Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-09
Slothea ana fed well. The results are
very gratifying In all respects y
The Refornntor,

~ ~ 20 VIC SUBJECT OF much abuse under
lSv present law Fun grown men are
c oaren sem 10 u on pleas Of guilty. 10
reduce the official fees in cases of rc'
iormatory convictions 10 about one
nun allowed In felony cases.
Per Capita Expense.
a careful analysis of the condition
OF tne various institutions for the man
agement and operation of which the
governor may be properly chargable.
VIII demonstrate that their material
moral ana financial conditions have IN
70 70 respect retrograded during the past
i9ur Years. They have all been sub
sahtlally improved. They have each
been in marked degrees, elevated
morally; while the pe,. capita cost ~
maintenance has been gradually b,t
considerably reduced. Within the in
situations contentment, harmony. good
discipline and kind treatment of the in
mates ana employees have prevailed to
q notable degree.
II VIII be seen that from the general
revenue the annual average of 36lS con-
Nlcts and of 2i60 charitable subiects
have been maintained at tho net cost
IN the aggregate. during the period of
the past four years. of 81 669. S76, or
yearly per capita average of sGg az
hc"Ny ENpcuHcs-OiiiciuI Fees.
IL VIII be observed therefore that
the heaVy draft upon the general reve-
nue. ls from Other sources than the
penal and charitable Institutions The
heaviest expense to the state arises
from criminal prosecutions, CONSISTING
OF the fees OF sherlffs. clerks, wit
hesses and prosecuting officers. The
governor has no control whatever over
these matters. They are prescribed and
regulated by law. The laws in rela-
ton TO them are either lax or too lib
eral. AT any rate, the public treasury
Is the subject of too much abuse from
these sources To demonstrate this
statment, your attention is called to
the following table. showing the ap-
propriations foe witness fees and for
the fees of sheriffs. clerks and attor-
neys in criminal cases for and during
the period OF the past ten years:
For Witness Fees-From March 1,
1888, to February 2s. 1856, SiO,24O from
March /, 1885. to February IS, 1887,
Sl75,5Si; from March /. 1887, to Fcbru-
airy 2S,lSS9. S2ST,S5l from March /, 1889,
to February 2s.iS9l, S2O2, 45S: from March
], 1891, to February 2s, 1898, S225, 5sS;
from March 1, 1898, to February 2S,
1895. s25OOOO.
For fees OF sherirrs, clerks and ut
torneys-From March /, 1888, to Feb
ruary 2S, 1885, $4,000; from March 1.
1855, 10 February 2S. 1887, 1924, 697; from
March l, 1857, to February 2S, 1850,
S999,635; from March /. 1893. to Febru-
AIRY 2S. 1891, $70O,OOO; from March /, 1891.
to February 2s. 1893, Ss2s,S2I; from
March l. 1898. to February IS, 1895 $780,
600.
BY the foregoing It will be seen that
the appropriation for witness fees for
tho two years ending with 1885 amount
ed to only 5000. and the fees for the
same period of sheriffs. clerks and pros
ecuting attorneys aggregated S575, 900;
while ten years later for the two years
ending February IS, 1895. the approprl-
alton for witness fees aggregated $780,
600, and the fees Of sherifrs, clerks and
attorneys, sS50,0OO.
Ten years ago II cost the state for
the period OF two years to prosecute
the criminals the aggregate sum Of
S6l5,2i0; whereas for the past two years
the appropriations for said purposes
aggregated Si,1100O0. This means an
increase during that time of nearly 100
per cent.
There is something wrong with this
and 1t is with the legislature alone to
remedy IT. The governor and other
state officials are practically helpless,
for they can do no more nor less than
obey the law, for that Is their solemn
obligation under the constitution.
To demonstrate more clearly that
there Is much abuse in the fee system
growing out OF criminal prosecutions,
your attention is called to the following
table Of criminal statistics, showing the
Of indictments. the number OF
trials, the number OF convictions, the
number of acquittals, the number of in
dictments quashed. the number of cases
dismissed, exhibited by the docltets of
M nIutfinf Of a 81 n a
the ten years ending with 1898, the lat
est state for which complete tables are
accessible:
Criminal Cases.
Number indlctments-lsSl-1Ss 1913;
1SSS-iSS4 S4S7; 1SS5-iSS6, ll,26S; 1s87-lsSS,
l1.34S; 1885. 1880, 1O.329; lS9i-lS92, 1867.
Number of trials-1SSl-lSS2, 1863; 1883
1884. AGA; 1Ss5-1ssG, 5ii6; lSSI-lSSS, 5il4;
$3.50; ls9l-lss2, 50S9.
Number convictions--lsSl-1SS2 2l1S;
1Ss8-lSSi, 1882: 1ss5-1SS6. SOS6; lsS7-lsSS.
Sl9G; lSs9-ls90. 1896; 1S9l-l892, 1927.
Number acquittals--lSSl-lSS2, 22ii;
lsSs-1SSi, 1772; lsS5-1SS6, Else; 1SS7-1Sss.
207O: 1SSg-I89O, 1916; lS9l-lS92. 1902.
Number quashed-lSS1-lSS2, 22S; 1888
1884, 2g9; 1SS5-1SS6, 800; 1SS7-1SSS, 27S;
lSse-1S9O PIG; 1S91-1S92. 221
Number dismissed--lSSi-lSs2, SO95;
lSS3-1sSl. S2iS 1Ss5-lSs6 4slS; lSS7-lSSS,
1920; lSS9-lSsO, 49i7; lS9l-lS92. 46l3.
BY this table 1t appears that for the
two years ending 1882 there were 1878
for felonles illed; while for
the two years ending with 1892 there
were 1867 indictments presented,
showing an increase IN that period of /
ten wears of only 1893 cases. For the
two years ending with 1882 there were
1868 felony trials, while the trials Tor |
the two years ending with 1892 amount
ed TO 5O39; or a difference OF only 4iO
felony trials for those two years over |
period ten years before,
II will be noted, therefore, that WINE /
the per cont of trials OF feionies has IN
creased at the rate OF only about ! |
per cent per annum, the expenses or |
ne government for these prosecutions
have Increased at the rate Of nearly .
To- per cent per annum. IN disparity |
shown by this per cent of expense
over the per cent OF increase IN eflm-
nal prosecutions presents without
1u sstion, a glaring WRONG.
The question is, what shall be done
about It?
The only sensible answer is to apply
the pruning knife OF reform. An iilt-
al step on this line should be legisla-
i've measure that viii IN some way de-
,troy and forever prohibit oitciai trusts
,r pools. The custom OF county oilciaIs
having annual conventions Is a growing
menace to the public treasury. Sher-
ffa district and county clerks, county
md district attorneys, county, Judges,
,o,,ntv assessors and collectors, ana