San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-20
WHERE WE'RE THE REFoaMs7

The distinction made betw eel
Northern and Eastern Texas, Al
against Southern and Western Texas
in the matter of Australian ballot, i!
not well grounded. The Australian
ballot Is desired, il desired at all, il
the interest of a pure ballot, free
and untrammeled exercise of the
franchise right by all those who un.
der the state constitution are entitled
to it. 1t is certainly as essential that
North and East Texas should enjoy
this right and have thrown around
the ballot box in that section of the
state all the safeguards that this
Australian system provides, as it Is
that South and West Texas should
be so guarded. One of the essential
features of that system is its registra-
ton, and this is absolutely needed in
every section of this Union
North and South, East and
West. The democratic party
opened the gates wide and
threw away the key TO pure ballot,
when, on their ascension to power in
this state they overturned the reg
istry system of the state and put it
outside of the power of the state
legislature to restore it. This is one
of the things that the reform" con-
veDtion, recently met at San An
tonic, was expected to express an
open and honest opinion upon, but it
was as silent as an oyster on this and
other matters of vital interest to the
state. The registration law, the road
law, and the libel law of the state
are certainly of more Importance to
Texas today than a railway commits
sion, from want of which Texas never
knew that she suffered until she
was persuaded by Candidate Hogg
that her only salvation from dire dis
tress and speedy destruction was
q railway commission, to be |
named by himself as governor.
Texas was suffering for want of a
railway commission about as much as
the great barefooted lubber of q six
teen year old boy, who came to his
poor mother. when the frosts of fall
we're cracking open his unprotected
feet, with this wall, "Mother! mother!
can do without shoes out L am
really suffering for want of a buzzum
PIN" Hogg got his glass buzzum
pin, but the state got no shoes; no
guarantee or pledge that its actual
needs in the way of libel law, road
law, registration law, etc., should be
The legislature that is to
be elected IN Texas this fall will be
elected to carry out the work begun
so adroitly at San Antonio. The
fight for control of the legis-
Iature will be conducted
On the same lines as the
fight for the control of the conven-
ton, and very probably with the
same result. AS one OF the leading
railway magnates of Texas recently
to the LIGHT, "the Com
mission would be all right if the
right kind of men were appointed |
That may be, but |
the determination to make this COM
mission the creature of the state ad-
is not viewed without |
alarm ny the shipping and carrying
interests of the state. The subordi- |
nation of all else to the demands of |
the Hogg and commission idea is
what so greatly disturbs. Had other
needed measures of state reform been |
side by side with the |
commission the case would have |
presented a different aspect. AS it |
is, it does seem as though every |
palpable interest of the state and |
all its needed reform legislation are
to be swallowed up and forgotten in |
the Unsuitable NAV of an irresponsi- |
bic railway commission, for there is
no hope OF its being defeated.
THOSE who do not think that the |
democratic party is committed, as a |