The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-17
Legislative Notes.

The trying time of the members of the
legislature is happily over, as all offices
have been filled. At such times truly
merit comes to the front, if all nominating
speeches are to be taken as sober earnest.
Texas, in the light of such recent history
in the legislature, would seem to have no
occasion to search for worth beyond the
limits of her borders. She seems full of
men meritorious, and in the highest sense
deserving of recognition upon whatever
plane they may seek success. Our only
grief is there were not offices enough to
go all the way around.
The mai ority of one was no very pro-
nounced Judgment on the part of the
house in favor of the reading ability of
Mr. Reynolds over that of Mr.. Dawson, of
Travis. The latter need feel no dis
couragement when the race was so evenly
contested.
Senator Burney boasts of representing
district of $4,000 square miles. Truly a
princely domain, and very ably does the
distinguished senator from Kerr guard the
multiplied and most valuable interests of
such district.
Mr.. M. R. Burney, the journal clerk of
the house, is cousin of Senator Burney,
and one of the most sterling democrats in
western Texas.
The senate has promptly passed the
mileage and per diem bill. Senator Bur-
ney's conscience troubled him about the
seeming haste of the senate to attend to
this personal matter and he voted nay.
But he could not withstand the power of
the solid twenty seven votes against him.
BE- again consulted his conscience and
pocket-book and asked to be allowed to
record his vote aye. 1t was matter
purely of business, and the senators need
not have hesitsted about its propriety.
The Fort Worth Gazette has the follow
ing deserved editorial tribute to Speaker
Alexander: Crank p. Alexander, of Hunt
county, who was unanimously elected
speaker of the lower house of the legisla-
ture on Tuesday, is perhaps the youngest
man ever chosen to fill that important po-
sition by Texas legislature. He was
born in Pickens, S. O., September, 1858,
and consequently is but little over 30 years
d.9Mr. Alexander came to Texas il, 1870,
and from that time till 1884 was engaged
in Texas journalism, being connected in
an editorial capacity with the Jefferson
Democrat, the Greenville Independent
and the Greenville Herald. Retiring from
the latter paper, which he established IN
1879, he engaged in the insurance busl-
ness, his present vocation. Mr.. Alexander
is now serving his fourth term as repre-
sentative from Hunt county, having
been a member of the Eighteenth
Nineteenth and Twentieth Legislatures
Shortly after his entrance into political
life he came into prominence as an adVo-
cate of state railway commission. One
of the most important measures before
the Nineteenth legislature was bill intro
- du3ed by him to establish such commits
sion, to prohibit pooling and to regulate
freight and passenger traffic. The meas
ure attracted strong support, but was
finally defeated. Ia the Twentieth legls-
lature he succet dsd In getting bill
through the house to prohibit legislative
executive and judicial officers from &C
cepting railroad passes, but 1t failed IN the
senate. Mr.. Alexander was chairman of
the committee on insurance and STATISTICS
in the Eighteenth and Twentieth leglsla
lures, and has served prominently on the
committees of internal Improvements and
finance While best known to the public
in connection with measures favorlne
railroad reg uiation, Mr.. Alexander is no
q hater of railroads, nor an agitator. OT
the contrary, he has always been ldenti
fed with the conservative and moderate
element of the various Legislatures il
which he has served.
Hon. Jesse jenkins, of Bosque county
has the honor of introducing the frs
bill of the session, providing for rail
road commission.
Hon. L. P. Wilson is entitled to tn
honor of having introduced the first bll
TO amend the libel law.
After diphtheria, scarlet fever or pneu