The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-07-09
hand % say nothing OF penalty dem

lie 10 Austin and had hopes OF secur-
Ing granite instead aud tho members
VI the Hoard, without exception, NO
desired.
UThe Governor went No far ~ 10
offer TO the contractor one thousand
conyiots at the cost OF maintenance,
his was, | thought, stretching the
law, as / understand the statute pro
hiblts the use OF convict labor on the
public building . OF tho state.
~ Am opposed 20 eonyicts Icing
worked in competltion with honests
labor. To refuse limestone OF gyou
uuality that complied with the rea,ilfo.
msnts and the specifications, soAcePt
that II WAS not exactly like the sathpto
on tilo, but superior TO IL In every 10,
spect, coming from any source, wnop
we had mono In Texas aceessiple,
think equivalent TO forcing M ap"n
donment of the contract.
WThe commi ssioness and the superin-
terdent OF construction hau given tneir
opinion that we had no limostoh9 IN
Texas In sufficient quantity that
would meet the requirements OF tue
sneciticatior.s OF uniform color, etc,
"Thev also recommended the sdop-
ton OF t,ae Indiana limestone.
an was proven by actual test TO be
,ar s,uperlor 10 any other which the
hoard had the right TO demand.
SiIt is our duty TO SEQ that Texas gets
building according to the law and
contract, with such changes as, after
mature elaboration, II is thought
arc beneficial 10 the building,
and which can BIO made NJ no
additional cost TO the State. ~ Is q
sworn duty. No sentiment shouid
turn us from that duty. IL is plain To
l.s - laUa1 tAnnAr
material the burden OF defeating the
contract would be thrown upon the
State. do not think the contractor
has good bargain. On the contrary,
think IL a hard one and one they
would like TO be relieved OF. ..
"To abandon the contract now, IL
would be impossible for the State to
Let IL again for the land. The only way
the State could proceed would BIO 10
sell tho lands for cash, and how much
would they bring?
eve have left Of the capitol lands
2. 600 600 acres on the border OF New
Mexico. From the best information
these would not bring now IN these
times of depression in values more
than 81 per acre. Tho best OF these
lands sold at 55ls cents per acre in 1851
when everything was flush and before
hard times and shrinksge OF values
began. At 81 per acre the State would
only get $1,000 OOO-a sum but little
more than one-half enough to COM
plete the structure, and with house
but little more than three fourths I'm.
ished the Legislature would be called
on year after year for appropriations
OF money with which to complete 1t.
"Nothing could be more unfortunate
for Tex as, and when the Legislature
comes to raising the taxes and making
appropriations to supply the deticien.
cy, then the sentiment about Texas
material will change into abuse OF
those who make the outrage possible.
81 have sentiment Of just Texas
pride. yield to no man in my devo-
ton to Texas and Texas people, but
it goes beyond granite or stone. 1t
goes out in defense of rights and inter-
ests so far as I understand them, no
matter how much the granite and stone
syndicate may howl and cause others
to howl.
HThe proposed change of contract
does not benefit the contractor, but
costs him 100000 moro than to build
of Texas material. 1t lis greatly to
his Interest to build Of Texas rock.
"The State is benefited In the change
of the construction Of the dome more
than sec, 900, getting dimension stone
tor rubble stone, thereby procuring q
safely constructed dome for one OF
doubtful structure, formerly provided.
There Is no dispute on this point.
"There is only one-fifth OF the stone
for the superstructure to come from
Indiana-three thousand OF the hfteen
thousand carloads, and the entire
work, both in Indiana and here, Is to
be done with honest labor and not by
tho emnlovmant of cOnViCtg,
"The Capitol Board has done nothing
that would give advantage to the Capt.,
toll syndicate. 1t has only endeayored
10 protect the State.
HBut as far as speculation goes,
what Is the difference between the
Capitol syndicate and granite syn.
dictate or stone quarry syndicate!
and corporations are all
alike, formed to make money.
is bound to give way to
duty and tits the duly of the Capitol
Board to see that the new State capitol
is built, and that for the lands now
agreed upon. There was nopreference.
There was no choice. We had no
chance to get granite since the Legis-
lature failed to come to the relief.
SIT was Indiana limestone and the
Of the contract at the cost
agreed upon, or forced abandonment
OF the contract with no chance for the
State to recover damages. 1t was to-
take that or entail upon the people OF
Texas chance for jobbery. which
would take 20 years ana mllllons OF
to liquidate.
fully gathered from facts and the his
,ory Of capitol buildings In other
States, especially New York.
"I have a sentiment for Texas that
goes above and beyond such sickly no
ions OF granite or limestone material.
II goes into the future greatness OF her
people and development OF her re-
sources with such means as are given
~ law. so,.;,,,o,.
hat would subvert duty; that would
disregard and override vested rights;
hat would teach us to annuu our con-
racts and bankrupt and disgrace our
people.
ayes, voted for Indiana limestone
md will do SO again under like cir
regarded the construc;
ion of the capitol out Of good material
without cost beyond the land itself, as
he grand object for which we were to
work.
~ have not thought it necessary to
rive my reasons to the public because
thought the interest Of the State
would be best subserved by silence.
81 was willing to wait till the ques-
Jon was fully understood for my YIN
IL any was needed.
0The original capitol board who
made the contract and agreed to the
Specifications were led to believe by
men of experience. employed by
hem. that Austin and its immediate
,tone needed to erect such building
IS the capitol and dozen more like 1t.
The stone we classed as No.. 4, and
IF which we provided for the
of the foundation and
basement because Of its abundance
and facility of procuring 1t proved, IN
in the first investigation. to be COM
nlata failurA az to QUANTITY aud Qual.