davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

House met at 8 a. M; Speaker Glib
son and a quorum present.
Prayer by the chaplain.
Mr.. Stagner moved to suspend the
rules to take up certain bills.
Mr.. Woods, of Lavaca, spoke against
the motion, and Mr.. Labatt in its
favor.
The rules were suspended, and Mr..
Foster, of Grayson, called up house
bill 119, with senate amendment, and
the amendments were concurred in.
The bill regulates railroad signals at
crossings.
House bill 60, to require county
judges to give bonds for security of
county funds in their hands.
Mr.. Cravens offered amendment to
strike out the emergency clause to al
low time for the judges to be noti-
fed of the passage of the bill before it
went into effect. Adopted.
Mr.. Davis, of COmal, offered amend
ment to make the bond not to exceed
5000.
Mr.. Hill argued that the county
commissioners should require even a
greater bond than $1,000. Some of
them collected sometimes from $20,-
900 to $4,000 from sales of school
land.
Mr.. Stout offered amendment for
the county commissioners to fix the
amount.
Mr.. Ayers thought $1,000 reasona-
BILE. He was opposed to leaving it
open to the discretion of the county
commissioners court, and preferred a
fixed amount.
The Stout amendment was lost.
The bill passed with the Cravens
and Davis amendments.
Upon motion of Mr.. Garrison,
chairman of committee on peniten-
itaries, senate concurrent resolution
to ratify the leases of the penitentia-
rieS was made special order for IL a.
m. Friday.
House bill 377, amending the law
of assignments by debtors, was taken
up and passed at the instance of Mr..
Foster, of Grayson, with an amend
ment fixing the percentage in certain
cases at forty cents on the dollar.
THE GENERAL LAND BILL.
The house resumed consideration of
senate bill 269 (the land bilI, the ques-
tion being upon the substitute of Mr..
Chambers, of Tarrant, the day pre-
vious, for amendment of Mr.. Moore
to the Foster substitute, which last
was adopted in lieu of section of
the bill, and appeared in our previous
report.
The substitute of Mr.. Chambers
was lost. Ayes 80, noes A.
/ The question recurring on the
amendment of Mr.. Moore, of East
land, providing that the purchasers
may at their option pay all the prin-
cipal at any time.
Mr.. Foster, of Grayson, offered the
following substitute:
Provided, That any purchaser de-
| string to discharge his obligation and
procure a patent for the land pur-
chased, may do so at any time by de
ivering to the state treasurer in ex-
change therefor, bonds of the United
States or Texas, maturing in not less
than ten years from the date of such
exchange, for an amount CORE
| spending with or equivalent to the
principal and interest of such obliga-
tion, so that neither the permanent mol
available school funds shall be lessen
ed by such exchange, and upon the
delivery of such bonds to the treas
urer, the purchaser shall Oe entitled
to a surrender of his obligation and
patent for the land so purchased.
Mr.. Upton in the chair.
The question was ably discussed
pro and con by Messrs. Foster OF
iGrayson, Caven, Mckinney, Moore Of
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

thousand dollars, for one year, while
under the terms of this out
rageous lease, now temporarily
in force, the state receives for
two penitentiaries, with an increased
number of convicts, a sum of money
in four years not equal to what
was received for the last year of the
lease above referred to, ending in 1882.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

a LETTER from Moscow says that
the Nihilists have circulated numer-
Gus copies of u document which, as
respects language. date paper and
type, is an exact copy of the imperial
manifesto announcing. the cars ap-
proaching coronation. except that for
the last paragraph of the genuine
proclamation the following words are
substituted:
You will ut the same time an
nounce to our faithful subjects that
we have graciously decided that all
the land which is-now in the possess
sion of the nobility and the rich shall
be divided into equal parts among all
our faithful subjects; that all the
taxes hitherto levied shall be
abolished and replaced 10y 9TH
ers imposing just and moder-
ate burdens ON all classes in
proportion to their wealth; that the
whole of the standing army shall be
disbanded, and replaced by small
Landwehr. and that all government
appointments shall be abolished and
replaced by such appointments rs
may be created by the communes
We have already issued the necessary
orders, and we call upon all our faith,
full subjects to assist us in carrying
them out"
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

GEN. JOHN 5. BESSER was connect
ed with the penitentiary at Huntsville
for thirteen years, first as director
and then us financial agent, holding
the last named responsible position
for twelve years. He is one of the
purest and truest of men, and besides
being honest and highly conscientious
he is distinguished alike for
business tact and political ability.
He is citizen of Huntsville, and has
supplied the Galveston News with
his views as follows:
l am opposed to the leasing system
rs an abstract proposition, but if per-
sisted in, the utilizing the labor of
the convict outside the walls of the
penitentidry was a violation of law,
the verdict of the jury and sentence
of the court. Again, it is in Opposi-
tion to every principle of moral law.
The farming out of convict labor to
make it a source of profit to the les
sees, as to question of dollars and
cents, is not pertinent to the issue.
If they can be worked to a profit, /
think the state should be the benefici-
ary; if not, the state should meet the
deficiency. The question has been
agitated. can convict labor be made
remunerative within the walls? 1t is
said it cannot. l notice that many
take that ground; some who know
better. 1t is said that when under
state control, up to 1870, it had proved
failure. This deny as utterly un-
true in fact and detail. / was official
ly connected with the penitentiary
from 1850 to 1863. The first year as
director, the balance of the time as
financial agent, except about twenty
months, during the whole of which
time every convict was employed
within the walls When / left
| the employ of the state L
requested statement of the gross
amount drawn from the state treasu-
ry up to that date in connection with
the entire penitentiary system. 1t
was given. The first says: For the
erection of the penitentiary, purchase
of machinery and materials, salaries
officers, transportation of convicts,
ETC., $685., 1928 to February %, 1863. y
The second: "GroSS amount of cash
received by me (the comptroller, G. II.
| Johns), 81, ,554, ,103.50; credited by
vouchers filed for disbursements made,
$3.50, 1861; paid to my successor,
$1S22.30, and that had deposited in
the state treasury. S96S, ,814. .19, making
difference in favor of the state in cash
of S637, ,S5516." In addition to which,
the state had all the real estate, build
ings and machinery on hand, together
with large supply of raw material
Free from all debt except some out
standing state warrants, due the Off
cials (n0t guards or sheriffs) which
our solons refuse to recognize as valid
claims-myself for instance, to the
amount of $500 as salary as agent
This balance in favor of the state
was the result of the last few years
work, after the penitentiary was
placed in good working order, and
from the labor of less than four hun
dred convicts.
Yet it has been said by on,
lately high in authority that thu
state ought not to make profit
off convict labor; but the same per
son thinks it well that individual
make money out of it. for in the las
] year of the FIVE year lease TO Gun
ningham a Ellis the state receive.
y $500 OF very nearly one hnndre,
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

Tom OCHILTREE. it is said, has
about compromised for $500 the claim
of the government against him as
United States marshal. He has.asked,
however, that the matter be held in
abeyance, because he proposes to fight
it out upon the ground of the rights
of congress to govern the payments
of its own members without interfer-
ence by the executive branch of the
government. He has filed brief
with Comptroller Lawrence. claiming
that his action is subversive of the
constitutional rights and prerogatives
of the house. He claims that Judge
Lawrence had no more right to in
struct Treasurer Gilhllan not to pay
him his salary as a representative
than he would have to go upon the
floor of the house and drag him out
upon a warrant in order to prevent
his voting; that member of con-
gress cannot serve without pay upon
which to support himself as the rep
resentative of his people, and the de-
tention of his salary is paramount to
his removal from his position. in
principle IL not in fact. Ochiltree
said that there was no salary coming
to him now of any consequence. SO
that personally the question involved
nothing to him at present, but that
he proposed to take occasion to check
what he considered an impudent in
road upon the rights of congresss
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

IT is astonishing that man of
Mr.. Davis accredited information
should have allowed his incorporate
desire to defeat popular measure to
so far control his better judgment as
to lead him to utter things so much
at variance with the experience and
observation of intelligent men. The
STATESMAN has already noticed some
of his remarkable utterances. He
has solemnly affirmed, among other
things. that so far as the remote sec
tions of the state are concerned, the
university will be practically useless;
that none but those living within
radius of three miles of it will attend
the university. Yale, Harvard,
Princeton, University of Michigan
and University of Virginia draw
students from every state in the
union. Mr.. Davis may say that those
students who go so far are the chill
dren of rich men. Then he must be
understood as saying that although
the rich may go hundreds of miles to
attend first class institutions of learn
ing, yet it you place one at the very
doors of the poor in Texas they will
not go further than three
miles to enjoy its advantages.
This is a compliment to the poor of
Texas which, it is feared, they will
Tail to appreciate. Mr.. Davis, in some
of his declarations, betrays the gross
est ignorance of the estimate in which
the poor of all states hold university
privileges. A large majority of the
students of the Virginia university
are poor. Those who cannot bear the
expense of living at the regular
boarding-houses have organized a
system of messing, whereby expenses
of mere living are greatly reduced
below clearinghouse prices. These
young men are not confined to those
"who live within radius of three
miles" but they represent every sec
tion of the state, and, indeed, every
state in the south. So far from hav-
ing his bare assertions borne out by
facts, the simple truth is that the best
and most appreciative element
found in the universities is drawn
from the poorer classes. When
the University of Texas is fully
equipped, we expect to sec poor
young men and women from every
section of the great state tlocking to
its halls, notwithstanding the would
be oracular utterances of the senator
from Cooke. Dogmatism may be a
very proper instrument to WELD
among those who are intellectually
benighted and who are not supposed
| to know anything. but men who as
pire to be statesmen rely upon more
rational instrumentalities. The peo-
pie in their sovereign capacity have
decreed that Texas must have a first.
class university, and have specified
the source whence the money for the
support of the university is to be de-
rived. This decree is irreversible anC
irrevocable. and majority of the
Legislators know it. The STATESMAN
anticipates for the university bill in
the house the same triumphant pas
sage that has marked its career in the
senate.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

SENATOR DAVIS called up the pen
sion bill yesterday and it passed under
"a suspension of the rules. The senate
very justly refused to pass the bill so
as to require these worthy old people
to swear that they are "unable to pro-
vide necessary support for them
: selves" but amended the house bill so
that all will be entitled who are not
worth $1,000. 1t is hoped and believed
that the house will adopt the senate
amendments at once and let these old
men draw their pittance. Young men
like Davis, Patton, and others of the
senate, and Douglass, AclIer, Hill, and
others of the house deserve honorable
mention for the interest manifested
by them for the Texas hertes. Are
the young men of the country more
generous, more ready to pay debt of
gratitude due TO these old people. than
the older men? II seems so. and the
fact augers well for the patriotism of
the active and growing generation.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

>WHILE administrations in other
states are working in manner to
strengthen Democracy, in Texas those
entrusted with the government seem
20 be doing all in their power to break
it down. They may succeed, but
their wrethed carcasses will be buried
so deep in the ruins that they will
never be heard of again.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

THE science of physiognomy teaches
that one who wears corrugated
brow has been hboring through life
with an inability to grapple questions
presented for consideration. OF
course, no refepnce is made to the
chief officer OF jhe state government.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

WHEN one in position wants an or
gan, the evidence againsti him is that
his acts need bolstering, and then the
character of the organ selected dem
onstrates the cali5er of the man in
nosition.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

THE entertainment contemplated
for the benefit of impoverished Texas
heroes is postponed until after the
annual reunion of Texas veterans, to
take place at Bolton on the goth of
April next. Wives and widows of
vet terans are earnestly requested to
attend the meeting, so as to organize
fully the Ladies Veteran Aid Society.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

+. c. MooRrEAD, president of the
!. National Cot, IN Planters 'Associa-
ipn. is in Ne Orleans arranging for
>Iorthconng centennial cotton
ion. There seems to~he -2@,
lg65t now that New Orleans will he
selected as the point for holding the
eXnosition.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

THE New VI TX Sun has been try
ing to suppress the Jews, and they
are retaliatinaas they did in the Hill
ton case. III fy destroyed the com
mercial empit of a. 7. Stewart, and
they may do Syreat deal of injury to
Dana's paper.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

CHICAGO has organized cremation
society, with a capital of 100000.
That is nothing; crcmating gtfeir in
that city, some years ago. cost hun
dred millions.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29
TERMS

MIR. TALMAGE, while on his south
ern tour, should be induced to lecture
in Austin.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

THE executive office is still existing
as a correspondence bureau for villf-
flying those who differ with the gov
ernOr
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

IT is SAID that Folks defalcations
are so ramifying in their connection
that it would not surprise us for them
to reach Texas.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

THE Mexia Ledger of March l6
appears in mourning for its deceased
editor and proprietor, the lamented j.
w. Fishburn.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

which was ruled out of order as not
german to the objects of the bill.
The house refused to engross the
bill by vote of 81 ayes to 43 noes.
House adjourned till a. m. Thurs
day morning.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

GERMANY IS rapidly putting her
telegraph wires under ground. Many
thousand miles have already been laid
and two hundred and fifty of the
principal towns in the empire are al
ready connected To dispose Of all
the lines in this way will cost, it is
supposed. ten millions Of dollars. but
the system is,working admirably and
gives universal satisfaction.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

The special olders for the morning
were taken up, but were suspended
under call of the senate.
Mr.. Johnston, of Shelby, called up
on third reading house substitute for
senate bill No. "a. providing annual
pension of $3.50 to surviving soldiers
and volunteers of the Texas revolu-
tion and signers of the Declaration of
Independence, and the widows of such
soldiers, volunteers and signers, who
have remained unmarried. The bill
provides that pensions may begranted
only in cases of indigency.
The senate being announced full,
the pending bill went to the table
and consideration of the
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-29

Speaker Gibson present, but no quo
rum till Mr.. Swan came into the pool
and the troubled waters were quieted
by the devoutedly wished for consum-
nation.
House bill No 327, to establish the
Sterling Robertson normal college in
the Salado property in Bell county, so
named in honor of Hon. Z. Sterling
c. Robertson, deceased, was taken up
at the instance of Mr.. Pendleton.
The matter was discussed by Messrs.
Ayres, Caven, Labatt, Tilson, Halle
wood, Hill, Pendleton, Robinson of
Jack, ,Rosenthal, Foster of Limestone,
Upton, Stout, Brown, Acker, Cham
bers of Collin, Jones and Patterson.
Mr.. Rosenthal offered substitute,
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-10-26
Deserted Farms in Vermont.

Vermont fairs show better butter and
cheese, better cattle and sheep, than
they did forty years ago. but the farm
ers' teams do not stand for as good
horse-stock as they did then; there are
there are as many deserted farms and
decayed towns in Southern Vermont to-
day as there ever were in our history;
at least that is the testimony given us
by very intelligent farm-bred lawyer
who has recently personally visited the
towns that touch either side of the
Green Mountains from the Massachu-
setts line to Addison County In STRAIT
ton, where Webster in 1910 addressed
the great Wing mass-meeting, the farm
house where Webster spent the night is
a ruin and the farm deserted. In the
woodland you meet the ruins of old four
foot stone-walls; in Somerset you find
in the forest stone-walls and the re-
mains of an old highway; the decaying
abutments of n former bridge across the
stream are all that remain of the civili-
zation that was once represented by n
church, grist-mill and a country store.
The woodland has so encroached upon
these deserted farms that our friend is
confident there is more woodland to-
day in the mountain towns of Vermont
than there has been at any time during
the last forty years. In the old coun-
ties of Bennington, Windham, Windsor
and Rutland our informant found, he
assures us, plenty of evidence of de-
serted farms and decaying towns along
either side of the mountain range, and
these deserted farms are not being re-
occupied by any returning wanderer, al
though most of these towns are places
OF much natural beauty and attractive
ness. Among these towns are Reads
boro, Somerset, Searsburg, Sunderland.
Wardsboro, Peru. Jamaica, Landgrove,
Weston, Plymouth, Salisbury, Winall
and several mountain towns in Rutland
County. Our friend thinks that towns
touching the mountains on either side
have been permanently deserted. The
future of Vermont, ii she is TO increase
henceforth largely in wealth and popu-
lation. lies in manufactures. not en-
larged agriculture, aud this is true. not
only OF. Vermont, but of IL. New En-
gland --Ratldqd (U) Heruik
Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-10-26

carried poison, and were iirmy resolved,
II tho summons should come, 10 die
rather than be taken.
But great as was their love for each
other, their devotion to that which they
believed to be their duty was even great
OF. Eugenie, with the full consent Of
her husband, placed herself unreserved-
ly at tho disposal of the Executive Com
mittee, and offered to go whithersoever
her services might be most useful to
the cause. But none had the heart to
require from them so terrible sacri-
flee, and they remained together to the
last.
After the death of Alexander III. they
left st. Petersburgh-which had become
more dangerous than ever--for the
south of Russia, and from that time
forth, owing to Andres increasing
weakness, they were unable to take any
further part in the revolutionary move
ment. Early in the present year 1t
was deemed expedient for them to leave
Russia, and in May last they arrived in
Geneva, where they received warm
welcome from many old and faithful
friends. But death was written in An
dre's face, and none who saw him could
doubt that the end was near. Eugenic
never left his side; her devotion was
heroic, and the calmness of her manner
and the serenity of her spirit surprised
all who were admitted to her intimacy.
We knew afterward that it was the Sc
renity of irrevocable resolve, u resolve
neither in life nor in death to be sepa-
rated from him she loved.
At nine O'Clock on the morning of
August z, Andre, after cruel sufferings,
closed his eyes forever. "It is fin
ished," said Eugenie, turning to friend
who was with her; "his troubles are
over I am content" Then she ar
ranged the chamber carefully, rs if she
expected q solemn visit, and dismissed
her friend with the remark that, after
so many sleepless nights, she felt the
need of rest. When left to herself she
sat down and wrote letter of farewell
to her friends. This done, she sat
down on the bed where lay the corpse,
swallowed a large dose that she had
brought with her from Russia, and,
lying down, drew over herself the
same cloth with which she had yelled
the face of her dead husband. An hour
later, when member of the household
in which they had dwelt entered the
chamber of death, Eugene, though un
conscious, still lived, but it was impos-
sible to save her, and at three O'Clock
in the afternoon she breathed her last.
Husband and wife were laid side by
side in the communal cemetery, and
followed to the grave by many mourn
ers who knew the touching story OF
their lives.
In the Franjolis the party has lost
two of its most devoted members
but their deaths will not have been in
vain, and their friends will never for
get them. "They were noble repre-
sentatives," said one of their most in
innate friends in his funeral oration
"of the Noradnaio VOLTA party. Let us
think of them as often as possible; let
the recollection of their heroism and
devotion encourage and strengthen us.
To those who are not of us their lives
and their deaths will not only show
how Nihilists love one another, but how
they love their cause.-Geneua Cor, in
London Dailu Ne,Os.