El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-20
FERGUSON SENDS
FIRST MESSAGE
Governor Urges Carrying Out
Faithfully Demands of
FL Paso Platform.
CONTINUED From Page One. .

Il 4
great degree this Is true. But that is
not all.
@Then you say the foreign war, and
this is true. But that is not all.
Evils Not Enumerated.
There are evils, the cause OF which
is not to be found in the low price of
cotton, the high cost Of living or the
horrors of war.
Let US again turn to first principles.
Can the average man today who finds
his troubles enYeloping him. conscien-
tiousl9 say to himself: Il have spent
less than I have made? 7 have bought
less than ] could pay for? have
lived within my means? / have been
frugal and economical I have been
free from Wasteful and riotOus living
have made investments in reasonable
proportion to my own WORTH
NO people who do not recognize and
respect these simple truths can ever
survive misfortune, let alone rise TO
prosperity and affluence.
we must start again and start
Alright. As law making body, You
will be beset and besieged by persons
and petitions ceeking in different
forms and ways to cure these simple
evils by legislation.
mo law can be passed that will pro-
vide against wasteful extravaganza
excessive expenditure or incorrect live
ing
''The government can DO much to
protect property. but only the indiHid-
usl can produce property. The gov
eminent can do much to aid In the
marketing of crops. But the Individual
must produce the crops The govern
ment can do much to see that there IS
a fair division between those who labor
and those who do not, but the govern
ment can produce no actual -alues
You. as a legislature, can regulate
many things, but you cannot proauce
wealth by statute
THE will of the people should al
ways be respected and carried into liv-
ing laws. and where any legislation
does not plainly violate some expressed
provision of the constitution, l take
il that it is the duty of the legista-
ture 20 use its best influence and ef-
forts to reflect the Will OF the people
and where there is any doubt as TO
whether proposed legislation Involves
some constitutional power, take u
that no member Of the Legislature
should in advance, constitute himself
a supreme court He should resolve
all doubts in favor of the wish OF tne
people, and strive to put their wishes
into law. leaving technical questions
of construction, and constituIloual au-
thority to the courts themselves
recommends FL PasO Platform.
"Therefore. I take the liberty of rec
onmending for your special cohsloeI a
ton, each and every plank of the
Democratic platform adopted by the
representatives Of the people IN con-
vention assembled in the great city
of FL Paso on August u, 1913.
"The salient and important planhs
OF this platform were issued IN the
last campaign These issues were dls-
cussed on both sides, by some OF the
ablest men in Texas, and take II ina
no one can now successfully insist thaI
the platform. as adopted, does not rep
resent the wish OF the people.
ut may be said further, without fear
OF contradiction. that no plank IN the
EI Paso platform does violence 10 Ihe
constitution of this state.
at least there is no plank IN the
platform that exceeds the powers con-
ferred by the constitution to that e1.
tent that would justify any mem er OF
the Legislature, in opposing the pat
foIm in advance Of judicial deterhlha-
There are some matters of legisia-
ton called for in the FL Paso psi
form that I deem IL my duty TO cali
to your special attention
Restrict Land Rents.
THE first is that you should pass \
law restricting land rents IN IeNas'
and declare all contracts void and con
trarv to public policy whereby tne
tenant is required to pay rent eN-
ceeding in value one-fourth OF ~
cotton raised and One-third Of the
value Of the grain ralsea H ne -
tenant furnishes everything LOT nla s
ing the crop. except the land. except
ing Of course y here the crops are
made upOn what is known as the mar
system i'm which event the ianulOIu
NAV charge rent not to exceed one
half the value of all crops raised Where
said landlord furnishes all the teams,
tools and feed with which to make the
..Protect the Farmer
"The second question is the pas5ase
OF such law as necessary 70 pronlplt
pools. combines and trusts, ioynlee ~
persons or corporations for the PUT
pose 10 fix arbitrarily the price OF the
produce Of the farm
s.PrOtect Those Who Labor"
THE third question to which l desire
to call your attention is that OF the
needs of legislation TO protect aIl t i,'
who labor, organized and unorSanlzed.
The child labor laws Of Texas should
he carefully looked into, and such ad-
ditional legislation should be passed
that would prevent the enforced en-
Of minors where their health
or education might be impaired as
result of such employment.
Il recommend an increase in the
sa larry Of the commissioner of labor TO
$4,000 a year.
Texas is an empire within Itself
The kingdom of Germany, which now
supports more people in war than re-
side in Texas. is no larger than Texas,
and is no greater than Texas, ana
has no greater productive area than
Texas.
I'VE have more varied natural re-
sources than any spot on the glope:
They await only the plastic hand OF
man to make them blossom like the
rose.
"Therefore we must have more peo-
ple in Texas. and the right kind OF
Deoplc in Texas We should welcome
The patriotic man without means, be-
cause he is needed. We should well
come the man with means, because ne
is a necessity, and one cannot exist
without the other
ANY legislatiO nthat might Drln9
about the placing or Investment OF OUT
side capital to our state, should re-
COVE your careful consideration we
must not only invite the foreign m
vestor. but we must seek him ana not
only let him know that he is welcome,
but that he viii receive our caretul
protection
Help insane Asyiums.
''The various asylums for the insane
in Texas have within the last four
years been the recipient of liberal APP
at your hands, and much
has been done to alleviate the condi-
tion of this unfortunate class Of our
However there IS yet room
for Improvement and 1 hope that you
sfsnF f1v.