Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-21
A STRONG ANSWER.
Governor Ross Replies to Certain wharton
County OitiL ms OBI lection to
the Rangers.

Special to the Gazette.
AUSTIN, TEX, March 20.-About fifty
prominent citizens CT Wharton county
wrote letter to Governor Ross protest
ing against the presence OF rangers or.
de: ed to that county to preserve the
peace during court. In consequence OF the
killing At Spanish Camp. The Governor
to. dsy sent letter of which the follow
ing are some extracts:
To G. O. Duncan AID others, Wharton, Tex:
have the honor to acknowledge the
IT ceipt Of your protest against the pres
erce Of rangers in your county, and in re.
ply beg to say that am unable TO ap-
probate the force CT your objection.
Scarcely week passes without application
being made by many of the best and most
law-sbiding counties for the services iof
rangers to aid their civil I'll GERS in special
cases If emergencies, and in the very mail
bringing your protest received q petit
ton from the ff1cials and good citizens
OF Mills county for cid from this
force II tvery county in the state held
the ssme estimate OF them that you dc,
aud objected to their presence as vehe-
meDtly, We should be cJUp elled to dis
bsnd the force or send them
beyond the borders Of the STATE
u2til the law could be repealed
They were sent into Eour county in re
sporse to an sppesl CT ne District Judge
and District Attorney, Who were doubt
less fully spprised oI the txigelcy de-
man!iog the ss3Ivicss in aid Of locsl
civil authorities. At any rate their
frst invocation which l took upon my
| ps when assuming the functions OF the
executive flee was to maintain the con-
stitutioD, and it enj )ins on me to see that
the laws are faithfully ex cuted, end the
state denies protection 10 citizens
as effectually by not executing as
by not making laws. Is expensive
machinery becomes mockery when no
security is furnisne d, when laws are made
only to be trsmpled on, when
crime stalks abroad unchalleDgeo
aud unchecked, when the home 10
no longer q protection, but its ssucity is
violated with lmpuoity by rufiIns firing
a house at midnight and shooting the IN
armed inmates; ard when you protest
against the Irritating presence OF 8
half dozen rangers sent to your COM
muniiy with the best motives in
compliance with the official demands OF
local officers, charged with the execution
of the laws and with Instructions TO &C.
strictly in suboIdination to the civil su
taorities in helping to detect, srrest ,nd
brlDg to condign punishment these
bloody criminals, surely you can not
mean wat your language clearly
implies when, as an appeal for
some mitigating judgment, you
make the comforting suggestions thai
"this aid will die out" You mesn to-
ssy that you prefer to leave the solution
of these troubles to the soothing
il fuence of time, aud trust to
the potent charms Of moral suasioD
for q more complete and happy consume
m ltion Of hopeful promises? l imsgine
that this would prove but poor ,somfori
to the surviving friends Of those
who were the victims of thsf
most cowsrdly and inhumankmurdeFe
ever known In the annals of crihie il our
state. Why do you obi Ct, il the arrest
ing power is fettered, the &itpesses
silenced through fear or otherra
wise, the laws snnulled or the
courts impotent by reason Of any oral
OF these surrounding circumstance 20
bring the guilty to jusiiceH WE5 should
you as law wing citizens, object
to such additional aid as the state can in
C conformity with law and the constitution
afford in the premises2"