The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-01

filming connecting lines OF common carriers,
amending law relating to escheated estates,
amending private corporation act to bet.
ter and more fully develop the mining re-
sources OF Texas and several laws relating
to the public free schools. Shortly after
the adjournment OF this session of the
Legislature, the memorable struggle be-
tween the executive and the prize fight
invaders began, q brief history OF which
may not be out OF place. BY an amend
ment OF the occupation tax law, approved
April Q, 1889. every fight between man
and man" was taxed $500 for each perform
ance. By the act OF March 20, 1891, such
encounters were denounced anl prohibited.
The commissioners appointed to revise and
digest the laws, civil and criminal, Of the
State, incorporated In the civil statutes the
act Of 1889 and in the criminal statutes
the act OF 1891 referred to, and this re-
vision was adopted by the regular session OF
the Twenty fourth legislature. Prize fights
being advertised to take place in the
State, regardless of the last enactment
above referred to- the governor applied to
the attorney general for his opinion as
to its validity who held that, since the penal
statute was passed subsequent to the H.
ceDee law, II should precail as the --latest.
expression Of the legislative will. In pus
suance OF this opinion the governor issued
his proclamation on the 9th OF July warn
Ing all persons against the violation OF
the penal laws. and urging the various
local authorities to enforce the statute.
Much excitement prevailed and the people
were on tiptoe as to the probable outcome
when on September % Judge Hurt OF the
court or criminal appeals, in habeas cor
pus proceeding, held In eject that the act
OF 1889. licensing fights between man and
man, as brought forward in the revised
civil statutes, repealed the criminal statute
against such contests Incorporated in the
revised penal code. In view Of this de-
cision, while q great many were OF the
opinion that 1t was not final except In the
case in which it was rendered, yet It was
recognized as the opinion OF n jurist OF
distinguished ability and large experience
and 1t was feared 1t would serve to create
an apparent conflict of authority and en-
barrass the execution Of the Lew; and II
not being certain that a decision of the
Question by the court OF criminal appeals
or the supreme court would be rendered in
time to meet the then existing emer-
gencies, the governor thought the better
course would be TO remove all controversy
by legislation. Accordingly on September
26. 1895, he issued his proclamation con-
vening the Twenty fourth legislature In
extraordinary session on October 1, and the
following strong language was used as
expressing the first purpose for which
To denounce prize lighting and kindred
practices in clear and unamblguous terms.
end prohibit the same by appropriate
pains and penalties, putting the law into
Immediate operation, and making neces-
sary provision for Its enforcement, SO that
proposed exhibitions of this character
within the State may be prevented, the
undoubted VIII OF the people upon the
subject respected and this affront to the
moral sense and enlightened progress OF
Texas averted."
And I'm his message to that body when
assembled the governor forcbly expressed
himself as follows: ''The public interests
require that this exhibition especially
should be suppressed. Discountenanced
by Mexico and the Territories, outlawed
and driven from every State, 1t Is pro-
posed to assemble horde of rufhians and
gamblers and offer here this commanding
insult to public decency. Against it the
and the pride of the people re-
volt, and your prompt and resolute ac-
ton will spare them the ignominy and
the shame. 1t will do another thing. 1t
WIN recall to the great city of the State,
by a manly and generous and
enlightened people. the wholesome and
assuring truth, now obscured by anger and
for which 1t will hereafter
thank you, that no part Of its material
prosperity, no part of its social and In
tellectual and industrial progress, no part
OF Its splendid destiny, Is bound up in an
endeavor to hold within its limits one of
the most disgraceful orgies that ever
promised to discredit and dishonor Texas"
The result is known of all men. A law
was passed almost unanimously in a few
days denouncing prize fighting and MAX
ing it a felony, and the prize fighters,
led by Dan Stuart, were forced to pack
their grips" and leave the State, while
tt.x,t 49,.
governors belt. 1t was n great day and
a great victory for Culberson, but much
greater for the moral well being of Texas.
Subsequent to the passage of the anti
prize fight law the affairs of State
moved along smoothly until the opening
of the never-to- be-forgotten campaign OF
1895. The governor was renominated
without opposition at the Fort Worth con-
vention. and shortly afterward the mos.
contest ever witnessed in the
State opened like tempest and was
Fought with all the fury of cyclone The
National democratic convention had de-
clared for the free and unlimited coinage
of silver and this declaration was Endorsed
by the State convention. Immediately fol-
lowing the action of the National conven-
ton the cohesivemess of party ties began
to disappear and party affiliations were
uisregarded by not few hitherto pro-
fessed democrats. The popullsts were we'll
organized In tho early part of the cam
paign, but, they, too, met with more or
less disintegration consequent upon the
action of their National convention which
aligned Itself with the Nationa! democracy
upon the silver issue and indonsed the
democratic nominee (Bryan) for the presI-
dency. The popullsts of Texas found
themselves ''in hole" by reason OF this.
and In their State convention they re-
fused to indcrse the work OF their Ma
tonal convention as TO the presidential
nominee. They readily realized the
predicament in which they were thus
placed and became desperate in their eff
forts to hold their forces together on State
Issues and State candidates Every sub
terfuge which craftiness and cunning
could devise aud every pretence which
desperation and despair could construct
We're resorted to to prevent the orumblpg
OF the powerful ediflce which they flat.
tered themselves had been erected. but
the dynamite had been planted and de-
ssruction was bound to follow Contempo-
raneous in time with this falling /, pieces
OF party ties came the most gigantic pol-
iucai deal ever witnessed in the politics