The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-02-02
AUSTIN LETTER.
The Gauntlet ChenOweth's Railway Tax.
alton Bill Had to Run.
N Memoriam: The fearful Lament
of the House Over
Its Late Speaker Words that Breathe
Sincere Sorrow.
Ard Thoughts that Burn Grateful
n 81 Incense
the Tomb of a Patriot
mo. III

once. There was a heated contest in the
house yesterday over the Chenoweth rail
load bill providing for board Of assess
ment and eq 4alization of rolling stock and
other movable property OF railroad CON-
psnles. When the bill was first presented,
! outlined to you the very Objectionable
features against it from Il constitutional
v STANDPOINT, and yesterday the same points
were assaulted all along the line by heavy
batteries manned by some of those who are
themselves not averse to legislation against
the roads. How Judge Chenoweth, good
I lawyer, could have overlooked those tea.
etures after his long and careful study and
scontinuous framing, is strange indeed.
They contrayeDe three sections OF one arti-
ole (S) of the constitution, These clearly
and In explicit language create the very
board while the bill would have the legis-
lature now create another one conflicting
with it. Amendments, however, will be
prepared to meet the objections, and
the case will come up again to-day: AT
night the house was draped and testooned
In black,
IN MOURNING DRESS
for the late speaker, the universally-be.
loved, who died last year, the terrible
death, an account of which the HERALD
published at the time. The services were
opened with song by the Presbyterian
choir, make Me Whittier than Snow" An
! appropriate prayer was then offered by
Rev. DR.. Poindexter; at the conclusion of
this the choir sang the beautiful song
y tsQathering Home.' Mr.. Foster, of Gray
son, in memoriam saidi
Mn. SPEAKER:-ln rising to second the
adoption OF the resolution read to the house.
/ have to say that when the death of the
Hon. George X. Reeves was first known to
his constituency in Grayson county, there
y WAS one universal sentiment and expression
of profound sorrow. He had lived in that
county tor nearly forty years; had been at
an early age initiated into public service,
and from term to term as often as he would
q from thence on until the day of his death,
had been retained and continued therein
with continuous growth in public esteem
and an ever increasing usefulness in public
\ service. There are in the history of our
politics but few instances of men acting as
prominent part for so many years without
Ut some time mourning the public displeas.
ure; but Colonel Reeves was
always just and conscientious man, and
walkingi in his integrity guided by strong
practical common sense, he made but few
mistakes, and If he erred his people knew
that his heart was right, and so they
mourned his death as public loss; but
more than that, in all the relations of lite,
whether as private citizen among them
as a husband, as father, a neighbor OF q
friend, his conduct was exemplary, his at
fections strong, his counsels wise and all so
toned, tempered and controlled by his good
sense, sound judgment and fixed principles
OF peace on earth and goodwill to men
that he was beloved by all who knew him,
and they each and all seemed to feel that
IN his death they had sustained an individ-
ual, personal loss. All this, Mr.. Speaker,
was SO manifest at his funeral service,
which attended, as to justify an aAlusiOn
to that occasion. To quiet country
churchyard they came from every quarter,
Z not merely to witness the earthing of
body, but drawn by love and sense Of loss
& they come in carriages, in wagons, on
Morse BACK, on loot from all the towns and
Z country around in honor OF the dead and to
show their appreciation of his worth and
the high esteem in which they held him.
4 Then was no stately hearse with nodding
plumss, nor gaudy show or mimicry OF sor-
row there, but by stricken friends with sad
hearts anG gentle hands he was laid to rest,
buried with the solemn rites of that ancient,
free and accepted order of which he was a
member and in which he was the master OF
the lodge.
But perhaps, Mr.. Speaker, short sum.
mary Of the lie and public service of Colo
mel Reeves may not, now and here, be
deemed out OF time or place. He was born
on the 81 day of January, A. ID. 1926, in
Tennessee, state that has given to Texas
many good and great men, but none purer
and better than he, from Tennessee he
removed to Arkansas, where, before he had
reached the age OF q years, he was married
to Jane Moore, the estimable daughter of
widow lady of that state, and in A. d. 1916,
soon after his marriage, he removed to and
settled in Grayson county of this state,
where through life he lived, and there he
raised and left splendid family otsons and
daughters, who, with widowed mother,
mourn his death. The people of
Grayson county, very soon after his
settlement among them, discovered the
worth OF their new citizen, George Reeves,
and 1t was not long before he was drawn
from private life Tor the public service. He
was first elected for tax collector of his
county, and as he was then but little more
3 than boy and had been but short time
PRESIDENT OF the county, and so had neither
experience nor prestige to command him to
public favor, | hardly know whether the
greater compliment is due the people for
their ready recognition of his worth OF the
young man himself for the manly bearing
and splendid department which must have
characterized him, that he should so soon
Impress them with such confidence in his
honesty and capacity, but honest and capa-
BILE he was, and his fidelity to that trust
commended him for further promotion, and
In A. ID. 1850 he was elected sheriff of his
county, which Office he filed creditably to
himself and acceptably to the people for
four years. INA. ID, 1855 be was first
elected member Of the house
of representatives, and rendered
good service in the following
session of 1866, with men whose identity
with the history of the state and fidelity to
her interests have endeared their names
and memory TO her people. Colonel Reeves
was again aud again returned by the people
OF GIayson county to the house OF repre-
sentatives, having been member of the
sixth, the seventh, the eleventh, the four
tecnth, the sixteenth, and the seventeenth,
ana would have been of this eighteenth
also If he had lived; for during his sickness
be was, without any agency on his part,
unanimously nominated by u delegate con.
vention therefor. But, Mr.. Speaker, IL
might be asked; Where was Colonel Reeves
during the long interval ofhis absence from
the civil service following the session of the
seventh legislature of the statep And the
question asked Is, in the minds OF many
here as quickly answered, for there are
those now present in this house who were
with him and who know where he was,
( what he was and ANY uv bore himself on
many hardlouslt field when mems
hearts were tried and their courage put to
proof.
g Mr.. Chenoweth said:
Nf Mr.. SPEAKER,-1t is well that the repre.
sentatives in the eighteenth legislature lay
upon the new made grave of the late Ia.
mented Reeves civic crown. come with
+, simple garland! cannot expect to add
20 xrh hao nj