Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-02-25
AUSTIN LETTER.
A Post-Mortem Examination OF the
Lat' legislature
Words Which are Golden-Co of Texas
Eluquencc.

ElUquence.
Special Correspondence the Gazette.
Austin. February "a The approNi- !
m,te cost of the cent extra session |
was $50 900. or 81 $50 663 day. 1t is |
perhaps fair appurtlonnent TO say
that two-thirds of the entire session
was devoted 10 speech-making Did it |
ever occur to the people what Il nice
little sum they were squanderlng on
legislative eloquence; first must be adj |
mitted hat 81 lilo per diem is not
likely 10 precipitate he state Texas into
bankruptcy, but it may induce many
to inquire whether they are getting
, their moneys worth. AS the expenses
of tue senate amount TO scarcely TWEEN
ty-hve per cent, of the whole, 1t fol
lows that time is not so valuable in
that body; and more indulgence may
be given the senatorial crew. How
ever, even here it is astonishing what
costly things are words. The average
daily session of each body was about
four hours; costing in the hous' Sl25O-
1888 33S tor speeches and $4l6.66l for
SllG 68f, or 1917 III for speeches
and Sl3S SOC for business. Thus. in
the hoise, talk costs 1912 an hour. or
s.. 20 miuutr; in the sen tie, Sl03 50
an hour, or Sl.13 Il minute. The rep
resentative who consumes ten minutes
with his brief remarks" makes $50
dig into the treasury, while If they are
prolonged thirty minutes the cash bat
ance ex ..eriences an exact sink of $l5G
The two and three hour
are not unknown, run up the
figures 10 an extent alarm ng to con
template. An instance OF tins WAS the
de bal e on the Terrell bill in tn senate,
which cost the state of ieXas some
thing over $1,000 Ru abiga johnson
participated in this, and spread himself
nut t. The extent OF aboul S2O1. 6U--
taxes on the dear, dear people" Que
eighth of his time was spent IN defend
ing his orthugiarhy AS relates to the
spelling of people" another
eighth was devoted to the damuation
of the newspapers, while the balance
was an Ingenious compound of tariff
- the presidential salary raise, back
Z salary grab, MOrmonism, blOody-shiri,
e banks TAI d banking, troops at the polls
y and perhaps dozen other topics
l. which the reporter cannot rem emher-
e in fact everything except the matter
+, under discussion. This he referred TO
n in casual manner Just before
u closing, and the only iudica-
ton given a. to how his vote would bt.
e cast, was reply to certain animadver-
u siuns cast upon Senator Terrell 10y an
l. opponent. Other senators were not So
le promiscuous in their remarks rs Mr..
4. johnson, and several made good
speeches, but it Is u noteworthy fact
A. that not one vote was changed thereby
y What result was therefore accomplish.
y ed except 10 place themselves on record,
and what more tile ctive for this than
ee the simple process, of voting? In the
g. house the discussions were entirely at
'e random, perhaps not Il single "ser
10 speech being delivered. To criticize
It lightly il must be said that generally
re they We're IA waste of time and patience,
he but few speakers holding the attention
of one-fifth of their colleagues. anu
)r lour-ilfths of what was said being
- merely II repetition of what was said
he before. The Inquiry naturally suggests
D. is legislative talk? The only argu.
ID ment urged in its favor is that the
members come TO Austin with crude
ns ideas concerning the legislation need.
r. ed, and that discussion evolves n bet.
G. ter understanding of political ques-
tions. This Is certainly true so fur as
nr IL involves intelligent and original ar.
el gument, but even this becomes stale
ie under the frequent repetition INDUCED
. in on the floor of both
le houses. Every original idea
- and newly-discovered fact msy
IS prove Il p, tent factor in debate. bill
when they are exhausted interest II ,ss
of and influence ceuses. On every cues
ed ton considered in the Legislature, n
d. able ana exhaustive presentation of the
L. suhleA rs viewed by the several fac
he lions IN enough to crust opinion.
n. Further than this is profigate wa. te
10 of time, money and endurance IL
he may also be remarked that vot $ are
made in private consultations, and
after all the chief and only end of all
discussion, so far ms the people
are concerned, must be votes. IT Wa,
remarked dozens of times by members
ho OF The Legislature that not single
vote had been changed by any speech
delivered during ths'Iast sessiin. One
in distinguished senator remarked,
he Whoever thinks ] am talking TO this
oe legislature is a fool, ana NJ Doubt his
he s,nlim,nls We're shaied 10y u
Dg large majority of his 4 col
10 leagues, Mine people are the
IN real audience aud the Legislature mere.
k. ~ the restrain. But are the people
ar silling 10 pipe to such interchangeable,
X dancers? The legislators are bound Il
II, be heard, but think there il way
nd out of the difficulty. Let every man
H. who wants 10 record his sentiments on
ar any particular subject furnish his man.
m uscript TO the Legislative Record
k instead of the Legislature.
d, and let it go In there
re ms a speech really delivered on the
sh floor. The people need be none the
OF wiser, all the ends i'm ended by the
d, author will have been accomplished
'rt and the cash balance will. flourish will
TO renewed vigor. Discussion may then
>. be limited to argument and those
o. members who are addicted 10 popping
Wv upa dozen Or so Times on every ques-
y. zion. without saying anything worth
ld the waste OF a minu G, W II be s,Imma.
re rily squelched. This IL certainly n
contamination deyoutly to be wished.