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

the 18th Judicial district for the ex-
celient record the district has at
tanned in law enforcement, District
Judge a. w. Cunningham, in his
charge to the Cameron county grand
aiury Monday, urged that the record
I e maintained.
!. He emphasized the necessity of in
4 festigating alleged election law vio-
7 %ations, 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, en- earnest that our elections
have been fairly and honestly held"
he commented upon the charges made
BY Sid Hardin, defeated candidate for
congress, urged Immediate investiga-
tion Of the charges and also an in
veStigation 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 it up, the re-
suit Of the work Of the court after
the grand jury has finished, is an adj
vertisement to the world Of the char
acter Of citizens who live in this
county and who are invited 10 come
here 10 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 TO 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 were not ad-
mitted to citizenship at all. When
that colony began 70 organize they
were without laws TO govern them
and Stephen r. Austin wrote out and
promulgated a set of civil and GRIM
inal laws 70 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 70 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 names Of the
men who organized this republic,
they were 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 10 the grand
jury for the simple fact that the work
Of this grand jury will advertise 70
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 70 be enforced BY its
courts. No nan can be tried il 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 It's courts.
Orders Election Probe
There are certain things necessary
for me 70 charge this grand jury upon
and | may say, in passing, that that
Is not only the function, but It IS
the duty Of this grand jury TO make
the Investigation thoroughly upon the
LHAHA1 AA4N a. $50
charge By the court.
One Of those things necessary 70
charge this grand jury on IS the IN
v~estieation Of the violation 81 law
with respect to elections that have
been held in Cameron county since
the last grand jury adjourned, or,
for that matter, IL known % the
grand Jury, the violation Of any o.
the election laws that are not barred
bv the statute Of limitation.
Recently / read IN the pubic
press. with zmazement, the publisnea
statement that in the congressional
district in which we live 10000 men,
citizens Of Mexico. were brought
srross TIE river and voted In our
elections. Now, this is either r or
rs false. There is no middle ground
Il resnect TO that. | want 70 say to
vou. gentlemen. that the high char
scter 81 the men who have been hold
inc the elections in Cameron county
for a good many years IS. my opinion,
~ earnest that our elections have
been fairly and honestly held. Now.
= there have been. violations OF the
election laws in the last primary ~ IS
the duty OF this grand jury 20 IN
vestirate and report on that question.
~ report to me finally at the end OF
vour term of work what you have
been able TO discover ~ tnat respect
Criminal Libel Law
aNow. we have in Texas what IS
tnown as the criminal libel law Men
ran violate that law and sometimes
IN violate that law BY making charges
~uch a. this I am talking about 4
don't know whether there IS any Vio-
lation of that law with respect 20
Cameron county. That - a thing !
want this grand jury 70 investigate.
n there has been a violation OF tne
Law Of criminal libel IN TINS ounty
The grand jury ought 70 take some
action. The statement being Droaa-
-~-tnd ~ the world Is an ADVERTISE
sn - the world that in this con-
--as~;onal district and along TINS
ssa- this border. ten thousand IL
.r.i votes were poured over this
sssr and voted in our election IN one
day. !. vote in
.h;s conversational district ! think
-, sav that there are not ten thous-
80 votes of Mexicans cast IN TINS
~~rrraxsional district. so D a on is
go that statement, whether X - y
-,fm;nal libel committed ~ tnis
~ar-tw or not. Il seems 20 me IS a
I'LL a This section Of Texas. and
Int this grand jury 20 thoroughly
go comnletely investigate that CUES
t;on. The grand jury IS making this
;~-astigation will keep IN mird n
NM: that It is the duty Of every
49, citizen Of Texas 70 see TO i
ko~ ~ elections are honestly and
sn;rlv snd legally held, that no person
a~;.o1aiified to vote in Texas should
rnte ii 4 Of our elections. II they
~ 40 Il they commit a felony and
~ ELECTIONS must always be hello
sra the courts must see mat tney
NV held in such q way y. pno.lc
GO suIt Of u elections.
N 'nS Ki.IInrs Result Of Liquor
Now. you viii find 10 your 800