days for this session, and much,
very much, remains to be done. The sem
ate has passed the University bill; the house
will probably sickle on il; the house have
about agreed or the apportionment bill; the
senate will not accept it in its entirety,
amendments after amendments in the APP.
portionment and other bills will be made,
then conference committees will have to be
appointed, and so time will ebb away.
ONE OF THE OBSTACLES TO RAPID AND
THOROUGH LEGISLATION
appears to me to be the size of the commit
tees and the amount ofmultilarious, varied
work they are expected TO perform. One
member on a half dozen committees cannot
possibly produce as thorough, careful bills
as he could If he were OH but two, thus
having time to make study OF their sub
iect-matter to be regulated. Committee
men should comprehend in whole and in
all its details the important business they
may have in hand. In this wise, con-
slant jumping up on the floors on the part
of this that and the other member, would
not needlessly absorb valuable time. The
toady would then respect a report, or
diately from such committeeman be salts
factorily enlightened.
the PHNITENTIARIEs.
Superintendent of Penitentiaries Thos.
]. Goree, has been here since
the opening of the session.
He reports the prison population
on hand on the LIST OF March at 2,l32. OF
these there are at Huntsville 464 on farms,
$780, on railroad construction trains, ga;
building new railroad near Rusk, 2i4. Since
November 1880 there have been received of
prisoners 1,07l. In the same period Of
time there have been pardoned las; dis
charged, 500; escaped, 265; died, lI5.
Ofthe convicts on hand there were whites
5G5; negroes, 1,096; Mexicans, III. In the
matter of sex there were males 2,lO1;
females, 25. Col. Goree complains that the
percentage Of escapes and deaths has been
as usual very large, and these evils he
attributes to the present system OF
outside labor. Che trouble is that
there is not room sufficient to keep the con-
yicts within the walls. There is room at
Rusk, with two prisoners 10 the cell, for
about ] 900 cOnyicts. The new cell build
1 " at Huntsville, when completed as con.
To- All nd 81
at the present ratio ofincrease OF the pop
ulaiion as the state expands, there will soon
be $50 couvicts 70 be taken charge Of
This would be n fearful tax upon the peo-
rle were the penitentiaries not selfsusiain-
ing. To avert this, Colonel GJree contends
tuat they will have 20 be- provided from
s,me source machinery aiid tools 10 enable
them % successfully compete with outside
labor, otherwise men who have capital 10
invest will prefer TO invest In manuiact9ri
OF tiIeir own. instead Of being willing 20
lease penifentiary with snch drawbacks.
To secure this necessary machinery 70 con-
mence with the Rusk institution would re
quire in the neighbcr5O0d Of t40lpO0. IL
would cost about ibis sum for cotton fac
tory with 100 looms. for a wooden factory.
some 5000 would be necessary. For
fcan engines and boilers complete there
would b. required some $1,000. Ihc
v.hole lot % rnachinery now In the peuifen-
tiary IL sid % be Worth not exceeding
sI5.00
s.nce NoveInber 4. 1871. the proceeis o.
the lease he'd ty Cunningham a Ellis
amount 70 elD1.22fls.
The tnte h. eru.edlncly t1riuna'c IN the
securing tie Service 81 such q uan ~
srrEffEIEl uEtI IHotlae !. cOEEE.
frrEan 81 once 81 BE nltf boz iclI tusiucs.
.1ndulf De sirrIinr Integrity IN ne d.
care or his fIr.es. arf bIs humane sud
IIslresI trcltufrt af ~ unfrtunntes Or
l.rt ID. care 4 have r4-llIa rrIflet-flI
rii'lil tIs w1Is flf lrsI ~ &c lrcel li.I-
iat..ef 30 ta.1s On rrsrfihlrr r,I.srei.''
ttH Irr ~ I-f..r. 81 tf.eraI tc.sf'u c.
Irr rl- l.~l u C-t ~ -lt.l rTrIll-
rrr1lrr tlI D. r.1l- a1l l1rl
+ ~ sac fis- u Ell ir-
$780,, =. ~. ,. y.., Vt. 3 go . i