San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-30

~ iS " ue congratulated upon tne
splendid conditions in which our in
vestigation found its affairs.
"SOme Misguided Influence"
We have made careful investi-
CATION as TO crime in Bexar county
and find that the officers of our city
| and county with few exceptions are
doing their duty in suppression OF
same. That their efforts have result
| cd in reducing it to such an extent
! that we proclaim TO the world that
San Antonio is rs law abiding as any
city in the United States. We make
this report in this connection because
! of the damaging newspaper articles
which have been sent broadcast
throug hout the country branding San
Antonio as a crime and vice center,
and we feel that the good citizenship
OF Bexar county. with the good name
of San Antonio at heart should know
the facts as we have found them.
Although score or more of state
rangers and their assistants have been
in our midst for the past several
| months they have during our session
reported only two gambling cases and
one perjury case in neither of which
cases did the facts warrant an indict.
ment. In addition to the above eases
the complaints against our county Of
ficials were also presented, the COM
plants being signed by a member OF
the ranger force. After careful con.
siderati0n of these charges against the
county officials the facts in our judg-
ment did not Justify an indictment.
Fear Damage Intended"
We regret that through some mis-.
guided influence those in authority
nave seen fit to place the Texas ran
gers in this county. We find no cause
Tor this action whatever, and feel that
they should be withdrawn. 1t was
brought to our attention Mt the begin
ming of our term that Adjutant Cen
eral Barton of the state rangers had
expressed a desire to come before this
body, but even though we have been
in session all month, he has never pre-
sented himself. On one occasion, we
issued Il subpoena for General Bar.
ton and we were informed by the ram
ger captain that he had taken sick
and gone to Austin, and therefore lac
Las never appeared before this present
grand jury. Press dispatches of Octo-
Der "a, - and 20. attribute The state.
ment to General Barton that martial
law is just what is needed In san An
tonic. This, if true. is most absurd
statement especially so as coming
from high ranking state official
end n man that should know the con-
ditions existing in our city. Nothing
has occurred in San Antonio SO far
as our investigation discloscs that
would warrant martial law and we
fear the statement was made merely to
damage the fair name of our city
which in our judgment is as law abid-
ing rs any city in this country. 1t is
the opinion of this grand jury that il
never was intended that the rangers
were TO be used in the manner that
they are being used in San Antonio.
Rangers Amenable TO Law.
ave believe inasmuch as rangers
are paid officers of the state of Texas
they should operate under the laws of
our state in which event they them
selves must be held responsible,
equally as is the citizen for any in
fraction of such state law or laws.
"Our governor has but recently re-
turned from conference with the
President of the United States at
W hich there were present nearly all
of the governors of the several states
of the Union. The consensus of opin-
ion and the decision growing out OF
the said meeting and its discussions
was that the state should prosecute
violations of the prohibition amend
mcnt. thus following their fixed pre-.
rogratives and thus too aiding the fed
eral government in the enforcement of
the constitutional amendment. No self
respecting state government should
confess impotence in this respect.
From the beginning of our his
tory the question of state rights has
been a paramount one and this issue
beyond doubt precipitatcd the Civil
War of the Cos.
Don't Need Rangers.
at seems ridiculous for our state
TO operate under n system of criminal
laws in the enforcement of which they
are puerile and incapable. YiOlators of
the laws should be unprecedented, tried
and punished under the Dean law, the
potential avenue for such charges and
trials and il said law is too drastic
or impossible of application it should
be repealed and another less drastic
o. more IlcAlDlt tldtNtu. We uo NV
require federal aid in the enforcement
of criminal laws in Texas any more
than we require state rangers to seek
out and punish crimes and INSIDE
meanors in Bexar county.
They Condemn Them
1--WE condemn in no unmeasured
terms the repeated attempt upon the
part of the rangers to enter private
homes for any purpose whatever with
out the possession of legal warrants
permitting such intrusion. Article 4
of the Constitution of the United
State and Section o of the Bill of
Rights of the Texas State COnstitu-
ton especially inhibit such action upon
the part of any neace officer, thus
to the people the right
of security in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreason-
able or unlawful search or seizure.
This grand jury wishes to commend
the regular motorcycle officers, both
city and county for their efficiency in
the speed an traffic regula-
tions and arresting offenders against
such speed or traffic laws.
This commendation applies to only
regular salaried officers that make ar
rests for offenses and not for fees. We
wish to condemn the pra .ce of ap-
men that work on fee basis.
We find upon investigation that these
men are appointed as deput- consta
bles The majority of them state that
they are guaranteed minimum salary
Of $40 per month, to be earned at APP
a