The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-01

| PlAAbCO ANO NOBASso VA ehO -
message in Bohemian. Referred.
Mr.. Davis, of Lamar: To amend
article 375, chapter 4, title IL revised
statute, relative to the duties OF street
overseers. Referred.
Mr.. Henderson: TO amend article
6S4 of the penal code by adding article
6Sla, to amend the law relative to
persons passing through enclosed
premises in cultivation without con-
sent of owner. Referred.
Mr.. Davis, of Camp: Defining
county commissioners duties as to
straw bonds, fixing penalty. Re-
ferred.
Mr.. Harrison: To amend article
1919, chapter 10, title q revised stat
utes, relative to granting contlnu-
ances in criminal cases. Referred.
Mr.. Scott: To provide for patenting
land in the name of Hyde Castro for
school and church purposes. Referred.
Mr.. Browning offered a resolution
that as the postmaster of this house
had been informed by the postmaster
Of Austin that there was large mall
of the papers of the house going to
the country withheld for want of pos
tai facilities, or force in the office to
OAAehI bAO Ae5Se~-ST
arms be instructed to inquire fully
and report the same.
Mr.. Browning said there were thirty
sacks of this mail held by the post
master, who informed him that he
could only send off the letters until he
could get more mail clerks, and that
he had telegraphed to Washington
without effect. Only the private mail
| ,rOac ont tha houca Vnail hainn phnPE-
ed away.
Mr.. Wurzbach said it was an out
rage, and offered an amendment or
substitute for part of the resolution,
providing that the speaker lay this
complaint before our senators and
representatives and members in con-
gress. and the postmaster general and
ask them for Immediate relief. The
amendment was accepted by Mr..
| Browning.
Mr.. Chenoweth said the resolution
was proper and that the matter should
be brought home to the authorities in
| Washington. Our appeals should be
set forth, though he doubted If it
would accomplish much.
Mr.. Scott said he has engaged look
ing into this matter Sunday when he
bONh GU ~ AZ
true that the mail sacks lie there.
The postmaster is in Mexico, his as
sistant is sick, and there are only two
persons to do the mailing work in the
office.
The resolution was adopted.
SPECIAL ORDERS.
House bill No. 26, to limit work by
citizens on the public roads to five
days each year was taken up as first
special order.
MIR. Caven moved to postpone and
make the order for Friday. Lost.
Speaker-Shall the bill be read
| third time?
5Ir. HaZlewood-In some counties
one hundred days might be necessary;
but because in some counties perhaps
| ten days would not be sufficient, is
that any reason why in other instances
men should work ten days? The peo-
pie claim that if the legis-
lature would reduce the time,
they would feel like working and not
shirk the responsibility. He would
| favor even less than five days. He
hoped the bill would pass.
Mr.. Mckinney moved to strike cut
| five and insert eight days.
Mr.. Taylor argued that it was a
| feature of monarchial governments
to compel labor, and that as prin-
ciple the free citizens of republic
should not Ike compelled to work.
But there was Il necessity for some
such law, which the people recognized
rs authoritative. Laboring men work
about three hundred days in the year,
and under the road law are taxed
about ten per cent of their labor and
property owners but three per cent
on their capital.
Mr.. Nash favored amendment of
Mr.. Mckinney.
Mr.. Scott-That is the kind of men
1 like. First, consider the road law
unjust-it is taxation without repre-
sentation. Second, it is taxation
without the requirement of property
qualification whatever. He wanted
the matter equitably adjusted, and
would support the amendment.
Mr.. Mckinney made the point that
Mr.. Nash'S amendment was out of
order.
Speaker-It is only an amendment
to the second degree, and is in order.
Mr.. Mckinney thought that eight
some counties there were great num-
Der of land owners. In his county
there were a great many persons who
didn't pay even poll tax. To reduce
the time from ten to FIVE days would,
he thought, be too great departure.
He believed i'll the people rendering
their personal service to support the
government whether by contributing
their means OF their labor. There
might be desirable amendments, one
to exempt youth between certain ages,
for instance.
Mr.. Patton said-I oppose the bill
in its present form, not because am
opposed to lifting or reducing the bur
den now borne by certain class of
our citizens, but because it fails to
reach or to remedy the evils COM
planned of by our people, and second,
because il either Of the various
amendments is adopted and this bill
is enacted into law, it leaves our
citizens who live in the black land
belt of our state practically without
any efficient system of working the
roads whatever.
Five DAYS of so-called labor under
the present almost worthless system
would prove a farce and fail to give
any satisfaction whatever to the great
masses of our people.
What the people of Texas want, as
| / conceive, is not modification of
| this law, not mere reduction of the
time from ten to five days, but its re-
peal, its absolute obliteration from
our statute books and the enactment
of law that will bear equally on
both capital and labor.
The clamor, sir, comes up from al
most every part of our state, that the
present road law is class legislation in
its most odious, unjust and oppressive
character, and the complaint IS no
more general than it is just.
When it is remembered, sir, that the
great bulk of the real and personal
property of this state is vested in citi-
zens over forty-five years old; when it
is remembered that every one of these
citizens is exempt from working the
| public roads, or from paying one dol
| lar to maintain them, and when it Is
remembered that the eXactions, the
burdens of this law bear heavily alone
upon that less fortunate class who
contribute TO the wealth of their
more fortunate fellow-citizens, the
| Injustice is manifest, and no one can
hesitate to acknowledge that it Is
class legislation In its worst form and
most infamous character.
| We talk, sir, about the cruelty, the
injustice and oppression of a high
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