Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-11
AUSTIN LETTER.
Comptroller's Figures and the Question
OF Tax Reduction.
Governor Ireland and His Newspaper
Critics.
The Land Fraud BOARD aud M Appo.
rrlation.


ANAtNs WV NslA AlNl Atit
weather stupid. This has been an
awfully dull week at the capital. Not
even the comptrollcris report with It's
formidable array of figures against tho
reduction OF taxation could prcclpitate
lively discussion. This question has
about resolved itselfdown TO not what
ought TO be done, but what will be
done.
\ REvrLsIoN OF SENTIMENT.
When Comptroller Swain first
startled politicians and people with
the declaration that taxes could
not safely be reduced, II was adj
Judged right and left an
evidence of his political in
sanity. II seemed TO bc generally
understood that reduction was de.
nlandcd by the people and that the
bait would be thrown to them with
out regards To the probable +, suits
But IN the light of the comptroller's
figures, ms presented in his annual re.
port, and which the wayiaring man,
though fool, may understand, he will
he Il brave legislator who seeks to incur
The dangers obviously overshndowiug
a cutting down of taxation. IL Is rap
idly dawning upon the minds of those
who were most eager TO
reduce that they tread
upon dangerous ground, and the cry
of high taxes grows faiuter aud fainter
until the extra session will plainly
recognize in 1t the squeak of dema-
gogism.
A FEW FACTS.
White every iustiilable reduction of
taxes will of course bcgladly welcomed
yet the policy which chiefly aims at
this eud should be Stunned us an nd
der, that fondled In the bosom, stings
It's protector to death, an oplate that
lay one down TO pleasant dreams
and death. What have Texans To-
complain of In the matter of tax
alton? With almost the lowest rate
attained in the South, with reduc.
ton of fifty per cent in two years and
yet a new state where public improve
ments make steady drain upon the
treasury, she has made record OF
which any commonwealth might be
proud. Let IL not be tainted with an
insane desire to make personal and
party records at the expense of political
prosperity. A rate of 22l cents on the
hundred dollars, for thati1 the amount
which goes TO the general revenue, Is
not burdensome. Possibly 1t might
not bc unwise TO reduce
II % twenty and yet IL
Is evident to go be.cw that is TO steer
the bark of state into the political
whirlpools.
In many townships in Texas the
people have voted on themselves n city
tax often reaching one dollar ON the
hundred, for public enterprises, and IL
therefore the state government, IN
which all are equally Interested, jul
diciously and economically adam.
isterod, demands one-lifth that rate no
one need apprehend any dissatsfac'
ton among the people. There arc
politicians. however who would sell
their country or betray their God for
fancied political capital.
''SANE ME- FROM MY FRIENDS ~
The Waco Examiner says; Sup.
pose Governor Ireland should order
the railways TO put on iirs5-clnss
coaches exclusively for negroes, and
roads in consequence thereof. should
lose money, would the state refund or
mike good the losses?p The Austin
Statesman copies the above into It's ed
itorial columns, thereby giving the alb
surd fling at the governor Endorsement
Every wol-intormed person knows
that Governor Ireland has never been
guilty OF giving orders" TO the rail
ways aud Is not likely to he guilty of
such folly. Why did not the Exam
liner and its ally the Statesman, say
suppose the governor should order
the obese and nbtuse editors of these
two papers 20 stand on their heads an
hour each duy, and In consequence
thew ghould become baldheahed,
would ihe state pay them for their
huir2n The public 10 well advised of
the animus Of The Statesman In It's
warfare upon the governor; the Eek
aminer until recently has been n warm
supporter OF Governor Ireland. II
now seems 10 be endeavoring 10 create
a boom for General Ross. aud perhaps
supposes Il necessary TO csiticise and
abuse Governor Ireland. In this IL "
sadly mistaken and II IL I'M
possible to believe that the
gentleman whose Interests the EX-
aminer seeIss TO further, endorses such
n course. For him the governor en-
tertains sentiments OF the highest es-
TEEN, ana has frequently expressed
the opinion that he Is well fitted 10
adorn any office 10 which the people
may call him, governor or what else.
RUSeLiSG LEGISLATION.
The Eighteenth legislature created
and made an appropriation for a land
fraud board but failed 10 make an APP.
preparation to carry out the results
of its labors. 1t may have been
a mistake, perhaps IL was,
but IL was very simple and uDpar-
donablc one. The Encouragement
will be compelled 10 await an appro
priation from the legislature 10 conf
inence litigation In the cases in which
he has been directed to institute suit,
or else begin action without any funds
In sight, u very embarrassing proceed
Ing. The public will not toler-
ate any backwnrdness In this mat
ter. The evidence already accu-
INFLATED by the land fraud
board shows that frauds. mammoth
frauds, have been unearthed, and the
land grabbers should ,e pursued until
they rclinquish their ill-gotten pos
SESSIONS.
TWO s;UIsANcEs.
The people OF Austin are s0rcly af-
flicted with gross Inismanagement In
two public officcB--the international
freight depot and the posloilice. At
one the accommodations rival bald
prairie on wintry night, at the other
the distribution and delivery Of the
mail Is rs uncertain as the political
belief OF Ben Butler. a little civil
service reform would vastly increase
the service In each.
AIUsEMENTs.