Waco evening news. (Waco, Tex.) 1888-1889, 1888-09-15
GOV. ROSS ON THE CAPITOL.

WaCOlt0 Inc OOuuulSSiOhoAo
Case.
An EVENING NEWS reporter had a
pleasant chat with Governor Ross in
the McClelland Hotel lobby yester-
day morning before he took bis de-
parture for Austin by the Ills train.
In the course Of his conversation, the
Governor said that ne mad received
suggestion as to the remedying the
trouble with the copper roof of the
new state capitol, which is just now
being SO much discussed. The sug-
gestion was offered by Judge o. II.
Leland, and seems to afford an easy
and practical solution of the trouble.
Judge Leland's suggestion is that the
copper roof be fluted after the man.
ner of corrugated iron, but making the
valleys much broader, then that the
seams connecting the great copper
sheets be arranged to run along the
ridges, thus throwing the water into
valleys, which being composed of
solid sheets of copper, preclude any
chance Of leakage. The main idea
in laying the roof in this manner is to
obviate damage TO the roof by the
expansion and contraction of the
metal as the valleys will take up
the expansion and relieve the
strain sustained under the present
method by the extreme edges of the
vast roof. The Governor signified his
intention of submitting the idea to
the contractors upon his return to
Austin.
Further discussing the capitol
troubles, Gov. Ross told the reporter
that he proposed to demand of the
contractors IL strict compliance with
the terms of the contract, which
distinctly sets forth that provision
shall be made for expansion and con-
traction. The contractors had, he
said, asserted that it was impossible
to make such provision in laying such
an immense area Of copper, and that
he had replied to them that they
should not have signed a contract
committing themselves to the per-
formance of impossibilities; but he
claims that it is not impossible. AS
to other alleged defects, Governor
Ross considers them trivial, and
says that the contractors have
offered to remedy them in any way
suggested by the capitol board. On
the whole, he regards the capitol as
the most magnificent state building
in the Union, and does not think that
the Ireland administion made bad
contract by any means.
Governor Ross spoke feelingly of the
matter of the attempted BUSTING of the
capitol commissioners and said on
that point he had felt himself forced
to cross swords with the attorney gen.
eral and demand that these men, gall
liant and patriotic old soldiers, should
be confronted with the evidence
against them, and permitted an oppor-
portunlty to make defence, as guar
anteed by the Bill of Rights. These
men had courted investigation and
pleaded before the board that they
be not dismissed in such a manner
and their names 60 down in infamy
to their children. Their good name
was their fortune and the preserva-
ton of pure and unsullied reputa-
ton their desire and they asked at
the hands of the administration but
that simple justice which is the invio-
liable right of even the lowest beggar
in our free country; they were willing
to be judged by the record and de-
sired to be confronted by the evidence
upon which the charges against them
were founded.
The governors remarks ON this
point were made with an air of firm
ness and determination that convinc-
ed the reporter that the commissioners
were sure of being accorded full jus.
tice and would not be condemned I'M
heard.
The vote on the case of the commits
sioners was the first, said Gov. Ross,
on which the administration had fail.
ed to be unanimous, but this, he said,
was only an incident and tended i'm
no way toward split, as the matter
Will be satisfactorily adjusted.
Alexandra Says
Patronizing Waco's manufactures