The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-01-19

I DOFTg DeTIIIOI \
OF The world. With the antipathy of railways
| TO water competition, and their restrained
! power in the absence OF the commission to
make discriminating rates against wster points,
Texas may never have any material benefit
| from the improvement OF her harbors nor By
I the construction Of a canal TO connect the two
oceans. With deep water anywhere on the
| coast and the completion OF a canal 70 give an
outlet from the gulf over zee Pacihc ocean.
thus to exas reducing the distance to foreign
| markets over 10000 miles, ii she can ultimately
succeed in maintaining the commission as It
is, her people may expect soon to take the lead
| in agriculture, horticulture and stock raising 70
| supply the demands of the eastern continent
with such articles OF necessity as may nn ni
! transportation over the highway OF the seas
| from the United States. In addition TO THIS,
with her inexhaustible supply OF ores and raw
material of every kind suitable for manufac'
ture, she can with confidence and pride, enter
the field OF compe ition to supply her share OF
he worlds products OF iron, wood ana the
| hper fabrics.
The effect OF the commission will be to give
| an, outlet for home products over the sea,
where combinations TO stiie competition in
| transportation are impossible, where pools and
| trustA cannot live. The hope OF Texas is in
the maintenance OF the commission, under
whose Administration the people and the rail-
ways themselves can prosper in their indie
pendent relati ons; and the near future will
| door OF the raw material so that the traffic
| rates on raw products to foreign points and
ON the manufactured articles in return to sup
with articles " necessity and luxury, will be
"reminiscences and no longer a reality.
The pledge therefore, OF fealty to and sup
port OF the feXaA railway commission law as
1t now stands, subject only to such changes as
may become necessary to accomplish for 1t a
greater degree OF perfection, made by the
Democratic party, iSwise and salutary. In so
far as experience of tue past and lights of the
present may afford knowledge OF what is best
for the people with reference to the law, not
withstanding the intemperate political opinion
4 n the federal M
change, indeed no change at all, in it becomes
expedient or necessary. A verse OF propriety
and OF self-respeet would impel the state gov.
eminent to stand by the law as it is until the
highest court in the government may possibly
point out some objections to it.
State Banks
The constitution provides that no corporate body
shall hereafter be created renewed OF extended
with banking discounting privlleges-Art. IT,,
Sec. /. For some reason this limitation uDon the
power of the legislature has remained In every con-
stituton. except that of 1869, since the organiza-
tion of the state government In the exercise of
their sovereign rights, to relieve present or pro
pectve conditions inimical to their interests, the
people, through their platform last August, ex-
the constitution permitting the incorporation OF
state banks under proper restrictions ana controi
One of the for this demand is that the peO-
pie are willing to remove that restriction on the
legislative power and thus to prepare against any
conting ency that may arise from federal legisa-
tion on the subject of finance. There Is strong
peal of the national banking law, over which con-
gress has exclusive CONTROL Should the congress
abolish the national banking system with the con-
sttutional prohibition referred to unchanged, the
legislature could not give to the people OF Texas
any banking system to supply the necessities or
business and commerce. II therefore becomes ad-
visable for your honorable body to submit con-
sttutional amendment In obedience to the ex-
pressed will of the people on this subject
Public Education.
The declaration in the state constitution that
"A general diffusion of knowledge is essential
to tn liberties and rights of the people" and
demanding that the Legislature shall make
suitable provision for the support and mafnten-
ance of an efficient system of public free schools
for a period OF not less than six months OF each
year. can never be consistently lost sight OF nor
overlooked by the peoples worthy representa-
tives. The demand that this provision shall be
complied with is but just and reasonable. The
people have also. through their convention, de-
clared that the University and its branches and
the other public educatnal institutions must be
appropriately endowed and maintained:
For full information on the subject of public
education, the attention of your honorable
bodies is respectfully called to the able, eabor-
ate and interesting reports Of the superintend-
ent of public instruction, of the boards of man
ayers of the Sam Houston Normal Institute, To-
Gated at Huntsville of the Prairie View Normal
Institute, at Hampstead, of the A; and NJ Col
lege at Bryan Of the Regents OF the Upniverslty;
Galveston. Each of these several reports de-
serve investigation, for they have been made by
men well versed in these public institutions,
familiar with their necessities. With Just PRIDE
the state has supper ted each of these public
schools, and as a result the people are daily re-
ceiving from them benefits far beyond compu-
tation that m st grow in importance year by
year as the state itself moves on to leadership
among her sis ers. Most of these institutions
are in healthful prosperous conditions, yet
are demanding of necessity, increased ., aPpro-
AS the state grows. the pubic schools and
higher educational institutions expand to keep
apace with her greatness. Their encourage
ment In all respects must spring from the honor
and pride of the people whose liberality
towards them in the past vouchsafes for them
success In the future.
Mechanics Liens.
The people through their convention last Au-
gust also adopted the following PLATFORM
80. We pledge the enactment of law to
more Justly and perfectly secure the liens of
mechanics material-men, artisans and labor
ers.". A revision of the laws now voluminous
and inadequate on this subject to more Justly
protect the wage-workers, material men and
mechanics becomes important in view OF the
demands and the existing defects in the statute
thereon. is therefore called respectfully TO
the attention of your honorable bodies, with
the full confidence that all appropriate need
full remedies will be adopted
Convict Labor.
Another important declaration by the people
Is to be found in the following expression
through their platform:
"2l We believe the custom OF hiring out
and leasing penal convicts to corporations and
private persons to be ag inst public policy"
BY message to the first session of the 22nd
legislature this question was presented, point
ing out the evils apparent In the present sys-
TEN of permitting convicts to be leased or
hired out in any respect whatever Reference
to the report of the superintendent of peniten-
tiaries will disclose the advantage of working
them upon State account over the custom of
leasing and hiring them out There are two
paramount objects that should be kept in view
In the control and operation Of the penitentiary
cOnvcts: First to carry out the objects of pun
ishment for crime; and, second, to avoid as far
as possible. placing the convicts in competition
with free labor. Experience teaches that the
former object is as impossible as the latter has
proven to be impracticable The object of penal
punishment is to suppress crime and to reform
the offender. 1t is quite doubtful If crime cali
be suppressed or the reformation of the offender
accomplished By permitting the cOnvicts to be
worked for hire by private parties or corpora
tons At best 1t Is difficult to reform the crimi-
nal element and this trouble cannot be relieved
by exposing the prisoners in chains TO the pub
lie gaze while they are working upon railroads
and private farms removed so far from the
wholesome effect of prison discipline and moral
influence that may be SO conveniently thrown
around them while working on State account
The trouble seems to be that the State now has
more convicts than it is capable OF Keeping
within the walls of the two penitenuaries, or oil
working upon the farms she now operates.
General Subjects-Taxation.
It's a fundamental principle of good govern
ment that taxation shall be equal and uniform,
without discrimination in favor of or against
any individual or class. To equaliZe taxes in