The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-09-21
MORE OF GIBBS VAGARIES,

Austin Texas. September 19.--Staff spe-
cial with characteristic effrontery and
dbsregard for facts. and with the usual
confidence In his ability to deceive peo.
pie. Rarney Gibbs. in replying to Major
sayers, gets Off the following in support
OF his State relief railroad scheme:
Switzerland. Russia and Prussia and
many ether nations found It necessary "a
own enough railroad mileage to Fix tide
wuter rate that would enable their people
10 farm and manufacture at profit.
Georgia found II necessary to build rail-
road and New York had TO build the Erie
canal"
Switzerland has no need Of seaboard
rates, as IL has no ses coast whatever.
Its railroads are mere tourist lines run
ming the most part UP mountain sides,
on the edge Of cbasms and along the banks
of pcturesquely tortuous torrents.
Russia and Prussia are govcrnnentally
in the railroad business simply TO control
the transportation lines so as to enable
them to suspend traffic and move their
vast Grmies on occasion Whenever II
pleases the car OF Russia or the emperor
Of Germany to mobolizc their armies the
general public has to walt for railroad SER
vice until thu soldier boys have been moved.
And when the German and Russian roads
are not at the service Of the military the
accommodations and facilities vouchsafed
by them to ordinary people is greatly in-
terlor to that given in this country. Fur
thermore, their employees are poorly paid
in comparison with those of American rail-
roads. and there Is nothing about their
management TO suggest that the welfare
and benefit OF those who must perforcc
p1tronize them enters In the least into the
calculations OF the officials charged with
the duty of operating them.
with regard to the railroad built by the
state Of Georgia. Gibbs seems to have for
gotten that it has been found necessary to
turn II over to a private corporation to
run, 1t bong at present operated under
lease by the Southern Railroad company.
Tho Erie canal. about which Gibbs seems
to know less than about the many other
things of which he is ignorant y6A net .sesS
the most about. was constructed before
there was a single line of railroad across
the state of New York. 1t was dug a.
time when people had little faith in
the Ultimate success of steam transporta-
ton lines and when waterways were the
favorie channels Of travel The idea Of
competing with railroads never entered the
minds of It's projectors for railroads were
not factor In the premises in their day.
Several days ago there appeared an item
in the state papers to the effect that Comp
troller Finley was turning down bills for
fees In criminal cases presented by peace
officers because no appropriation had been
made by the Twenty-ffth legislature for
the purpose Of taking care of such accounts
for the year ending February rs, 1899.
Thia Is not correct
The accounts that are being sent back
are those for fees claimed by county
judges, justices of the peace sherffs and
constables in examining trials. The legis
loture did not set aside any money for
them in this particular for the current
year, Many Of the o.fices specified have
returned their accounts and asked for de-
fdrncy certificates upon receipt of the In
formation that the appropriation in ques-
zion was non est but here again they are
meeting with disappointment because y
deficiency certificate can not issue until
an appropriation has been exhausted
Where no appropriation at all has been
made there can of course be no room Tor
a deficiency.
The truth OF the matter is that the leg
islature in making no appropriation for the
payment OF fees in examining trials in
tended to stop the giving Of remuneration
for holding them.
In the message to the Twenty fifth leg
lslature Governor Culherson pointed out
that S4oOt per year could be saved by re-
pcaing the law allowing fees in examining
trials a bill to that effect was prepai Cd
ard introduced but fsilad to pass for lack
Of necessary pushing or something else.
When the Appropriation bill Was passed,
however, but $4,000 was set aside for the
payment of fees In examining trials foc
the year ending February rs, 1898. and
nothing al all for the year ending February
2s.ls99, thus, In round about way, follow
ing out the governors Recommendation.
Two things led up to the proposition
that the law allowing fees in examining
trials be repealed, or that the appropriation
for such purpose be al least ally re-
duced, The first was that extravaganza
bills we're In many instances run up Tor
holding them While the second was that
IN The opinion OF many persons learned In
the law the decision OF the court OF GRIM
inal appeals in the Cline case rendered
OF Little value testimony taken in sucn
trials.
The governor IN the same message In
winch he recommended that the payment
OF the fees in question be stopped referred
TO the decision IN the following terms:
Fer more than quarter o. a ceutury
IL was the law OF this state announced re-
pea1e@iy by the highest courts that the
testimony " 4 deceased Nl,ness al Il fol
meG tral Of criminal Charge IS admissible
III eNs0enee AZ sUbsequcnt trial O! the
same case and may be proven ny another
person Nho heard the testimony, Inis sal
N'asy doctrine. thoroughly accepted and
necessary a. In "a, Of.