The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-21

legislature would or should do at length
Il have been so busy since the election
attending to my professional duties and
reading letters from applicants for clerk
ships that I have not had time to think
| seriously on coming legislation" said the
Young man from Fayette. who, by the way
VIII probably be the youngest member of
the next house. However. during the cam
paiRn Just closed discussed on various oc-
casions our assignment laws and the neces-
siiy of a change in that direction. | have
not the time now to give you my views In
detail on this matter--suffice II To say that
shall support or vote for an entirely new
assignment law, which will abolish the pre-
ferred creditor System or for an amendment
which Will serve that purpore l assume
that all men are honest until the contrary
is shown. but all men familiar with the
practical features of the present assignment
law must admit that 1t is a great temptn-
ton for men to become dishonest. Nor do
believe II to be right. granting that the
claims OF creditors preferred are Just. to
take the goods. or the money accruing from
the same, purchased on credit. and permit
another creditor to be satisfied with them
and the creditor who sold the goo IL receives
nothing. | do not know what the 1'txas
jobbers think about The proposed change,
To tell you the truth ! care very little what
they may say. for ms men they must ,ecog-
MIC the fact that this law is not just but
If calculated to wrong any creditor as well
az debtor Being unable to beo how, under
any set of conceivable circumstances a
wrong can ever be right, must be excused
from aiding in keeping on the statute books
of Texas a law which IA wrong"
What do you think OF fees pertaining to
| county officers?"
II favor regulating the fees OF those Of
.locs. am not an extremist and think the
legislature should be careful not to cut too
lpap N gJIpb thing might uihan-
| trous. However, the tees Of certnin offices
| should he reduced and others raised. |
| should favor increasing the pay Of county
commissioners. for instancc. No Office in
| the county Is more importnnt, anil Vet II
pays nothing. aud the office Is mill -stouc
from financial point Of view around any
mans neck The result is that many men
well qualified to perform the responsible
duties of that office can not afford 10 take
1t. Fayette county In this matter has al
ways been fortunate but the rule is that
the commissioners courts of Texas have
been composed OF men below the average
| citizenship. Yet the power Of commissioner
court Is very near co-eNtensiyo with the
authority Of a monarchy"
Many of the representatives have n
hobby, have you any," Fir. Woltcrs smiled
as he said;
you will have to call on my friend. Fen
ator Kerr, for hobbies; ne has n big one,
| but ! am Tree VI tbHiths Alu Hol NhAAi'iy
without one. Having cen taught that II
should be our effort 10 curtoil puzzle Ak
penditures | heartily favo any movement
| In that direction in a material way. win
| the idea of economy in view besides rtttlnB
| rid of a public nuisance ! favor the ahoi-
| ton of the State superin' ana mt OF public
| Instructions office. During ITO cai1ph'en l
| advanced this proposition ana assure you
| that the people OF Fnyette, as a rule, agreed
with me | fail to see the necessity OF the
office II may be urged that the schools OK
Texas need q central head don't think 80,
| The nearer the law is to the people the
| better; the nearer the power that executes
| the law is to the people the better. MY idea
| is the school laws OF Texas be changed. and
| that II declare clearly what Is the law IN
stead Of as now permitting the state SUI
perintendent TO construe the law and In the
absence OF any law make ruling which
has tho force OF law. Let the law be -
plain that every county superintendent Will
| understand II, without having to write to
| Austin for an opinion or ruling every time
some frivolous matter rises Let the treas
| urer's department or comptroller's DEPART
| ment apportion tho public school money.
| Let each county regulate it's own school
elfairs under a general law. AT the proper
time ! Will take pleasure In showing the
people Of Texas how much money this de-
partment costs. tho greater part OF which
| could be saved. | regard the office merely
| as so much political machinery, without
| which wo could well afford 10 do. While
| nm on this line OF economy ! viii say that
the department Of agriculture, history and
statistics Is expensive luxury. While
some parts Of II should be retained many
duties Of this department might be abol-
iyhsd md thus money SAVED. You know the