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

Republican state OF the Union. L allude TO
Vermont. a distinguished senator from
that state who had served mis- constituents
faithfully for many years in the United
States senate, for reasons satisfactory to
himself, resigned his high office about the
time of Judge Reagan's resignation. There
was no haste by tFe governor of Vermont in
filling this vacancy. He took his time. It
was supposed that distinguished gentle
man who then held cabinet position at
Washington, Mr.. Proctor, would be the i'm
mediate recipient of the honor. But yet
there was delay in making the appointment,
and this delay passed from days into weeks
and from weeks into months, until there
was a clamor among his friends to know
the reason why. 1t was supposed that the
governor of Vermont had some sinister
motive in Withholding the appointment of
Mr.. Proctor Aud yet, afoer the expiration
of many months, congress not being in ses-
sion and there being no pressing eXigency
demanding that the vacancy be filed, the
governor Of Vermont rendered Mr.. Proctor
the appointment with substantially this
statement: - have
ALWAYS BEEN YOUR FRIEND
and have always wanted to appoint you to
the senatorship. but this appointment was
q trust reposed in me by the people of YER
mont TO be exercised for their benefit and
according to their wishes. I have delayed
rendering you the appointment in order to
ascertain the will of the people of Vermont.
And now, after making thorough canvass
of the state, find that the public will COM
ports entirely with my personal inclination,
and take much pleasure as your friend in
comforting upon you this high distinction
Shade OF Thomas Jeffersonl What a COM
parison this lofty and patriotic action OF a
Republican governor bears TO the action of
5Our Democratic governor in Texas Why.
tthe latter has dealt with this high trust rs
Of he supposed that the Office of United
States senator was
HIS PERSONAL cHATTEL,
"a plaything to be passed to his friend as
tany other gift, with total disregard for the
wishes of the people of Texas. Now l be-
lieve in standing by my friends. It is a
spart OF my religion. have no recollection
Eof ever having turned my back on either
ifriend or foe, and hope / never may. And
this inclination upon the part OF the gov
ernor of Texas to stand by Lis friends IS,
under proper circumstances, most com
mendable l have no fault to find with him
for loving his friends. But we must deal
with our friends in the proper manner, and
give to our friends as a friendly favor only
that which belongs to US. If a trust fund
is confided to our care we cannot make d
present Of it to our friends without a
breach of trust If fortune smiles upon
US and we are blessed with wealth and
riches, we have a right TO give to our
friends OF this wealth such portion as we
see fit, because it is our property. There
is a distinction. And when Judge Reagan
saw lit to resign his seat in the United
States senate and accept a position upon
the railway commission of Texas, matter
purely for his own decision, it did not lie
with the governor of Texas to say even to
himself, or 10 think even to himself, that
MUST GIVE THIS OFFICE
to my friend because he is my friend. His
appointee goes to Washington, not as the
fsia Of bn
sentative of the people of Texas in the
highest position at their command. And
the people are entitled to be consulted as to
how this Office should be filed even by APP
pointment, and their wishes are entitled to
respect and to obedience. l allude to these
matters, fellow-citizens, in order to show
the evil effects of placing undue power in
fhe hands of any one man. Human nature
Is weak and it ought not to be tempted.
Had this commission been elected by the
people, think you that this arrangement
could have been cOnsummat5d! So, let Us
return TO the good
OLD FASHIONED WAY
and give back TO the people what rightfully
j. theirs under the conStitution-the right
to select all their officers. The governor has
40 business appointing any. If he devotes
his time for the best interests of the state
in maturing measures for her welfare and
the happiness of her people, he will have
accomplished all that lies within the power
of any one man without troubling himself
with appointments. Let US so back TO this
old Democratic practice and hereafter look
back on this marked departure simply as a
beacon light 10 warn US never again to vio-
late the great and essential principles of
republican government for the benefit and
at the command of any one man.
There is another feature of the present
administration which would be almost
.Iarccal If it had not proved so traeical. I
7allude to the tinkering of tyrOs with the
claw regulating the ownership of lands by
~aliens. For the disastrous effect of the
alien land law upon the prosperity of the
Speople of Texas, I hold the governor of
aTexas directly responsible; he recon-
mended it in his message; he
FASTENED TO APPROVE IT
when brought to his Office, when the statute
book of the session shows that nearly one
half of the laws passed by the legislature
We're permitted to go without his sigma |
ture 1t is most amusing on the part of the |
governors defenders 10 attack the legiSla- |
ture for this gross ignorance and reckless |
ness SO displayed; and it is equally laugha- !
bic on the part of the governor in his at |
temptS to lay 1t upon somebody else. He |
was placed in his position for the express |
purpose of carefully guarding against such !
destructive legislation. Members Of delib- |
erative bodies often times in the hurry of |
the moment, or perhaps moved by excite |
ment or by undue passion, or from variety |
OF other conceivable causes, are not able to |
give to proposed legislation that calm and |
deliberate and careful examination requi- |
site before legislation shall fructify into |
law. And for this reason, the governor
HOLDING THE VETO POWER
is placed in his Office to represent one-third |
of the legislative power of the government |
and to call halt as soon as he ascertaiuS |
that undue haste has penetrated the couu- |
ellis Of the legislature and. is about to pre- |
cipitate upon the state some disastrous law. |
lie IS given ten days for his careful exam |
ination of the law. He is authorized TO |
sound the note of warning by his veto mes |
sage and to call the attention not only of |
the members, but of the people of the state, !
70 what is going on in their capital, so that |
public opinion may find some mode of Civ |
ing itself expression so as to influence men, |
bers. When this law was laid upon his i
table it was his duty TO examine it most |
carefully. And it was supposed that by |
reason of his elevation he had acumen
TO DETECT ERRORS
and the manhood to prevent them. If he |
examined this law and failed to detect the |
disasters lurking beneath the words he |
wrote himself an ignoramus. If he eX-
amired this law and detected the disasters |
necessarily lurking beneath the words, and |
then approved it, he ought to be impeached. |
If he failed to examine the law, and affixed |
his signature to il without knowing its con- |
tents or its effects, he was guilty of gross |
and criminal negligence unWorthE,of gov |