The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-10
HoGG'S USURpAni0E OF AUTHORITY.

HUOO . OOOnGHfiOH VI HOI -
ARTICLE vI-EXEoUTGvE DEPARTMENT
Section l, The executive depart
ment of the state shall consist of q
governor, who shall be the ohiei
executive officer of the state, lieuten
ant governor, secretary of state, comp.
troller of public accounts, treasurer
commissioner of the general land
Office and attorney general.
Before and since Governor Hogg's
election to the position Of chief
executive of the state, he seems to
have been ignorant of this provision Of
the convsitution He seems to have
simply read the first part of the clause,
to-wit: The executive department
of the state shall consist of a
governor He has in one way OF
another usurped or attempted to usurp
the functions of every one of the other
officers of the executive branch of the
government, not Sithstauding that he
was confronted by this language from
the constitution of the state: Section
6. During the time he holds the office
of governor, he shall not hold any
other office, civil, military or
corporate" Neither is Governor Hogg
supposed to interfere with the other
distinct branches of the government,
te-wt: The Legislative and Judicial
He has interfered and usurped |
authority in both of these departments.
He went far beyond his prerogative
when he threatened the Twenty second
Legislature that if they passed the rail
road commission law with the elective
feature that he would veto it. In
other words he held the key to the
situation, and while it we're possible
that this measure like any other could
be passed over his veto by a two-thirds
vote, it is generally impracticable
where there is any considerable d.
vision in the vote on a measure, and
hence there is no question that his in
reference with the legislature was
unwarrauted and contrary to the spirit
of the constitution. The activity that
he has shown in interfering with the
local administration and execution of
the laws in criminal cases is clear
usurpation of Judicial functions. 1t
never war intended under the Repub-
lican idea that an executive of the
state should take direct part In the
execution of the laws of the state in
localities. The governor on one &C.
,asion, having heard that H. NJ: Nc
Knight, of Carthage, Texas, was hold.
ing the Office of district clerk and
ustioe of the peace simultaneously, in.
'o,med Mr., Mcknight that he WAS :
the law in holding two off ;
,es. This may or may not have bee ,
rue. It's mooted question, but |
he governors duty under the cir
was to confer with the
ltterney general, and it would have c
,esn more proper for the latter to have c
,alled Meningitis attention to his r
'iolation of the law, if it was VIC
alton. Now in answer to all these
trictures and criticisms the governor t
uotes Section 10. "He (the COVER. h
or) shall cause the laws to be faith d
ully executed IL it were his duty S
o see that the laws were faithfully il
executed and he should perform his S
whole duty under his understanding t
f his duties, he would be kept busy n
noon aud night, and would a
eed the time of thousand governors fl
, see that the laws were faithfully ex. l
cuted. 1t is true that in the exer. C
Use such prerogative governor n