The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-03-19
THE TEXAS LEGISLATOR AS
AN ADMIRER OF THE
CLASSIC JOHN L.
- HAPPENINGS IN THE
HOUSE AND SENATE-THE UNI
FORM TEXT BOOK BILL.
Committee wOrk-Some Decidedly Inter
esting Developments About to Come
Fortn-Events of the
Evening.

= "And so you went to see Mr.. Sullivan
last night" remarked the Texas Legisla
tors wife as she sat her cup down besid
her plate and looked across the breaktas
table at her husband.
"Uh-hu," came the reply, muffled will
a mouthful of biscuit.
"Weil, how does he act?"
"With his feet" and the Texas Legislato
snorted like a buffalo in an effort to drowI
u laugh in a draught of coffee.
'"To tell the truth" he continued few
moments later, recovering his breath anC
wiplng his mouth, "he does much better
| than had expected. He is certainly 8
I striking actor, and he speaks up brave and
loud. | hadn't been in the theatre ten
minutes before he struck an attitude and
knocked it clean over the ropes, and then
when the vociferous applause seemed to
demand some action on his part, he ad-
vanCed from his corner and let drive at the
audience few friendly vocal taps. He
called them a mass of human people anG
modestly declared a deep-seated determi
nation to deserve their approval in the flu
ture as he had in the past, closing with Il
declaration that though he was young
man, he hoped to celebrate his 15Oth birth
day in Austin"
That was certainly very kind of Mr.
Sullivan" remarked the Legislators. wife,
and now will you tell me, please, how much
you will have left out of $500 day if you
go to see John L. Sullivan every day and
indulge in about dollars worth of out.
side luxuries; how is the family of the
Texas Legislator TO live? Tell ma that,
will your
But the Texas Legislator glancing hur-
riedly at his watch, discovered that it was
time he was going, and waited not to re-
spond to this pr, blem.
He jammed his hat down on his head and
strobe out of the house and down the
street.
The sun was shining brightly above, the
birds sang sweetly from the budding
branches of the trees, the morning breeze,
in balmy breaths rose and fell like the tides
of the sea, rolling over the flower hecked
fields and''bearing to his nostri their fresh,
sweet scents.
Clear-cut shadows fell behind the trees
and the houses where the sun traced their
outlines on the face of the earth, the bright
blue Of the sky was freckled with few
fieecy clouds, and all nature was In Its new
washed, fresh starched summer attire,
! but the Texas Legislator stalked
through the scene as untouched as stork.
His mind was troubled, and as he enter
| ed the state house he muttered to himself:
Reckon I'll have to get the boy 8 to ad
| journ next week"
! ~
The house came to order as usual, all
hands fell on the clerk when he attempted
to drag the journal from its seclusion ana
| reyerently retired it to the shades again,
| with motion to discontinue the reading
After the handling of various mino
matters, as shown in the journal proceed
ings, the special order, House bill No. 800,
by Mr. Gresham. was taken up, providing
for the investment of the permanent school
fund and prescribing the class ofsecurilies
therefor.
At this point, Mr.. Wurzbach, the gallant
representative of Bexar, was called to the
chair.
~
MIR. Gresham declared that the time had
come when the constitution must be
amended and the boarded school fund be
opened up to immediate use, or some
| means must be instituted whereby the
funds could be invested
Recounting the present condition of the
fund he showed how the annual increase
would soon reach the enormous figures OF
early two and half million dollars.
Replying to the question, what are YOU
going to put the money in, he showed how
the pending bill under the constitution
provided that the money might be invested
in United States bonds, i'll county bonds,
first railroad mortgage bonds, etc.
| Taking up the vari rus suggestions he
showed not one was feasible except the in
yestment in first mortgage railroad bonds
on roads to be built i'll Texas under the
provisions of the bill.
Und his vigorous exposition of the
possibilities of the proposition his hearers
saw the great state of Texas checkered with
railroads. The safety of the state in them.
yestment was secured. the profit to accrre
from the investment could not fail.
49,
Mr.. Brown objected to the proposition,
not because it proposed an investment, but
he did not approve the details of the plan
and he believed the country was not ready
for such plan at all. There would be two
directors One who would object to all in.
vestment in railroad bonds, the other who
would fear and oppose the possibility o
state ownership.
Then too he feared the bill did not suf-
) ficiently protect the investment. He woulC
have looked more favorable on measur,
5 looking to the construction first of a trupl
} line with terminal point at deep water
first securing an outlet before looking It
the construction of the lateral lines As
, was the short lines would be in the pocket
! at the mercy of the other lines controlling
the outlets.
Texas was burnt child. Already sh
: had lost something like million and
: half of dollars on the investments made il
: railroads for her, and in his opinion She
had enough of it
, After some further discussion, Mr.. Ores
ham moved to postpone the bill until mex
Tuesday, which motion prevailed. and in
: mediately recess was taken, and the Texs
: Legislator once more joined the innumer
able caravan which daily issues from tn
| hpuSa and in solid ranks moves dow