Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-26
TORT WORTH TEXAS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1898.

,"l Ae emWmcnt that an ohcnsc must
DC lndictable TO be impeachable aud sub
lect 70 some special enactment The right
OF the people 20 have officers removed
without stnutory requirements as In
eases Of indictment WAS wisely reserved
IN the constitution. As On Illustration
0i this, suppose the governor IN his right
OF discretion rs TO pariOus should par
uon every crimiifll Ia the state. how long
would il be before be would be deposed
by the power Of the people2
hevicwing the case cited yesterday by
Judge liglffoot, he argued ,'at conrrcss
mad virtually decided that an ofTense need
not be ndictable to be impeachnble.
Inc sennte Is made the exclusive Judge
m such proceedings.
Continuing he said that K was not
necessary for the legislature 10 have ON
aoted any law for the removal of Sb'h
n state oiiiCer as the land commissioner
~ me constitution had already provided
i9r tLat 10 was for the removal of other
oninefs That the governor. attorncy-gener-
~, mnd commissioner and comptroller
tnat IT was necessary for the legislature
to enact laws as contemplated by the
CONSTITUTION, the section in the consti-
tuuon providing for impeachment Of GER
lain state officers was sclf-exisiinr aud
required no legislative enactment lie
Quoted from au opinion of Judge Roberts
to show that tlle methods of removing
officers as provided by Ftatute werc
merely in addition tD lhc weil-cstabliahed
method Of Impeachment by the ledsa-
ture. HE object of Impeachment Is 10
pI1'eyt the peoples rights and property
anu N rs not a criminal proceeding ID
must be had to bride The reckless dis
erection Of state officers II has never
yet Deen decided That legislative enact
ihent was necessary 20 mako effective
Impeachment proceedings, but ON the con-
trary, congress has always held that ii
was not necessary rs shown I'm Storey
ON me constitution. section IGo I1Ip
provisions In the constitution ON impeach.
meht are complete and well defined. aud
ne legislative enactment is necessary
lhe constitution provides the manner
nud method Of impeachment and the
punishment aud nothing morp is ncccs.
sufF A public Office IS a public trust.
and when lac betrays that trust no for
ieits the right to hold the Office and ought
20 De removed
The mere fact that number of inn.
parchment Proceedings have been insti.
luted ana mo- convictions had, does not
prove anything and Is not an argument
IN this case. As 90 acts that were
committed In the prior term " office
an officer can be impcnched and NOT
removed from office. because be may moi
then hold the office but hc may be ais.
qualified from ever again holding office.
storey ON constitution section sol Pom.
croy session 12S Raw on the consfitu.
tion page 2l3 says Those persons WHO
are liable TO Impeachment are those
Who are or have been holding public
Office In the construction of the con.
stiiution the object Is 90 get nc the iu.
tcutiou Of the trainers. The constitution
provides that the governor shall hold
olice for two years and the member.
of the honsc for the same length of time
They go into Office no the Same time
aud unless The governor called an extra
session for the purpose of impoachlug
himself there could never be- imp0ach.
mcnt proceedings Nm his case under
such circumstances
At ll4O Mr. Smith concluded his
speech
senator Goss submitted the following
questions
First What under the constitution are
sufficient grounds for impeachment?
Second, III mo- causes are alleged. eau
the senate say what acts are impeach.
abpf
The council for the state took the aues.
tions under consideration.
The court adjourned tin p. ma. and at
u o'clock the senate went into execu-
tive session on the appointment ~ A. i.
Baker as temporary land commissioner.
II. g. Thompson Of Galveston and w. L..
Prnther Of Waco as members Of the
board Of regents of the university of
Texas.