The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-05

lie, II the board had refused the use
)f Indiana limestone under the cir
and the contractor was
20 throw up the contract, the State
,ould not recover one cent of the two
hundred and fifty thousand dollar
bond to say nothing of penalty dam.
ages.
"Months ago the Governor expressed
The opinion that limestone Of the re-
luired test could not be had accessi-
ole to Austin and had hopes OF secur-
ing granite instead and the members
Of the Board, without exception, so
desired.
"The Governor went so far as to |
offer to the contractor one thousand |
convicts at the cost of maintenance.
This was, thought, stretching the |
law, as understand the statute pre-
hiblts the use of convict labor on the |
public building of the State.
"I am opposed to convicts being |
worked in competition with honest |
labor. To refuse limestone of good |
quality that complied with the require |
ments and the specifications, except |
that IL WAS not exactly like the sample
spect, coming from any source, when
we had none in Texas accessible, /
think equivalent to forcing an aban.
donment of the contract.
"rhe commissioners and the superin-
tendent of construction had given their
opinion tkat we had no limestone in
Texas in sufficient quantity that
would meet the requirements of the
specifications OF uniform color, etc.
"They also recommended the adop-
ton OF the Indiana limestone.
at was proven by actual test TO bo
far superior TO any other which the
board had the right TO demand.
"It is our duty to see that Texas gets
building according to the law and
contract, with such changes as, after
mature deliberation, 1t is thought
are beneficial to the building,
and which can be made at no
additional cost to the State. 1t is q
sworn duty. No sentiment should
turn us from that duty. 1t is plain to
me that TO refurse legal tender of
material the burden of defeating the
contract would be thrown upon the
State. do not think the contractor
has good bargain. On the contrary,
l think 1t q hard one and one they
would like to be relieved of.
"To abandon the contract now, 1t
would be impossible for the State to
let it again for the land. The only way
the State could proceed would be to
sell the lands for cash, and how much
would they bring?
ave have left of the capitol lands
1900 900 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. The best of these
lands sold at 55l6 cents per acre in 1881
whom everything WAS flush and before
hard times and shrinkage of values
began. At 81 per acre the State would
only get $1,000 .000-a sum but little
more than one-half enough to COM
plete the structure, and with house
but little more than three-fourths fin
ished the Legislature would be called
on year after year for appropriations
Of money with which 10 complete It,.
"Nothlng could be moro unfortunate
for Texas, and whom the Legislature
comes to raising the taxes and making
appropriations TO supply the deiicien-
cy, then the sentiment about Texss
material will change into abuse oi
those who mako the outrage possible
81 have q sentiment of juat Texas
pride. yield to no man Ia my devo
tion to Texas and Texas people, but
1t goes beyond granite or stone. II
goes out in defonse Of rights and inter
ests so far as l understand them, nc
matter how much the granite and stone
syndicRte may howl aud cause Others
10 howl.
"The proposed change OF contract
does not benefit the contractor, but
/ npufu him conn mn morn thaV IN htttl1
| Of Texas material. Itsis greatly Ia
his interest TO build of Texas rock.
"The State is benefited in the change
OF tho construction Of the dome more
than 100000, getting dimension stone
Tor rubble stone, thereby procuring 9
safely constructed dome for one o
doubtful structure, formerly provided
There is no dispute on this point.
"Thore Is only one-ffth of the stone
for tho superstruoture to come from
Indiana-three Thousand OF the ffteer
| thousand carloads, and the entire
work, both in Indiana and here, is Il
be done with honest labor and not by
the employment Of convicts.
"The Capitol Board has done nothinI
that would give advantage TO the Capi
tol syndicate. 1t has only endeavoreC
to protect the State.
"But as far as speculation goos
what Is the difference between the
Capitol syndicate and granite syn
dictate or a stone quarry syndicate'
Syndicates aud corporations ere al
alike, formed to make money
Sentiment IL bound to give way tC
duty and tits tho duly Of the Capito
Board TO SEQ that tho new State capitol
Ia built, and that for the lands now
agreed upon, There was no preference
There was no choice. We had nc
chance TO get granite since the Legis
lature failed to come TO the relief.
at WAS Indiana limestone and the
enforcement OF the contract at tho cosl
agreed upon, or forced abandonment
OF the contract with no chance for the
State 10 recover damages. lt was tC
take that or entail upon the people ol
Texas q chance for jobbery which
would take 20 years and millions oil
money to liquidate.
"These are Just conclusions care
fully gathered from facts and tho his.
tory OF capitol buildings In Other
States, especially New York.
al have a sentiment for Texas thai
goes above and beyond such sickly no.
| tons OF granite or limestone material
II goes into the future greatness of her
people and development of her re,
sources with such means rs arc given
by law.
al can not submit TO a sentiment
that would subvert duty; that would
disregard and override vested rights;
that would teach us TO annull our con-
tracts and bankrupt and disgrace our
people.
VIEWS OF HON. w. G. WALSH.
ayes, / voted for Indiana limestone
and will do no again under like cir
cumstances. / regarded tho construc-
ton ofth9 capitol out OF good material
without cost beyond the land itself, as
the grand object for which we were TO
work.
"I have not thought II necessary 10
give my reasons 10 the public because
/ thought the interest OF the State
would be best subserved by silence.
81 was willing TO wait till the ques-
tion was fully understood for my vim
dicatlon, II any was needed.
"The original capitol board who
made the contract and agreed 10 the
specifications were led TO believe by
men of experience, employed by
them, that Austin and its Immediate
/ yioiuitv xvnftll fnrntah all tha lima