The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-04-05

OFFICE OF COMPTROLLER,
AUSTIN, March 30, 1888. :
Gen. w. II. King. Adjutant General:
DEAR SIR have the honor to request that
you detail for guard duty at this office, TO be
on duty day and night, two men.
IL would not be prudent to leave the Office
day or night without a guard, there being no
way TO secure the records or keep out intru-
sion. Respectfully.
WIN. J. SWAIN.
Comptroller.
Mr.. Chambers, of Tarrant, follow
ed in favor of the lease. To stop
without revoking would be to ratify
the lease.
Mr.. Taylor said it was not proper
TO proceed with the question further,
as it was virtually disposed of by the
action of the lessees as communicated
III the message from the governor.
So he moved that that part of the
message referring to the matter be-
referred to the committee on peniten-
tiaries and the rest of the message to
the committee on state affairs.
Mr.. Cochran thought this was too
much OF a flank movement, and pro-
posed to go on with the consideration
OF the question.
Mr.. Taylor replied that the senate
had passed resolution revoking the
lease, the house had virtually done
the same thing by adopting the min
GRITTY report, and by the action of the
leSseeS the lease had come back to us,
and it was now competent for us to
take such action as we deemed proper
to conform to the new state of affairs.
Mr.. Jones took issue with Mr.. Tay-
lor on the question that there was no
longer any contract with the lessees.
1t took two parties to make con-
tract. The right to ratify was re-
served by the state, which carried
with it the right to reject. AS the
gentleman from Dallas said, if we
stop here without revoking, the lease
would stand ratified.
Mr.. Foster, of Limestone, called at
tention to section II of the act rela-
tive to the lease, which he said bore
out the position of Mr.. Jones. 1t was
the duty of the legislature to proceed
as if no message from the governor
or communication from the lessees
had been received.
Mr.. Armistead, of Marion, said it
took two persons to make the con-
tract. The condition coupled with it
was that the first legislature shall
ratify or revoke it. The question of
releasing of the lesSees cannot be en-
tertained. They have no power to
rescind or revoke the contract that
they have given 100000 bond for.
Having made that contract they are
bound by it till we act. The ques-
ton then IS to ratify or reject. If we
adopt the minority amendments, the
contract becomes annulled at once.
We are asked in one breath to ratify
and in the next to rescind.
The governor of the state said he
had nothing to do with the res olu-
ton; that the contract was the work
of his predecessor and the board, and
that he wouldn't sign the resolution
If adopted. 1t has been said that the
Legislature has made mistake; that
the tifty-seven members didn't I'M
derstand what the people of the state
wanted when they voted yesterday
but he contended that yesterday was
the brightest day that had dawned in
the annals of her history since the
lone star CLEANED in glory on the
blood-stained fields of San Jacinto.
Abiding to the distribution of the
work of the 23O0 convicts of the state,
among them $50 leased to the rail-
roads at $l.25 per month each, he
showed the advantages of resump-
ton to the state, and ridiculed the
fact that the state received only
$4,000 per year from the lessees.
The labor Of one thousand convicts
| worked on farms brought about $751;
600, which with about 100000 for
those worked on the railroads and
those which the superintendent had
forgotten in his report, aggregated
about $4,000, an amount sufficient
to board every one of them for three
years at Austin restaurants, if that
would not be deemed cruel treatment
Laughter Is $4,000 nothing, he
asked, in the way of profit2
We mad simply to meet and grapple
with this question. He hoped the
lease would not be ratified, and that
the report of the minority will be
adopted, and that this vexed question
will be eliminated from the issues OF
the hour. Let us see if we can't dc
better, and if we conclude to lease
these lessees will have fair chance
with other bidders. Let us proceed
in the line of duty and responsibility
with the martial tread of NapoleoniC
soldiers. Applause.
We have been told day after day
that we do not understand what re
sumption by the state means. Here
he cited the expenses of the lease sys
tem-one item, $4,000, to Cunning
; ham & Ellis, for additional cells; anC
$4,000 for some other purpose a
Huntsville; $4,000 in one payment
fo- the Rusk penitentiary; in al
at,out$360 OOO,and other amounts paiC
under the lease system approximate
ing the $4,000 which the governo
estimates will be necessary for re
sumption.
Mr. Armistead concluded as fol
lows:
1 regard this lease as the most mon
umental act of stupidity ever partici
pated in by any set of men in all tht
history of the country. regard thu
recommendation by the governor
that 100000, be set aside for tn,
! purposes of redemption Us ridiculou,
in the extreme. l have heard it sale
in the course of debate by the gentle
men on one side, that the great Dem
ocratic party is going down, thai
breakers are ahead. The principles OF
Democracy are as eternal as the hills
and it matters not whether the STATE
ratifies or rejects the lease, they will
continue to live. Applause.
AS to the message Of the governor
let me say he is but man like othel
men. When l was child and heard
of great men, / imagined they were
something stupendous, but since ]
have been in this legislature, anC
have seen the great men of thi:
country, have reached the conclu
sion that men are only men after all
The man that does right because it il
right is the greatest and noblest work
of God. am in favor of putting this
question through now, and would
rather sever my arm from the body
than swerve from what l conceive tC
be the path of duty and honor. APP
plause.
Mr.. Armistead's speech, delivered
with animation, was one of the finest
made during the session on any sub
ject, and elected general admiration
from all who heard him.
Mr.. Taylor said he had not expected,
by his proposition, to elicit so much
eloquence from the gentleman from
Marion. After answering his remarks
and those of Mr.. Foster, of Lime
stone, he renewed his motion.
The discussion ending, the vote was
taken on the adoption of the amend
ment reported by the committee, to
substitute revocation" for "ratifica-
tion," and resulted, ayes "a, nays %.
81 -.