The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-15
HONOR AND CREDIT or TEXAS.

! In discussing American affairs. yet not ono
Of their Transatlantic contemporaries has
ever, unconscionsly or otherwise. equaled
them in misinformation with regard 10
what franspIrcs in this country away from
i the seaboard. Every State west oil the
Allcghanes has suffered more or less from
i the inaccuracies for which the metropolitan
press has become noted, and Texas has
| had more than its share OF the burden 10
bear. For instance. II has been persstently
referred 10 as an unsafe place for the i'll
vestment OF capital. although the study
Of its lawmakers and executive officers has
for the past eight years been to
| give statutory protection TO invest
! ors as we'll as to head off remorseless
schemers and irresponsible innationists
who have sought to make this State the
| base OF their operations for ensnaring the
! unwary.
| Let law be passed here to hinder the
success OF doubtful financial jobs. and
| forthwith Texas is denounced in the Phil
adelphia, New York and Boston papers as
being a foe OF enterprise. Let Texas
court decide that honest debts can not be
repudiated and the same Eastern purvey-
ors OF news will undertake to convey the
| impression that there is lack OF sympathy
among the people with such interpretations
Of the law.
A case in point ia that with regard to
the recent opinion of the supreme court
of this State settling the status of certain
county bonds, Reputation of which was
attempted In n few instances because vi
supposed technical objections to the course
pursued by commissioners courts in order
ing their issuance. In discussing the opin-
ion, the New York Sun remarks:
THE State of Texas is to be congratu-
lated on this decision even more than are
the investors in repudiated Texas county
bonds. The honor and reputation of tbs
State are restored. She will pay her debts
Consequently money Will flow into the
State But the foes of the money changers |
must regard with horror the fact that |
debts must be paid even to outside money
lenders"
1t would seem from the above that the /
Texas courts have broken a precedent and
for once decided that honesty is good poi
Icy, while as n matter of fact/ the de-
osion referred to is strictly in/line with |
WHAT they have ever held and not an exccp- |
tlon to the rule, as the Sun would have |
the money changers" who must regard |
such decisions with horror" Texas is no |
home of theirs. No one in this State has |
expressed disapproval of the supreme |
courts decision In this matter the univer- |
sal opinion being that it is good law.
Besides the sun, the baltimore Manu-
facturers' Recor which OF late sseios to
be trying to make record as a Texas |
defamer, has had something to say ABOUT
this yame opinion, AMI in a. article re-
ferring thereto which has been approvlnsiy |
quoted by a few Texas papers, j; gets Oft |
the following:
In August proposed amendment TO
the constitution tending to invalidate the |
bonds, with the exception of those in which
the school fund was invested, was defeat
ed"
This Is cold -blooded Justification. HAD
the amendment referred to been adopted
1t would have tended toward the ultimate
submission and adoption of an amendment
validating the doubtful holdings of private
investors for II the questionable bonds
held by the school fund had been iegalized
by popular vote no excuse would havy-rc
NAMED for the reputation OF bonds in
similar condition held by individuals. Hut
there Is no room for further argument Oh
this point as 1t has been settled by 1iir
ments should not go unchallenged. since IL
Is more than apparent that they are ma
for the purpose of discrediting Texas Sc
cnrtt'es. sugar coated though they may be-
with the left-handed approval OF the ac-
ton OF the supreme court"
Unfair as the Sun and Records COM
ments seem, there is some excuse for them
nevertheless, because those papers and
nj hon 10, he L
their example in misrepresenting Texas,
have doubtless taken their cue from publ
cations In this State publications
which from spite have not hnsi-
tated TO hold up their people TO the con-
Tempt OF outsiders for no other reason than
'nat iexas has refused to he dictated to by
shcao fatuous opponents of tortuous Jour
hallsm, Since 1890 IL has been one long.
continuous round of malicious distortion OF
iacts with them at the expense OF their
STATE as well as the furnishing of texts for
adverse criticism in the East. And their
discussion OF this bond amendment of
when Inc Manufacturers Record maRes
mention has boon n fruitful source OF ad
verse comment for them. They took IL IN
ana misrepresented II for no other reason
t1an mat Attorney General Crane was nm
ders'ood to have favored its adoption.
nav 'lune mas Deen part Of the State |
administrations which they have fought
Tor six years and that his name has been
connected with the State credlt7savIna leg
islation which has been engraftod unon
TIE statutes during that time was enough
TO excite their luminosity. And when the
supreme court finally in effect validated
the bonds which they have made SO mucn ,
FUSS about they omitted referring to the
rart Mr.. Crane played In the night for
'he uecision IN the case With studied I
effort they neglected 10 cali attention to |
me fact that MS amicus ouriao ne appeared J
before the court OF civil appeals and be- Z
lorc the supreme court, aud do me cham
p.on OF honesty ana the defender OF the t
states honor. he Insisted upon the val.da- /
tloh ot the bonds in question and won out. I
VI course he performed nothing bat his a
duty IN SO doing, but he Is entitled /, Q
efedl, therefor, and II is a little short OF I
~ outrage to deprive him thereof iacaue
Of desire to hurt Texas by making IL