The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-08-27
AN OUT RAGE ON HoNoREp or
ElClALS.

| To charge high officials OF State with
so gross dorhction OF duty as
"amounts 30 almost criminali,y,'
without the best OF reasons for such
charge, is wrong that ought not 10 be
permitted TO so unattended to by the
people who placed thess officials in po-
sition. But TO charge thom with corr
ruption, snd then again with "intelli-
| gont design" in sucn dereliction of du-
ty as "amounts 10 almost criminality,"
with positively no proof whatevor, de-
serves and demands rebuke proper
toned TO the wrong.
| Tho case with the land board Is re-
ally too clear for argument ss against
the members. The News howls because
the land board has delayed TO enforce
| the "Enclosure Act" OF 1851. This Is q
subtorfugo unworthy of q leading
journal. Tho Enclosure Act has no
relation whatsoever TO tho land law
under which the board acts. 1t was
passed at the extra session, and in no
section OF it IL any reieronce TO tho
land board or it's duties. 1t is penal
statute, and az such is to be- enforced
by tho local officers just rs any other
penal law. 1t devolves no duty at al !
upon tho board. Tho board had had
every reason TO assume that the ordi.
nary channels, as in all similar cases,
would be used to enforce the provis-
ions of the act. But these failed
therein. Now the board is sending
agents to gather Information as 10 rail-
way, watered, dry lands, mineral,
grass, wood, ETC., etc., and tells these
agents to see what lands src Illegally
held. This the board does because by
so doing it may he able to handle tho
lands more profitsbiy tor the State and
its people; but not because any duty
is imposed by law in that direction.
These arc the facts. And yet in the
very face OF this most laudable effort
ia the general interest, leading paper
in this State would besmirch before
the world the fair fame Of officials who
have each ever borne The white flower
of a blamoless life. If any complaint
had 10 be made why not place it ut the
doors whore it belongs?
The Enclosure Act providing for the
punishment of only those who enclose
lands or hold their cattle on a given
area by lines riding, it becomes The
duty of the authorities within their res
peotive jurisdictions to enforce the act,
and Attorney General Tempieton is
doubtless equal to tho due discharge
of his part of the programme.
And tho question is prominently
pertinent how comes it that the News,
attending through one of the abiesJ
journalists of the State, nearly all tho
meetings OF the board, with freest &C.
cess to all its books and papers, just at
this late moment, and all of a sudden,
hops upon a mars's nest, and prefers
charges Of negligence, fraud
corruption? Why was not
this done before? OF course
there is reason, good reason, for
the privilege Of first proclaiming it ii
it SO desire. Was there "intelligent
design" in this business, in this jour
nalistic inertia?
If the people of this State tolerate
with silence or Indifference such treat
mept of their honorable and honored
public servants; if they thus permit
them to be recklessly, ruthlessly
pelted, and the State by &c. much dis
graced abroad. then good men will
decline to accept public position, and
a degraded and corrupt Ringism VIII
run riot throughout our offices to the
irreparable injury of every interest
and every industry. Let the press
speak out and place the seal of con-
on such perninious Drqctice