Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-09-04
ORDER GRAND
JURYTOPROBE'
COUNTY VOTE
Cunningham Prais e
Excellent Enforce
rnent Record; Lauds
Election Officials

che 2eth judicial district for the ex-
ceIlent record the district has at
tanned in law enforcement, District
Judge A. w. Cunningham, in his
charge TO the Cameron county grand
jury Monday, urged that the record
be maintained.
He emphasized the necessity Of in
vestigating alleged election law vio-
lations, stating that "the high char
acter of the man who have been
holding elections in Cameron county
for a good many years. is, in my
opinion, an earnest hat our elections
have been fairly and honestly held"
he commented upon the charges made
by Sid Hardin, defeated candidate for
congress, urged immediate investiga-
ti0n Of the charges and also an in
vestig1tion as to whether they con-
stituted criminal libel.
Following IS the text Of his charge:
Every grand jury impaneled IN
Cameron county makes history IN a
way for the county. The result OF
the work Of the grand jury Of this
county. and, following il up, the re-
suit Of the work Of the court after
the grand jury has finished, Is an ad-
vertisement to the world of the char
acter of citizens who live in this
county and who are invited TO come
here TO live as citizens
"A study OF the early history Of
Texas furnishes one Of the best
lessons in the selection Of citizen
ship that, | believe, is 10 be found in
the history Of the United States. One
Of the fundamental requirements Of
the men who settled in Texas under
the Austin Colony, the colony that
really colonized Texas with Amer
lean citizens, was that they should
me men Of outstanding good char
acter and industrious, and without
that qualification they we're not ad-
mitted 10 citizenship at ALL When
that colony began 10 organize they
were without laws to govern them
and Stephen +. Austin wrote out and
promulgated a set Of civil and Grim
inal laws to govern his colony. There
were only three or four outstanding
things in those penal laws: the pro-
lection of life and property, first, and
then the obedience TO law, but absolute
~ prohibiting gambling, and prohibit
ing the living of gamblers and idiers
and Migrants within the jurisdiction Of
that colony. Following that up, the
organization Of Texas as a republic,
If you will study the am Of the
men who organized this republic,
they we're the men who principally
came into Stephen f.. Austin's colony,
and the high character of those men
shows the result of that selection.
Now, / have said this to the grand
jury for the simple fact that the work
Of this grand jury will advertise to
the world whether or not the courts
Of Cameron county wink at the COM
mission Of crime and the violation
Of the laws of Texas or whether or
not they stand hitched on the propo-
sition that the constitution and laws
Of Texas are supreme in Cameron
county and are ia be enforced by its
courts. No mar can be tried in this
court except upon the indictment Of
the grand jury. Therefore, the work
Of the grand jury Is the initiation Of
the efforts Of the state to enforce
its laws through its courts.
Orders Election Probe
There are certain things necessary
for me 10 charge this grand jury upon
and ! may say, in passing, that that
a not only the function, but il Is
the duty Of this grand jury 10 make
the investigation thoroughly upon the
things that are given to them IN
charge by the court.
One Of those things necessary to
charge this grand jury on IS the IN
vestiration Of the violation OF law
with respect to elections that have
been held in Cameron county since
the last grand jury adjourned, or,
for that matter, il known 70 the
grand Jury, the violation OF any OF
the election laws that are not barred
bv the statute Of limitation.
Recently / read in the public
nress. with amazement, the published
statement that in the congressional
district in which we live 10000 men,
citizens Of Mexico. were brought
across the river and voted in cur
elections. Now, this is either true OF
its false. There Is no middle ground
in respect to that. ! want TO say %
vou. gentlemen. that the high char
eeter Of the men who have been hold
ing the elections in Cameron county
for a good many years is, my opinion,
an earnest that our elections have
been fairly and honestly held. Now.
- there have been violations or the
election laws in the last primary II Is
the duty Of this grand jury 20 IN
xestigate and report on that question.
~ report 70 me finally at the end OF
YOUR term Of work what you have
been able to discover in that respect.
Criminal Libel Law
snow. we have in Texas what Is
known M the criminal libel law. Men
can violate that law and sometimes
M violate that law BY making charges
enrh as this | am talking about. /
don't know whether there is any vio-
iatjon Of that law with respect 20
cameron county. That is a thing l
this grand jury TO investigate
IL there has been a violation Of the
az criminal libel in this county
she grand jury ought 10 take some
srfion. The statement being bro i'd
lasted 10 the world is an advertise
n,ent 70 the world that in this con-
rressional district and along this
this border, ten thousand IL
votes were poured over this
and voted in nj election in p
aFrom my knowledge Of the vote IN
Ne congressional district | think !
say that there are no ten thous-
"a votes Of Mexicans cast IN this
.rnrressional district. SO that on It's
thnt statement. whether il j. a
libel committed in this
or not, Il seems 20 me ~ a
shnl On this section of Texas, and
this grand jury 10 thoroughly
,n5, eomnletely investigate that cues
;onj The grand jury Is making this
Modification will keep in mind y
hinF: that it is the duty Of every
'oad J citizen OF Texas 70 see 70 i
hat Jour elections are honestly and
airlH and legally held. that no person
70 vote IN Le~as y sn .ssr
! ~ i fhev commit n felony and
mr. elections must always be held
M ~ courts must see that they
re- held in such q way that public
onfs5enee may be maintained always
1 th~ result or our elections
R~ilIIngs Result Of Liquor
a. = ~auA AmNHhM Il