The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-06-12
About District AttOrnies.

OIL ulSGr lCG aGIOruoy is OIL IuOTo Import
ance than that of governor, if, as the
common idea is, the governor has no
more to do with the enforcement of
law than has a private Individual, or
any other individual officer of the
state government. Take all the dis
tr1ct attornies OF the state, and their
aggregate of power for veal or for
woe is immense, incalculable, unmeas-
urable. We have always been so stu
ated in Texas that the laWless in
stincts of the free borderers required
the strong hand of the law to repress
them. This power is welded and
exercized alone by the district attor-
MES. They are the almoners of
the principle which applied re-
presses crime, or which neglected or
misdirected encourages the lawless
and bids the flow of blood with all
the unrest, and terrific conditions at
tending the lawless operations of a
community. We are only now en-
gagged in an attempt to evolve law and
order out of original conditions hos
tile to that hope. Much depends up
on the success of our attempt. If we
fail with our present means, the cause
of peace and obedience to law will be
set back, and many more weary years
will elapse ere from our experiments
we have deduced anything of
real value in placing soci-
ETY. upon permanent and satisfac-
tory basis with regard to the
administration of the criminal law o
the land. The troubles heretofore ex-
listing are not traceable to defective
laws, or to laws based upon bad or
false principles. They are due soely
to defective, weak, or indecisive ad-
ministration of law. The district at
torney is but man, and as such is
too apt to fall into a groove,
and work there. King prece-
dent is powerful monarch. He is
easy to serve, because all the paths
leading to results are well-worn, we'll
beaten, and the outcome by no means
doubtful. But, alas, under the sys-
TEN now prevailing, the outcome is
by no means complimentary to the
people, or reassuring to those who
have their all staked upon the quiet
and good order of society, in
the protection of human rights,
and of life and property.
Much of the present insecurity so
loudly and so universally complained
of, is traceable directly to loosely put
together, careless and inefficient or
venal and corrupt district or prosecut-
ing attornies. This officer has Within
his own hands the grave powers
welded by the grand juries, the selec-
ton of petit juries and the forming,
direction and control of the sheriff and
his policy. If he is corrupt, cowardly
or Indifferent the spur which keeps
these traits up to their work is lost.
and the criminal service of
law becomes loose, disjointed and
inefficient. We, are now upon the
era of choosing this officer among
others, and we write what we do
above in the hope that we may induce
the selection of higher grade of
men than Is usually found prevailing
in the administration of criminal law
in Texas. If we succeed, OF If we
only measurably succeed to the ex-
tent of inducing the choice of but one
good man, we will be amply content,
amply repaid for any effort no matter
how much labor it represents, or how
much contumely we may win thereby.
We have good men In the ranks of
the legal profession, men who hate
crime, hate murder, thieving or any
other form of lawless energy. Let
us select such men for the place of dis
trict attorney, and induce them to ac-
cept by paying them fair compensa- |
lion, not only for their time, but for
She effort they make. Wetrust to see
decided advance in the grade of +
men filling this position, made this
all. If our hopes are realized fully
We will witness a decided advance in
he public morals and an equally de-
:ided and satisfactory contraction in
he volume of crime.
Delegates to our county nominal
ng conventions cannot give this sub
ect too much immediate attention.