Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-28

ference Oy the governor IN the local admin
istration of Justice is frequently resented,
and we need 60 no further back than only a
few days since, when trial took place
right under the shadow of the capital, which
resulted in the acquittal of the defendant,
when public expectation believed the re-
suit would be different have no comment
to make as to the guilt or innocence, of-the
defendant so acquitted. l assume he was
innocent, for he is entitled
To THAT PRESUMPTION
from the verdict Of the jury which tried
him. But the point that l desire to illus
trate IS that this case has been worked up
under the supervision of the executive him
self and that no effort was withheld by the
great and overshadowing power of the state
to secure conviction. And yet the state
was disappointed, and the prisoner went
free. Possibly under any state of circum-
starces the result might have been the
same: but the peculiar circumstances at
tending this prosecution are calculated to
admcnish the thoughtful citizen TO pause
and reflect whether or not an undue inter
ference by the executive in the local adj
ministration of justice is not frequently
liable to De misconstrued by the people and
resented by them as fragrant invasion of
their rights. The criminal laws Of this
state have been administered with more
severity and moro exactnesS for the past
fifteen years than perhaps is true of any
other state. Indeed during the fearful
oUTCRY OF THE PRESS
as to the execution of the laws in 1875
when l held position in your state gov
eminent which enabled me to be CONVEX
SAINT with the criminal statistics of your
state, took the trouble to gather those
statistics from every county for the pur-
pose OF inStituting comparison as to the
vlgilant execution of the laws between
Texas and her sister states, and 1 found
that the comparison, even with Republican
Massachusetts, was most favorable to Texas.
Certainly there has been no subsequent
laXity in our administration, and each
succeeding governor and each succeeding
judge has but preserved the record estab-
lished in that year. Crime is punished
here with certainty in vast majority OF
instances, and the annual influx into your
penitentiaries furnishes proof evident of
the fact This inflexibility in the admin
istration of justice to
OUR CRIMINAL CLASSES
is due to the people themselves and not to
the officers, for the latter are powerless
when the former see fit to ignore The law.
1 mention these things for two purposes:
l. To demonstrate to the people how our
laws are executed. Q. To manifest how silly
the outcry which we occasionally hear as to
the credit due this governor or that gov
ernor for the execution of the laws. 1t is
hollow pretense, bag of wind which the
prick of pin will collapse.
This constitutes, my fellow citizens, all
that have to say with reference to the
present administration 1t may be natur-
ally expected by you that should say some
thing as to what propose doing in case
am elected. And this feature can be dis
posed o. with becoming brevity. l am not
arrogant enough to think that my election
would
WORK A REVOLUTION
either in the methods of government or in
the prosperity of the people. l am not bold
enough to assert that so humble an indi-
yidual as myself can accomplish this or ac-
complish that as reforms in government.
Your governor is not possessed with either
the power of making laws or of administer
ink them. The public policy Of your state
is declared by your law makers, whom you
elect every two years for that purpose.
What the Twenty-third legislature may do
after you send them to Austin, no man can
foretell. But | viii say this with reference
to myself personally, that whatever of wis
dom | may possess, whatever of patriotism
may inure TO me, whatever of vigilance l
can exercise, whatever of effort can put
forth, will be given solely and honestly for
THE BEST INTERESTS
of the people of Texas, One thing I can
promise with abiding confidence, that
will adhere strictly aud faithfully to the
pure, unadulterated principles of honest
Democracy. may be an old fogy, but this
7 cannot help, for l still believe with the
old fathers, Notwithstanding the opposite
tendency of the times, that the best govern
meut for the interests of the people is the
least government. l still adhere with alb
solute tenacity to the principle that rich
and powerful government inevitably means
a Weak and poverty-stricken citizenship.
l still believe, fellow citizens, and believing
shall act always on the belief, that govern
ment was instituted among US solely for the
purpose of protecting us against wrong
doing. l can never be made to believe that
government was organized Tor the purpose
of enabling one of my fellow citizens to use
it for the purpose of taking the substance
from another Of my fellow citizens, no mat
ter how specious the preteXt may be. |
still believe, and shall always act upon that
belief, that no department of government
can have any legitimate concern with the
business of the people. 1 still bow at the
shrine of liberty and worship the word as
the sublimest and most comprehensive of
the language. l believe in it with all the
ardor of my nature, and that whenever it is
stricken down, either by law or by the
strong arm
THAT THE BLOW,
though instigated by an idea of benefit to
public, must always result in disaster to the
the very people intended to be served. We
action upon our own interests. The situa-
ton in our state to-day has been produced
by steady and persistent blows at the lib
erty of the citizen. So long as government
and the law are constituted solely for the
protection and enjoyment of liberty in all
its forms there can be no desolation in
Texas, there can be no depression in our
business, there can be naught but happiness
for our people, there can be nothing but
good for the commonwealth. But when we
depart from this great principle and
strangle here one
FEATURE OF LIBERTY
and stihe there another feature, and cramp
and handicap the citizen with foolish and
restrictions upon his business,
upon his habits, upon his ideas and express
sions and enjoyments and contracts, just at
that point despotism walks in and seizes
upon our households. And despotism,
whether in the shape of one man power or
the despOtism of a majority, is equally dis
lsJrous and equally destructive. If we
would preserve our liberties in this country
we must begin to learn 10 understand what
liberty means. We must educate ourselves
and our children TO realize that we cannot
too vigilantly guard its sacred fire. 1t is
surrounded by enemies on every hand;
snares and dangers encompass it on every
side; ignorance is its chiefest foe; and
NATIONS HAVE persisted
from the face Of the earth because of a want
Of knowledge of that which was essential
to the preservation of their liberties We
have the history of the world to guide and
direct us. So far every experiment in pop
llar government except ours. has failed,