The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-01-25
willingness to Let the People Decide on
Prohibition Is Growing.
other Very Interesting Notes.

AUSTIN, Jin. IL esIeluayi Io9Oiu-
{ ons were passed in the senate and the
house IN the matter of subscriptions to
newspapers that should publish the legis-
latiye proceedings. In the former branch 1t
was determined that members
be allowed to subscribe for
fifty copies of such daily journals
as might p.bhsh the proceedings i'll null
synoulicai form, at 3 cents per copy; III
the latter it was determined that members
be allowed to subscribe for twenty copies oil
such daily journals as might publish
synopsis, at A cents per copy. In Tue senate
Mr. John Johnson, who goes under, the
soubriquet of "Rutabaga,n sought TO have
the Dun4uer cut down " hYe COPIES Only,
and he subsequently warmly seconded a
resolution offered by way OF satire, to re,
duce the number to one copy. The total
number OF senators and representatives Is
1885, lO6 mem bers of the house, and 81 ofthe
senate. The total daily cost to the state for
TINS new spaper subscription would there
fore be $124.30 or Sc 1000 for the Wnole
session of sixty days. For this paltrS sum,
the entire state population OF 2,Ooo,Voo peo'
pae can .esIpDlied with the complete do
iugs of their representatives at the capital.
The genius of free government invites the
whole citzenry to b. present. at Legislative
sessions. No secret sessions, lnvoVing I'M
portant general interest, no star chamber
doings are tolerated undera government OF
liberty, where the people are soyer-
eigns and their representatives but
agents to do their will in FORM
But the people cannot be personally pres
ent, and their great proxy, the press, IS re-
leu "a. ~ a,cn ana TO report for them.
These soveIeigns want to know, from DAY
to day, what these agents are DONG ana Dy
what methods. They insist upon being ad-
yised of these proceedings as they are had
from day to day, and will never be content
with Legislative records printed and bound
and sent to them when the session shalf
have ceased and opportunities Tor correc-
ton shall be no more. The daily neWspa-
per accomplishes this desired Work. The
faithful, honest, eiilclent oflclai, VINO Is
truly seeking to do the publlc's be-
hests, is gratified at the facility
which this grand disseminating engine at
fords. He who wishes to hide from his
constituency what position he holds on all
questions, finds his most effectuai method
in the suppression OF the daily legislative
transpirings. There are in Texas some 25o,-
tnbution of intelligence to each averages
the infinitesimal figure, under the as,
sumption that each voter pays tax, OF Il
cents. for the whole session oil Sixty
days; or, assuming that only one-iith OF
then are taxpayers, then the cost to these
is but 124 cents for the ed supply
d daring do the these term Constituents obtain
these proceedings but they obtain all the
balance of the reading matter IN the news
paper furnished besides. Again, from D"l-
las county, for instance, there are three |
in the two branches. 1t has
a Young population to-day OF, say, 0,Vo |
To these 5000 people there can be put w
comics of papers supplied under the resolu- |
a. uI ia n
and the whole cost of, say, $3.50, averaged |
for. the GO days supply is indeed lnsighih-
cant, And yet there are senators VINO
would make the "dear people" believe that
they are wise beyond their day
aud generation as financial econ
omists, in spending SlOO worth
of tlme in money in clap-trap speech-mak-
ing against the spread of this important in
by reducing the numbers OF
papers to be taken by constituents. Ana II
the reader will watch during the session
these same political economists ", they
will, as sure AS shines the sum- ma that
they will be OF the very members VINO VIII
be jumping up on ali occasions oI tne mus, mus
trivial matters TO delay legislation on more
important ones. Let the press watch cal
cuiate and report. There is not daily
paper wiring these proceedings to the peo-
ple that does not incur therefor
daily expense ior Geographic messages,
reporters, agents, composition to printers,
etc, of from $50. TO $50, or from Sl.OOo 10
8 200 for the service during the session
rhe copies are fully worth the 5cents they
are sold for, and yet there be those who
would gladly cut down the figure one-half,
winch indeed thew have well.nigh done
when they placed it at cents. One
member in the house stroye to have 1t put
n cents, a little above the cost OF the white
paper and postage, by urging that the pub
ishers he required to enclose the copy In I
cent wrapper, to say nothing OF tne Sost oI
vrappinr, Verify, there are some Soons
n tho country that did not sleep many |
nights with Solomon or abide much
With those inheritipg his mental traits