The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-22
THEY WANT MORE RANGERS
San Saba County Ladies Write to
la the Adiutant General.
RIGID ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS
is Necessary 10 Relieve the State of
an Uncnvinbic Reputation and
the Rangers Aid In This.

ing letter, recently received by the adju-
tant general from two San Saba county la
dies. is self explanatory.
Adjutant General, State of Texas;
sir; We appienend that the TACT that
women would presume to write advis-
ing the state departments as 10 Needed
legislation Will oi itseli be sufficient TO
SHOW how exceedingly vital and important
they ie.l such legislation TO DC.
We VIII, therefore, proceed ON the pre-
sumption that every courtesy and consii-
Grafton Will be accorded this comiuuntca-
ton that 1T deserves.
we are not unaware OF the fact however
that no such importance will De attached
10 what lew obscure women from Ia
mote part OF the state may say as would
to the better and more maturely considered
suggestions from our honorable legislators.
or noble governor, yet experience teaches
that 1t frequently occurs that actual con-
tact with that which makes 1t necessary
that certain things should be done or hot
done gives us decidedly superior ideas Oh
that subject to those who would otherwise
be infinitely our superiors
And We feel fully assured that we need
not ask If our appeal to yourself. our no
bic governor, or our grand legislators, VIII
receive other than the most respectful
treatment, for we believe adverse criticisms
of these weak though earnest appeals
appeals born OF suffering. and we trust
sanctifel by no other than the purest Of
motives of which womans nature is capa-
blc~is something utterly foreign TO whom
they are addressed.
Taking for granted. therefore. that "
Will be Judged kindly, We viii say that
If parties acquainted with what Western
Texas needs should mistakenly recommend
the removal OF the Texas rangers, that We
hereby offer our most earnest protest
against ouch ipriSlatiVp folly md sufriup
and can only say they need to be dealt
with gently and forgNGyly, for they
know not what to do
While We are residents of perhaps the
most unfortunate Part of TcNas-a county
in which the ranger service is perhaps rlore
needed than III any other portion Of the
state just now--yet it is on broader grounds
than this that We would ask our legislature
to pause ere they commit the crow ming act
of all the legislative folies OF the day.
Texas Is a grand. broad State OF which.
We trust. We can truthfully boast and for
the blessings of whose government we at
least wish to be thankful, and whose cIti~
2enship we believe we should be unmnd-
full Of duty, II we did not feel proud. Yet
with all these great blessings and mmuni-
ties we enjoy, there is the pruverbial
skeleton in the closet" Among us there
are classes who are not satisfied with tha
manifold blessings vouchsafed them by our
uQlllIdblt government UtllntT II hItlNS
can they be persuaded to recognize The
rights OF others, and We regret to say hat
these classes form no inconsderdble per
cent of our population, and these unfortu-
nate people tbecause we can but call them
unfortunately seem to exist in a larger pro"
portion according TO population in Texas
than elsewhere, and more especially In
Western Texas, and there seems to he more
trouble in reforming and controlling these
refractory clements here than elsewhere.
end the local officers seem less equal to
the task
1t has been our lot tc,b be familiar with
the troubles incident to controlling them.
and VIC believe nothing short OF the most
rigid enforcement of the criminal laws will
ever be sufficient to relieve our beloved
State of the unenviable reputation she IN
this respect bears. and which we regret
most deeply to say she too much deserves.
The question therefore presents Itself
what is the best method to adopt az a
means to this end. Is 1t to weaken the
strong arm Of the law by relegating the
most important of all our protection against
theft, robbery SANDER murder etc, 10
back seat. and undertaking to enforce the
criminal laws OF our State? To decrease
crime by increasing the opportunities for
the commission of crime? 70 prevent by
removing the most important part OF the
prevontionf
by those bent on reform, and whose great
est delight It seems, Is to clamor TO: some
measure looking to the ultimate exemption
of Texas citizens from the burdens of taxa
tion. then mercy. justice and humanity.
all demand that this class OF reiormeis
he dealt with in charity and tenderly dealt
with as the infant who cries for the toy
of painted poison.
Strange as II might seem and II does
seem to US, we have been advised that an
effort will be made by the Legislature
about to convene to abolish the ranger ser
vice Ghan which, we believe. not even the
very courts of the country are more impor-
tant to the ends of good government IN
Texas). and this. we are told. IL with a
view to economy. How passing strange
that any one who has ever given the sub
jcct even cursory examination can be
50 unpardonlby stupid as to believe that
such a license to crime could result In any
thing but an unparalleled era of expendi-
ture by the State. II is but the repetition
OF stopping the splgot ana taking out the
hung."
And we believe that On one who Will re-
flee, for moment can reach but one con-
cluslon and that is tnat there are hut two
classes who could have serious convictions
for the retirement of the ranger force,
and that IL the man whose opinion Is utter
ly unworthy of serious consideration. or
that class OF people to the successful pros
etntion OF whose ayocation not only the
state rangers but the Toxas Penal Code.
forms a serious imDedimcnt. And GER
tainlv there could be little sense In consil-
ering the claims of either OF these Two
classes. and especially OF the latter.
AS before ntima,ed, We have perhaps
in this locality the most pressing need of
extraordinary protection OF any portion OF
The state a veritablc reign OF terror has
been experienced by the citizens of this
county for more than ten years, and while
we have had efficient officers during this
tine In all other respects, they have been
ohvIously Inadequate to the suppression OF
the mob violence. committed by mob ex-
,stirg in this county, which has been the
terror and dread OF every person who
would not wink at such atrocities as In
their upbridlod greed for gore they have
perpetratod on the innocent objects OF their
wrath.
Many. of our best citizens have given up
their lives. left penniless widows and starv-
ten chitdrcn only because they were 40 |