Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-07-05

and which can be made at
no additional cost to the state.
1t lie sworn duty. No sentiment
should turn us from that duty. 1t is
plain to me that to refuse legal ten
der of material, the burden of defeat
ing the contract would be thrown
upon the state.
HARD ON THE CONTRACTORS.
al do not think the contractors have
a good bargain. On the contrary, /
think 1t hard one, and one they
would like to be relieved Of
THE CONTRACT OUR ONLY HOPE.
ITO abandon the contract now, 1t
would be impossible for the state to let
IL again for the land. The only way
the state could proceed would be to
cell the lands for cash; and how much
would they bring? We have left of
the capitol lands $500, 600 acres on the
border Of New Mexico. From the
best information these would not now
bring, in these times OF depression in
values, more than 81 per acre.
The best of these lands sold
for 55l cents per acre In 1881,
when everything was flush and be.
fore hard times and the shrinkage OF
values began.
AT one dollar per acre the state
would only get ", 800 900, sum but
little more than one-half enough to
complete the structure, and, with q
house little more than three fourths
finished, the legislature would be
called on year after year for approprl-
atoms of money with which TO COM
plete 1t. Nothing could be more un-
fortunate for the people of Texas,
and when the legislature comes to
raising the taxes and making
appropriations to supply the
deficiency, then the sentiment about
Texas material will change into abuse
of those who made the outrage posi-.
BILE.
THE HOWL OF sELFIsHNEss.
al have a sentiment Of Just Texas
pride. yield to no man in my devo.
ton to Texas and Texas people, but il
goes beyond granite or stone. 1t goes
out In defense of rights and interes g
80 far as | understand them, no mat
ter how much the granite and stone
syndicate may howl and cause others
to howl.
THE STATE THE ONLY GAMER
The proposed change of contract does
not benefit the contractor, but costs
him three hundred thousand dollars
more than to build of Texas material.
1t is greatly 10 his interest TO build OF
Texas rock. The state is benefited in
the change of the construction of the
dome more than sixty thousand dol
lars, getting dimension stone for rub
BILE stone, thereby procuring safely
constructed dome for one of doubtful
structure, as formerly provided. There
ls no dispute about this point.
TEXAS STILL AHEAD
"There is only one-fifth of the stone
for the superstructure to come from
Indisna--three thousand of the fifteen
thousand carloads, aud the entire
work, both in Indiana and here, is TO
be done with honest labor, and not by
the employment of convicts.
A POINTED QUESTION.
THE capitol board has done nothing
that would give advantage to the cap
itol syndicate. 1t has only endeav.
ored to protect the state.
But so far as speculation
goes, what is the difference between
the capitol syndicate and a granite
syndicate or a stone quarry syndicate?
Syndicates and corporations are all
alike formed to make money.
SUMMING UP THE ISSUES.
Sentiment is bound to give way to
duty, and it Is the duty of the capitol
board TO see that the new state capitol
Is built, and that for the lands now
agreed upon. There was no prefer
ence. There was no choice. We had
no chance to get granite since the leg
islature failed to come to the relief.
j was Indiana stone and the enforce
ment of the contract for the erection
Of great structure at the cost agree d
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 CT Texas
u chance for jobbeIy which would
take twenty years and millions of
money to liquidate, These are Just
conclusions, carefully gathered from
facts and the history of capt.
toll building in other states,
especially New York. | have senti,
ment for Texas that goes above and
beyond such sickly notions of granite
or limestone material 1t goes with
the execution and performance of So
cred trust imposed upon public of
ficials. 1t goes into the future great
ness of her people and the develop
nlent of her resources with such means
rs are given by law. | cannot submit
to a sentiment that would subvert
duty; that would disregard and over.
ride vested rights; that would teach
us to annul our contracts, and bank
rupt and disgrace our people,"