San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-07-16
Galveston News.

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or Not
Galveston News.
AUSTIN, July A. The comptroller
encouragement and commissions,
Walsh, members of the capitol board
have drawn up their statements con
cerning the adoption of Indiana lime
stone for the exterior of the new cap
itol. The three statements furnished
the press in the shape of an inter
view, agree in all essential points in
volved, but scarcely present any ar
gunent on their side of the question
that has not been already given in
the press. Commissioner Walsh
states his views most succintly as fol
lows:
"I vol ID for the Indiana limestone
and would do SO again under like cir.
cumstances. I regarded the construc.
of the capitol out of good material
without cost beyond the land itself, as
the grand object for which we were
to work. 1 have not thought it nee
essary to give my reasons to the pub
lie, because l thought the interests OF
the State would be best subserved by
silence. 1 was willing to wait until
the question was fully understood for
my vindication, if any was needed.
The original capitol board, who made
the contract and agreed to the speci-
fcations, were led to believe by men
of experience employed by them, that
Austin and it's immediate vicinity
would furnish all the limestone need.
ed to erect such a building as the cap
itol, and dozen more like it. The
stone which we classed as No. A, and
of which we provided for the con.
struction OF the foundation and base
ment, because of it's abundance and
facility for procuring it, proved on
the first investigation to be a complete
failure as to quantity and quality.
From the information given the orig
inal capitol board, they would as soon
have thought Of requiring the exclu-
sivo use of Texas water in the manu-
facture of the cement and mortar, as
to limit the use of limestone to Texas
material I refer to this to show only
how badly Che original board was mis-
led, and the quandary in which the
present board was placed. Nothing
in the law or the contract specified
the use of Texas stone as the material
for the construction of the exterior
walls. When, therefore, the syndi-
cate, after discovering that Oatman-
vile, the original quarries, and to
which they had built railroad, would
not furnish stone acceptable to the
commissioners, they offered us stone
from Indiana equal in every respect
as to texture and crushing strength,
and superior in color, it was voted to
accept it. To have voted otherwise
would have placed the State in the
attitude of saying: IF you bring me
white limestone corresponding with
sample No. 2, from Indiana or any
where else, I will accept it without
question but if you offer me stone
equal in every respect. but of better
color, I will reject it because it comes
from beyond the boundaries of Tex
as" Neither the law nor the con-
tract authorized us, as capitol board,
to jeopardize interests so vast for
mere idea of sentiment. 1t can make
little difference to the farmers or art
isans of Texas, whether q small
amount Of stone needed in the con-
struction of the exterior work Of this
building comes from Oatmanville,
Burnet or Indiana, so long as you do
not call on them to supplement by
the payment of taxes, deficiencies
created by gigantic effort at econ
omy. 1t has been suggested as prac-
ticdble to sell the 100000 acres OF
land left for 81 per acre, cash, and
with the proceeds and the use OF con-
vict labor enable the State to con
struct the building. Millions Of
money are to-day being paid in taxes
as the result of like experiments by
city, county and state governments.
1t is hardly necessary in this connec-
ton TO comment on the present con-
dition of the money market or TO dis
cuss the grave problem Of the en-
ployment Of convict labor in the cree
ton Of a great public building. We
are only called ON to-day 10 determine
whether Texas shall have a state cap
itol or not and whether it shall be
erected from her surplus Of lands, or
be built by taxes wrung from her
hard-worked citizens, paid into the
hands Of Unsuitable spectators and
cormOrants / wish the State. thro
her board, TO take such position as
will. in connection with this contract
send the syndicate out Of Texas naked,
If they do not complete the building
and keep for Texas and her future
contractors all that has been 80 far
done. and al the land originally ap
propriated, viz 1900. 900 acres. and
enable her TO recover the fun penalty
Of The bond given by the cOntractors-