Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-08

has the largest and finest capitol OF any
state in the Union. 1t stands on an emf
hence IN the center of the city of Austin,
and was built by A. NJ Babcock of Chicago
and his associates John V. Farwell, c. b
Farwell and Abner Taylor. The circum-
stances were unique. The building did not
cost the taxpayers n dollar in money The
syndicate received as compensation a tract
Of 100000 acres of land lying in the north
western part of the state, mostly in the
Panhandle. They had considerable diff
Guilty in realizing upon It. because the panic
of 1898 occurred at critical period in the
enterprise. But the people of Texas lost
nothing. They got splendid state house
without paying dollar or doing a days
labor or losing hours sleep. The Of
fees provided for the officials are large and
convenient, and the halls for the meetings
of the two houses of the assembly are noble
apartments. The state courts. the state IL
brary and other institutions have more
room than they want Few states have
been so wise Texas in providing for the
future.
The legislature of Texas has been the
subject of good deal of rldicule and criti-
cism because of some peculiar laws that
have been enacted during the past few
years. but other legislative bodies have
done worse and when you come to look
into the facts you will find that there is
good deal more sense than folly in some of
the laws that criticised
The Homestead Act.
For example. the homestead act, which
has excited much unfavorable comment
was conceived in the desire to preserve the
homes of the state and protect the widows
and children OF men who are unwise. I'M
fortunate wicked. The statute provides
that the home of a family up to a valua-
tion of 5000. or a farm up to an area of
200 acres. cannot be seized sold for debt
except TO recover taxes the purchase
money. a man may mortgage his home or
his farm. If his creditor is willing to take
the risk, but If the property is worth no
more than 5000 the mortgage cannot be
foreclosed unless 1t represents the original
purchase money. The same rule applies to
all farms to the extent of 200 acres. to all
household furniture, books. tools, imple-
ments and apparatus pertaining to a bust
ness trade profession. 1t exempts from
seizure two yoke of oxen. two horses,
twenty sheep. twenty hogs five cows, one
wagon, one carriage and one buggy. All
of these exempt from sale. except IN
der lien for the purchase money given at
the time of purchase. A rascal is not per-
mitted to buy q house or a COW or horse
or a home or farm and then evade pay
ment under the homestead law, and all are
expected to pay their taxes, widows and
orphans included But the wives and chill
dren of Texas are protected against specu-
lative. dissipated, extravagant and unwise
husbands and fathers.
Another law which has excited some com
ment permits married women to retain all
property owned by them before marriage
or acquired later by inheritance, regardless
of the debts or transactions of their hus-
bands. A woman may permit her husband
10 manage her property and he may dis
sipate il, but If Ii is she is not liable for
his debts
The Libel Law.
Another law relates 10 libel. 1t is for
hidden to deny or impeach the honesty or
integrity or virtue reputation of any per-
son: or TO ridicule him expose him to
public ridicule or contempt or disgrace. 1t
H. unlawful TO ridicule describe call
attention to the natural. physical or men
tai defects of your neighbor. and there is a
heavy penalty for criticising the conduct or
injuring the reputation of the dead, no mat
ter whether the words spoken are true or
false. In prosecutions under this law If the
defendants shall publicly apologize for, or
correct or retract q statement, the fact
may be taken into consideration; and the
court may also Judge of the provocation.
An exception is made in the case of public
meetings and proceedings In courts OF JUS
tice and legislative bodies. Anything that
occurs is said In them may be safely re-
peated in public or private or reported in
the newspapers and publicly or privately
discussed; and the law allows reasonable
criticism of the acts and utterances OF
public officials.
Under this statute the newspapers of
Texas are theoretically prohibited from
printing ordinary news The fact that
man has been arrested may be published
but If the cause of his arrest is given the
publication is libelous whether true or false
A banker may steal all of the money In
hts vaults but the newspapers are for
hidden to make the announcement until the
police have taken some action in the matter
and then they can only publish what the
police have done. II Is libelous to call
thief to account. Caricatures of public
men. political and other cartoons are libel
lous provided they are likely to hold their
subjects up to ridicule. The law Is not
strictly enforced throughout the state, but
occasionally people are reminded or us ex-
istence. Texas has some excellent news
papers. Those Of Galveston, Houston, san
Antonio. Dallas. Fort Worth and other
cities are as newsy and as ably edited as
any IN the United States. and they print
full accounts of public occurrences without
regard to the libel law; butNevery now and
then one OF them Is pulled up short Re
Gently the manager OF theater In san
Antonio was horsewhipped by an indignant
soubrette The papers printed conserva-
tive account of the incident. The victim
appealed to the courts, the editor was con-
victed OF libel and damages were allowed
The paper has appealed 10 the hisher courts
Prohibition the Only Issue.
The temperance question is the only live
issue in Texas politics. and that has stirred
up the state from bottom 20 top. especially
the democratic party. In the last legisla-
ture as a friend expressed 1t. the prohibit
tionists had a majority In numbers but not
In brains" Gov. Langham Is a prohibit
ton sympathizer although he trains with
the democrats. as q great many other tenn
perance advocates do. but at the next cleo
ton the prohibition leaders will insist upon
a lineup. and will declare that no man
can belong to both parties. They Will fight
for the control of the state organization. as
we'll as the legislature. and IL is expected
that Judge Brooks of the court OF appeals
will be their candidate for governor.
Whether they will have an electoral ticket
In 1903 remains TO be seen. Heretofore the
prohibitionists have usually nominated one,
and x has received very small vote. on
the theory that the issue relates to local
affairs only. but the bitterness between the
prohibitonists and the old-line democrats
is becoming so intense that 1t will be diff
cult for them to pull together under any
organization name. The democrats are
reading the prohibition leaders out of their
party and the prohlbtionists declare that
the democrats must take one side or the
other of the liquor question in national as
we'll as state and local politics that they
cannot limit the application of a principle
10 township county. even state.