The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-29
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
AIENTS.

The secretary of state, Mr. J. w. Mad
den, in giving ont to the papers the cor
rection of an error in county and pre-
cinct blanks, volunteers the information
that "the governors proclamation was
published for four weeks in some news
paper in each county in the state in
which newspapers were published"
"Some newspaper" is decidedly good
Mr.. Madden is evidently Il conscientious
man and could not say that the procla-
nation of the governor nor the amend
ments were published in newspapers of
character and circulation, and in vein
of sarcasm he says Gin some newspaper"
-"some punkins," perhaps-newspape
in many counties that had the least cir
culation and to crafty n miserable per-
sOnal spleen against the leading newspa-
pers that had the courage to criticisc the
administration. What small piece of
spite this was, resulting in the position
of the state administration of asking the
people of Texas to vote for amendments
to the constitution that they have never
seen.
city of Austin ever saw the governors
proclamation or the amendments sought
to be engrafted in the constitution. At
torney General Crane took advantage of
his position by getting some kind of an
explanation through the daily press, but
the fact exists that these amendments
were published in papers of such small
n;r Iat, hat hn or l,a cd, 10
have not seen them nor have they had
an opportunity to examine into their pro-
visions.
There is no legislation so important as
amendments to the constitution of state
and there is nothing to which it is so
absolutely important and necessary to
give the widest circulation. The policy
adopted to publish these amendments in
obscure county papers, in counties where
the populations run up into the thous-
ands, where the papers the amendments
were published in have perhaps a hundred
or perhaps two hundred subscribers is not
only violation of the fundamental prin-
ciples of republican government to keep
the people thoroughly conversant with
amendments to the organic laws of the
state. but it is so small in its petty preju-
dice to try to punish the leading papers
for just criticism that we venture to as
sert that it has never had precedent.
OF course it was meant to pay these lit
tie papers for their blind support of an
administration that all these papers knew
about was that it is ostensibly democratic.
The voters of this state are intelligent
and conscientious and they are not going
to vote for amendments that were appar-
emily hid away from them and what they
do know of them is so suspicious.
The whole thing was based upon the
presumption of the ignorance of Texas
voters and their blind attachment to any
thing that came from democratic leg
islature. but the board that gave out these
amendments and the governors proclama-
ton to newspapers that had no circula-
ton out of their precincts or baiwicks
counted without their host-the voters of
Texas. 1t is the greatest piece of eff
frontery for the board to hide these
amendments and ask the people of the
state to go it blind by voting for them
without knowing what they are We
appeal to the readers of this article.
How many of you know enough about
these amendments to the organic law
to conscientiously vote for them?
But it is no wonder they were hid away
in obscure newspapers. The more the
people know about these amendments the
less they would favor them. One of
them, the valuation of certain bonds by |
the reputation of other similar bonds. |
will never meet the approval of
conscientious men. uninterested per- |
sonally in the matter: while |
the irrigation amendment confiscates
the land of farmers in plain violation of |
the constitution that no mans property
should be taken from him for any kind |
of public improvement without compensa.
ton. These being the provisions of two
OF these amendments, no wonder they |
were kept from the scrutiny of the voters
OF the state. The voters of this state do.
however, owe duty to the honor and
credit OF the state and to the inviolabili-
ty of mans title to his lands unincum.
bered by tax of $15 an acre, and that