The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-07
THE PRESS.
What 1t IS Saying About Leg1sla"
tors and Their Acts.

The legislature seems to be greetiy
handicapped by the Constitution. Iexas
has outgrown the one it now has ana IL
makes it feel very uncomfortable at
times.-Paris News.
The editor of the Monitor visited the
city of Austin last week and talked with
MANY members of the legislature. He
found Senator Allen and Representatives.
Owsley and Jagoe in their seats. From
what he could learn a railroad commits
sion bill will be passed, declaring railroads
public property, aud fixing passenger and
freight rates.-Denton Monitor.
The judiciary committee has reported
fayorably the bill to confine the sittiDgs
of the supreme court and court of appeals
to one place-the state capital-and it is
to be hoped that they will soon cease to
be perambulatory NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Banner.
The Observer is not alone in its oppo-
sition to a railroad commission. The
woods are full of people who are posted
on the luxury. The Memphis Avalanche
brings US this piece of information:
Texas is clamoring for a railroad com
mission. "If Mississippi could dispose OF
her commission to the Lone Star state at
80 cents on the dollar of first cost" says
the Grenada Miss Gazette, at would be
fine financial scheme for Mississippi"
-Corsicana Observer.
| Again is raised the cry that convict
labor must not be brought in cOmpeti-
ton with honest labor, when the fact is,
there is no such thing as dishonest labor.
The question Isl Shall the conviots be
made self-supporting, or must the tax
payers be burdened to support them in
idleness? Must $500 able bodied people
be made to earn their own support, or
must the taxpayers support them? Shall
it come to pass that the commission of
crime will entitle man to live above
want at public expense ?-Alverado Bulle-
| tin.
The demand for a constitutional con-
ventlon appears to be going up to the
Legislature from all parts of the state, and
1t Is conceded on nearly every hand that
the old constitution adopted in 1876
should be revised, remodeled, boiled down
and improved in accordance with the
spirit of the times and the past exper-
fence with the old instrument. If the
Twenty-tirst legislature wishes to do a
good thing for the whole state let them
call constitutional convention. The
people are tired of trying to patch up the
old Observation-Disclosures City News.
The constitutional amendment intro
duced by our representative, Mr. Bailey,
ls another move to equalize the rights and
voice of people. 1t will be remembered
Mr.. Bailey promised the people that if
elected he would introduce a constitu
tlonal amendment, changing the organic
law so as to let all voters to vote upon the
question OF stock law, fence law or what
ever IL ls called. AS it now stands none
but free holders or land owners can vote
upon what ls known as the hog law propo-
sitlon. In this free government let us
all have free ballot and fair count.
The people will appreciate Mr.. Bsiley,s
effort in that directiop,-ClarksviIl
! Times
breeding, of Harris county, has intro
ouced bill into the legislature to prevent
tne selling and buying of lottery tickets in
this state. 1t is already against the law to
sell them' but Mr.. Breeding seems to think
tnat IL Is not sufficient, and that in order
10 get az the root of the evil we must make
people quit buying A good idea! A
most excellent idea! But law to carry
IL out would be the embodiment of idiocv.
Paris News. ''
representative Frost's argument in be-
nan OF the measure, conceding the neces-
/ SHY and crying demand for a new consti-
luton, which the amendment would virtn-
any De, Is that the persons selected nv the
speaker and president of the sonata "a
members of the committee would be con.
serVative men of all occupations, and the
result OF their work would necessarily ha
conservative and practical; the WORT
ooulu De done in ten days; the neonIa
would have nearly two years in which 70
discuss ~ and consider the amendment; and
Sne people could have the opportunitv Of
securing new constitution without the
au G cost of single dollar.
= - ne news has presented the facts and
II ene people OF this section favor NJ.
a rI9St measure, petitions to our senators
an nI dt should be gotten mn
"uu signed at once and forwarded IN the,,
az austin Then they can act in accora-
anoe with the wishes of their const;tnent,
II we can't have a const;t,tio.7
vent Mr.. Frvst's measIre u tho U ~
Ue'U thlng yet presented to cura tba ,t:,Ia,;
"0 are now compelled to bear.
ne Sn1J VI society see the pronrie,v