The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-03
HON. GEORGE CLARK.
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was earnest in his canvass, could
have promulgated such a recommen-
dation. If the railroads of Texas had
been robbing the people as, was urged
by himself and his partisans, they
were the last people on earth to whom
the school fund should have been
loaned. Upon seeing this recon-
mendation people began to look at
each other who before this time
had never doubted or wavered in the
support of those ideas which secured
the election of Governor Hogg.
They began for the first time to reflect
and to wonder whether in truth and
in fact the canvass was made upon
false pretenses, or whether indeed the
governor was really in earnest in his
recommendations 1t was we'll known
to the intelligence of the state that
new lines of railroad never pay at
first. 1t was also we'll known that
short lines operated under indepepd-
ent management are
INCAPABLE OF PROFIT.
1t was equally we'll known that there
was no more insecure investment than
loaning money to the railroads Of
Texas. The state had its experience
with such investment many years be-
| fore, and the records of the comptrol-
Ter and treasury departments contain
ed the information that hundreds of
| thousands of dollars had been lost by
such perilous investment. And yet
the governor who was waited into of
flee solely because of his hostility to
railroads and railroad investments,
did not hesitate as one of his first Of
fetal acts, to gravely recommend to
the legislature that these public rob-
bers should be the custodians of the
public fund set apart by the fathers of
| the republic for the education of their
children. This proof, sufficient to any
intelligent mind, that the campaign
had been made upon false basis; and
no wonder that it received the disap-
probation of the people of Texas. But
there has been another play which is
equally insincere and equally trans
parent. and that is the laudation of
the governor by his peculiar partisans
because of his execution of the laws.
This cry is we'll calculated to alarm
every Democratic mind, because it i'm
plies that in order for our laws to be
executed with vigilance and dispatch,
it is resquite that there be some cen
trail authority sitting in our capital
charged with this high duty. This
was the idea which obtained with Ed
mund J. Davis, and the heresy was
pardonable in him, because
he never claimed to be a
| TNo,o,ooyof IJio mind was
thoroughly Republican, possessing
little or no confidence in the people
and with the belief grounded in his
very nature that they required some
central authority vested with power
to execute their laws. But such ar
idea was objectionable in Democrat
according to Democratic teachings il
is q current belief that the people them
selves are not only capable OF eXecut
ing their own laws in their respective
localities, but that any other system
of government is tyranny. The ldef
prevailing among those of Democratic
faith is that when
THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES
by reason of want of intelligence o.
an absence of moral virtue are I'm
able to execute their own laws in theil
own domestic tribunals, the end o
Republican government is near. l
the people of Texas must rely upon s
governor to execute the laws of the
state, their reliance is upon broker
stick, for the governor has less power
in this direction than any constable o
any precinct in the state OF Texas.
am aware that there is o provision 0
the constitution which requires tina
the governor shall cause the laws t.
be faithfully executed. The meaning
of which provision to those who view
it from Democratic standpoint is tina
the governor shall take care that there
shall be no obstruction to the faithful
administration of the law by the PEG
pie themselves. The meaning Of thi
provision is, that if the execution o
your laws is INSTRUCTED by an armeC
mob which terrorizes the civil author
tiles to furnish the military arm O.
such other force as may be necessary
for the emergency in order to remove
the obstruction and allow the people
to proceed with the execution o
the law. 1t also has othe
meanings, one of which 1 may
refer to, and that is in case o
vacancy in certain offices charged
with the administration Of the law, j
is the duty of the governor not to nj
low such vacancy to continue for an.
undue length OF time, because thereby
the execution of the laws would b.
paralyzed. And SO the constitution
steps i'm and when it commands hin
to see that the laws are faithfully ex
ecuted it means that he shall see t,
it that in case of o vacancy in any, of
flee in the state to be filled by his ap
pointment and the incumbent o
which office is charged with the exc
cution of the laws the governor shall
see to it that there be no hiatus IL
such administration Any other con
struction would be necessarily de
structive of the whole Democratic
theory of government. And yet W.
I find great outcry raised by the par
tisans of the administration that thu
governor will see to it
THAT CRIME is PUNISHED,
murder abolished and the six-shoote
paralyzed. How impotent is sucf
fancy. The governor could not ever