Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-11-21
Goes on Record as Opposed to Called
Session OF Thirtyfourth
Legislature.


dressed to me as a member of the
Legislature received but owing TO
absence from my office for a few days
] have been unable to answer earlier.
Replying thereto beg to advise that
l am unalterably opposed to call Of
the Thirty-fourth Legislature together
at this time to consider either or both
Of the measures mentioned by you.
In my judgment there is no necessity
for II and no good could result there.
from, but would only incur useless
expenditure Of the peoples money
and place greater financial burden
upon an already overburdened people
and taxpayers OF this State without
giving them any benefit whatever
Both OF these questions were submit.
ted by you to the second and third
called sessions OF the Thirty.third
Legislature, and after full, fair and
complete consideration by both
branches OF that body they we're over.
whelmingly defeated. Why do you
continue to harrass the people by con.
slant legislative agitation, and espe.
cially now when they are so much in
need OF peace and rest from political
worries Are you thereby living up
TO your pretentions OF political peace
and legislative rest?" On the con.
trary, you are by your conduct caus.
ing the people of this State ceaseless
political agitation and legislative nm.
rest and unhappiness.
| opposed the bill for reduction OF
the cotton acreage for 1915, when It
was submitted to the third called SEES.
sion OF the Thirty-third Legislature
and shall oppose the enactment OF
any measure on that line II submitted
by you in a special called session Of
the Thirty-fourth Legislature, for the
very same reasons now as did then:
because II Is not constitutional. The
Legislature has not the power to de-
stroy the individual rights OF the PEG.
pie and destroy the right of contract
when it does not contrayene public
policy, even under the police power
Of the State. The rule as / under.
stand II to be Is the State has the
right and exercises that right under
its police power to control its indi-
vidual citizens in their conduct az
fecting the public health. morals, etc,
but the doctrine has never been eX.
tended by reputable authority TO In.
clude economic questions to the eX.
tent of depriving the private citizens
OF the right OF individual contract,
for II is the spirit Of the law, both
constitutional and statute. to give the
private person as distinguished from
a public or quasipublic person the
very broadcast latitude possible in his
business dealings. provided of course
he does not interfere with the rights
of others. II the policy Of the law
was otherwise Il would absolutely be
destructive of the rights Of the peO-
pie and would arrest development and
would cause business stagnation, and
there could and would be no indus.
trial progress. The trouble in our
country, and especially in this State,
is in trying to regulate everything
by the Legislature. We are law.
ridden people. There should be
fewer laws and better laws. be.
leve in the good old Democratic doc
trine that the people who are govern
ed least are governed best" ! con
slider It as much the duty Of legis-
lator to try to defeat bad laws as to
enact good ones. and have acted
upon that plan for the past four years
] have served in the Texas Senate.
Regarding the bank bill, have to
state opposed that in the second and
third called sessions of the Thirty.
third Legislature when 1t was intro.
duced then. and shall vigorously OPP.
pose It If submitted in a called SEES.
sion of the Thirty-fourth Legislature.
do not think the sacred school funds
of the children of Texas should be
taken from them by the Legislature
to enable the State to engage in the
banking business and possibly there.
by jeopardize that sacred heritage
which was handed to the children Of
this State by the fathers.
l can see no imperative necessity
for the calling of special session of
the Thirty-fourth Legislature imme.
diately to enact law for the reduc-
ton of the cotton acreage and for the
enactment of bill establishing a cen.
trail reserve bank for the State of
Texas. If such measures are desired
they can be considered and acted
upon in the next regular session of
the Thirty-fourth Legislature, which
convenes on the second Tuesday in