The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-07-09
THE STATE CAPITOL
TIE BOARD RISES TO EXPLAIN.
zach Member MAKES - ststsment-So
stone In Tssas-Pienty In Indiana
Letus HAYES Coed Artieis'
Keep the Contract


planning their vote on the adoption OF
indiana stone. Walsh says; voted
for Indiana limestone and will do so
again under like circumstances. ! re
gsrded the construction OF the capitol
out OF good material without cost be
Wound land itself as the grand
object for which we wero TO work,
The original Capitol Board were led to
believe by men OF experience en-
ployed by them that Austin and inn
mediate vicinity would furnish all the
limestone needed To erect such
building and q dozen more like II.
The stone which we provided Tor
the construction OF the foundation and
basement because OF it, a9uhuat'e
proved 70 be a comp.ots failure ~ u
quality and quarIty. Notning IN the
law or cont act speclheu the use OF
Texas stoSle. When, therefore, the
syndica'.e, after discovering that the
Octn.anville and the Avginal auarries,
ana to which they built railroad,
would not furnish stone acceptable to
the commissioners, offered us q stone
from Indiana equal in every respect
as to texture a. Il crushing strength
and superior in color, voted 10 ac-
cept IL. To note otherwise would have
placed the State in the attitude OF say
Ing: "lt you bring me white lime
stone corresponding to sample from
Indiana or any whore else / Will ac-
cept it without question, but II you
offer me stone equal In every respect
but better color / will reject II b.
cause IL comeS from beyond the bound
aries OF Texas" Neither law nor con-
tract authorize US rs a capitol board
to ieopordize interests 30 vast for a
mere idea. or sentiment. 1t can make
as 10 the artisans of Texas
whether the small amount of stone
needed in the construction OF the ex-
terror walls of this buildi ng 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 q gigantic Of
fort at economy. 1t has boon suggest
cd as practicable to sell the 100000
acres Of land left for SO per acre cash,
and with the proceeds and the use OF
convict labor construct the building.
Millions of money are to-day
being paid in taxes as the
result OF like experiments by the city,
county and State governments. wish
the State, through the board, to take
such a position as will, In connection
with thfs contract, send the syndicate
out OF Texas naked il they do not COM
plete the building, and keep for Texas
and her future contractors all that has
been 30 far done and all tho original
land, and enable her to recover the full
penalty bond given by the contractors.
/ am convinced that Texas will never,
in future, secure on moro economical
terms q grands state house, and IL not
completed under tho present contract,
our children and grandchildren will
gaze at It's unfinished walls and groan
as the tax gatherers come around.
Templeton says: ~ voted for the
proposition 10 allow the contractors to
use Indiana stone. 1t received the
unqualified approval of my judgment
and regret It as little as anything
have ever done. The difficulty about
Oatmanville stone is no recent dis
covery. AS early as April, 1884, the
superintendent Of construction called
my attention to its imperfection and
for many months 1t has been matter |
for formal and informal discussion |
among the, Capital Board Commits.
sioners and the superintendent OF
construction. 1t was thought at the
time that suitable stone could |
be found near Round Rock,
but investigation proved it |
could not. We all favored granite,
and did all i properly could when |
the Legislature was in session to aid |
the passage of the granite bill. The |
State either had to accept Indiana |
stone or see the contract abandoned.
/ believe the people would prefer In
abandoned, and could they compare
the two l sincerely believe they would
prefer the Indiana stone. have done |
what cons cientiously believe to be to |
the best interest OF the people,"
Swain goes into a lengthy statement |
defending the position, in which he
Gays: "Months ago the governor eX.
pressed the opinion that limestone OF
the required list could not be had 40.
cessible to Austin, and he had hopes of
securing granite instead, and the men, |
bers + the board without exception 80
desiI cd. The governor went so far as |
to offer contractors a thousand con-
victs. This was, l thought, stretching |
the law, as L understand the statute |
prohibits the use of convicts on public |
buildings. To have refused Indiana
limestone would have forced the
abandonment of the contract"
The following are the
VIEWS OF HON. w. ]. SWAIN:
81 have no objection to giving my
views if any one demands to know
them.
"The law under which the capitol
contract was framed did not require
Texas stone to be used for the outside
or exterior walls of the new Texas
capitol and the contract made In &C
cordance with the law does not re-
quire it.
"The contract called for Texas
cement, but soon after the commence
ment of the work upon the building it
was ascertained that Texas cement in
sufficient quantity of the standard re-
quired could not be furnished and
either work would have to stop or
standard brand of cement be allowed
to be used, no matter where 1t came
from, provided it was the best The
columns in the portico, the wains-
coting in the rotunda and other
portions of the building are to be of
Texas marble and granite, but where
ever Texas material has been mem
toned, there has been heretofore no
trou BILE, except to agree upon change
where it was necessary.
"The water table of the building was
not required to be Texas granite, but
by q concession on the part of the
Board inf dividing the sizes of the
blocks called for by the plans, SO that
they could be hauled on wagons from
tie quarry to Burnett, the contractor
agreed to use the Texas product.
T,The contract calls for limestone and
the Board did submit to the Legisla-
ture plans for granite and estimates
based upon the change from limestone |
to granite, and the Legislature failed |
to pass any act that would permit the |
Board to change the contract or give
power to them to secure the desired
change.
"The change from limestone
tn granite was net recommended by |
the executive to the Legislature. It |
soon became known that the lime |
stone at Oatmanville and adjacent |
quarries had failed; that Is, 1t has been |
deem demonstrated by actual investi-
no fioy, fh az lin, a fOua nf uniform c0lOr |