Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-09-01
JUDGE PRAISES
COUNTY RECORD
Cunningham De clares
Laws Are Enforced in
Jury Charge

cameron county mas established n
statewide reputation for law and order
and for having n high class or citizens.
and X II such reputation a. this that
will induce better citizens TO continue
coming here" said Criminal District
Judge A. W. Cunningham this morning
in charging a grand jury.
III believe the conditions as to en-
forcement Of law. and general condi-
tions. including the status Of the cit
iztnshig in this county. are on high
enough plane to justify this reputa-
tion." the judge said. sit is just such
a reputation as this that vii induce bet
ter citizens to come TO the county.
Son the other hand IL this county
should get q reputation as a place Of
loose law enforcement. then persons Of
that character will flock to the county,
and il will be equal TO the reputation it
secures.
"In the same proportion a. the COM
munity has respect for law. and has ef-
ficient law enforce nsent. with rrotec-
tion of property and life. are the pro-
perty values held. Property values in
any community are measured to GER
tain extent by the conditions prevailing
in regard 70 law enforcement"
The judge next took Tip the election
laws, after charging the grand jury TO
investigate all violations of the penal
code, and declared that "we can't have
free government as a matter Of fact un-
less we have honest ani clean elections,
r-. ,aI al. n
as. The election judges must observe
all of the election laws in conducting
an election, and it is your duty to see
that all Of them have been observed in
this county"
Another point which Judge Cunning
ham stressed in connection with the
elections. was the English speaking pro-
vision in the statutes about elections.
He mentioned that this statute has pre-
viouslv been tested. and rroved consti-
tutionaI. and that the jury must inves-
tigate il. IF ID L. not enforced. there
are eases in this county in which one
person can write out the ballots for
fifty or sixty persons, and by doing so
would disfranchise as many good cit
liens cf the cCuhty"
Judge Cunningham then took up
gambling. declaring that this was an
other instance in which the county has
a good reputation. az do not know of
any gambling houses in Cameron coun
ty. but it is your duty to investigate
this matter. The gambling law or the
state i To uphold the moral standards
Of a community. There can be nothing
in a county that will congregate Vi
cious element so soon as will gambling
and pool houses"
The dangerous situation in regard to
the highways in the county was next
discussed BY the judge. After bringing
out the fact that thousands OF dollars
mile was spent in constructing the
much needed highways. Judge Cunning
ham said. THE highways in this coun-
ty with their constant list or accidents,
dead and injured. hold or.t a constant
menace to all who ride on them. III we
are not able to stop the loss Of life
on the highways here. in twelve months
we will have a reputation all over the
state Of Texas that the highway here Is
not safe. and persons will quit coming
over Il. We have got to stop the reck-
less driving
Reports from county officers were
included by the judge in his charge.
and the jury went into session. while
court was recessed n. n. Sibson of
Continued On Page Three)