Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-30

was no use denying 1t. He begged TN
reporters not to put that down
ILaurhter.) for II would disgrace tn
state And,this was the same city o
Austin the bill would have all offend
ers tried in. He was opposed TO II
Johnson was just as good q place Z
have them tried at rs Austin, ana I'M
women of Johnson were just rs goot
as those OF Austin, (Laughter,l ana III
wanted the reporters toput that down
(Laughter.l
Mr.. Finch also spoke against giving
Austin the power to try these cases.
Mr.. Patterson thought the bill a
IT recommended by the committee was
the best. and he so favored 1t.
At this iuncture, message from the
senate was received announcing the
passage by that body of the appropria-
ton of S20, 600 for the New Orleans ex
position. applause.
Mr.. Swan again opened fire on the
fence-cutters, and in the course oil M
address was more than once inter
rupted with questions from various
parts of the house. In reply to Mr
Moore, Mr.. Swan stated That he
thought there was an organized con-
spiracy in his district to cut fences. -,
The house then adjourned until
3 O'Clock in the afternoon.
Afternoon session-The house was
called to order ut 3 O'Clock, when q
message from the senate was read,
stating that bill had Just been passed
providing for the appointmentof COM
missioners TO represent Texas at the
New Orleans exposition.
Mr.. Etheridge rose to speak on the
pending business, and in doing so he
said he did not think there was n
county in the state so dishonest as not
to be able to try its criminals with
Justice and according 10 law. He
did not think with the member
from Clay (Mr. swan that
his county needed a guardian to pro-
tect it from the criminal inroads of
organized lawlessne nor did he think
any other county was so situated as
to require such aid. He repudiated
the bill and opposed the sub stitute,
because both represented the recon-
struction policy of Pease and Davis,
against which their souls so much
revolted.
Mr. Kendall moved that clause be
for section two to read in
substance that "indictments may be
found against the fence-cutters in the
judicial districts where they reside,
unless the district attorney shall
make an affidavit that he
believes justice cannot be
had against them in their
in which case the venue shall
be changed to Travis county"
Mr.. Douglas was opposed to bring
ing men three or four hundred miles
TO be tried in Austin, as he did not be-
lieve, if fence-cutting was made a fell
my, that there was county in all
Texas which would not try him ac-
,Ording to law. The spirit of the con-
stitution held that every man was in
nocent until he was found guilty. and
It was harsh and cruel to bring poor
nan away from his home at great eX-
pense, when he might be tried by
ury of his peers in his own county.
Mr.. Fisher of Harris spoke at
ength on the question, and strongly
favored Mr.. Kendall's substitute.
Mr.. Douglas-"Can [ ask you
question"
Mr.. Fisher-"Yes, sir"
Mr.. DOuglas-"Well, i'll case like
that in Clay county, where organized
awlessness is charged to exist, what
would you suggest"
Mr.. Fisher-"My answer to that is
hat one fool can ask more questions
han a dozen wise men can answer
Laughter
Mr.. Douglas rose to ques ton of
privilege and stated that in all that he
had said he never intended any slight
to the committee who introduced the
bill. He felt they had done their duty
as best they could, but he felt also that
he had right to differ with them in
this matter. He thought they acted
all through. He should say,
however, in reply to the gentleman
from Harris, that it was a good rule
whenever you see man look upon
every other person as fool, you may
take it for granted that he is a crank
himself, daughter and this remark
he thought applied to the member
who had last spoken. Haughter.)
The Speaker must say do not
think you are within parliamentary
rules. Laughter.
ther pleasantries by moving the pre-
Vious question.
y Mr.. Kendall's substitute was then
rejected DO vote of 20 noes to Ii ayes.
The amendment to strike out section
., giving Travis county almost exclu-
sive privilege for trying offenders I'M
der the bill, was carried by vote of
"a ayes to - noes.
On motion of Mr.. Browning the fig
ures in sections of the bill were altered
to correspond with the changes made.
Mr.. Foster of Limestone moved to
strike out section one of the bill and
substitute an amendment making it
felony for any person to unlawfully
cut fence not his own, punishable by
Imprisonment in the penitentiary for
a term of not less than one nor more
than five years, provided, however,
that If the fences so cut are ON public
lands or not owned by the person so
inclosing them, then the offence shall
only be misdemeanor, and on con-
viction thereof he shall be fined double
the value of the fence so DESTROYED.
MIR. Foster said they would very soon
have bill before the house au-
thorizing pasturemen to take
the shotgun In their own hands. and
blood would be sure to follow its adop.
ton. To prevent such state of things
he offered this substitute. To 90 fur
ther than this would cause the she'd
ding of blood, increase homicides and
multiply lawsuits, and he was OPP
posed to any measure so extreme as
section was at present, or as the bill
soon TO be introduced undoubtedly
would be.
This substitute elected a volume of
discussion and cross-firing, which it is
impossible to report. On sew
eral occasions the skill of the speaker