The Texas Miner, Volume 1, Number 13, April 14, 1894 Page: 4
12 p. : ill. ; 32 cm.View a full description of this newspaper.
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THE TEXAS MINER.
TEXAS GIVEN A BLACK EYE.
Public opinion condemns the action of Judge Harris of the
Seventeenth Judicial District court, Fort Worth, in admitting
R. M Page to bail in the sum of $12,000.
Law has been set at defiance so persistently, and justice so
successfully evaded by all classes of criminals since the very earli-
est days in this state, that the law abiding citizens of the com-
monwealth have come to regard the laws and courts as mere
farces, and indeed may it well be so said when red-handed
murders can be committed and the murderers can so easily,
and in the face of an united public sentiment, be liberated.
No more deplorable incident could have taken place in Texas
than the bailing of Mr. Page, coming, as it does, at a time when
a large immigration is setting in, and when the eyes of the whole
nation are turned upon us, as the haven of the oppressed and
down trodden. It is the frequent occurrence of such acts of law-
lessness as he committed that keeps the word "Texas" synon-
omous with all that is low, all that is criminal, all that is wicked.
What hope can we have of attracting the better, more desirable
class of immigrants to our state if crime is to be held honorable,
theft to go uncondemned, bloodshed to go unpunished ?
Is the trouble with the law or with those charged with the en-
forcement thereof? If with the former, let the defect be reme-
died by the next Legislature; if with the latter, let the sovereign
people, by wise exercise of the elective franchise, remove all in-
efficient servants and place in their s'.ead fearless, conscientious
officers, who will let the heavy arm of justice fall alike on the
rich and poor, the millionaire and the workingman.
R. M. Page killed A. B. Smith. Was the killing justifiable or
wanton? If the former, turn Mr. Page loose without bail at all,
for he is innocent of any crime. If the latter, let him be held
within the stoutest walls until a jury of his peers shall declare that
his life must pay the penalty of his deed.
The fixing of the sum of $12,000 as bail shows that the court
was not satisfied that Mr. Page was an innocent man;
it assumes him probably guilty of murder in some degree.
As we understand the law, when a person is charged with murder
in the first degree the court, upon the return of a writ of habeas
corpus, may, in its discretion, admit the accused to bail, if, in its
judgment, there is the very slimmest possibility of the accused es-
caping the utmost penalty of the law; in other words, if there is
the faintest hope that the defendant can squeeze out on a convic-
tion of murder in the second degree, he may be admitted to bail.
With the law in this shape, how can Texas ever hope to rank
with her sister states in regard to the degree of protection ac-
corded to her citizens? In nearly all of the states of the Union
the law is that where the evidence adduced on the examining
trial indicates that there is reasonable ground for the belief that
the defendant is guilty of the crime charged he shall not be en-
titled to bail. Which of these two laws is more apt to lead to
justice? Which will inspire the more confidence in the citizen?
SILVER! SILVER!! SILVER!!!
Even some level-headed Wall street men are coming in line.
The New York Financial News of a recent date says:
Our advocacy of silver is not on behalf of its special value to
the West. It is on the broader lines that it is to the benefit of
the whole country, and the world. The growth of civilization has
year after year called for greater needs of tokens—money. It
was a frightful blunder that our legislators ever took any steps to
demonetize silver, and thus destroy one-half of the basis of values.
Few people have any idea of the growing needs of money with
which to carry on business, or understand that the obligations of
the world are growing at a far, far greater ratio than the creation
of money with which to liquidate them. The result is that the
value of the dollar is enhanced and advancing, and other value
receding.
There are many people who believe they are informed on
finance, but they could not tell within five hundred millions of
dollars the annual interest that is due upon national, state,
county, strictly governmental, obligations of the world. When it
comes to considering such enormous figures as the answer to the
above problem calls for they are utterly at a loss, but these same
people, who do not know that these obligations amount to the
enormous sum of over thirty billions of dollars, boldly claim that
there is gold enough in the world to make up for any demoneti-
zation of silver. As a matter of fact, there is not sufficient gold
and silver to meet the growing requirements of the world for
money and the arts.
WHEAT AND COTTON.
May wheat, according to Watson & Gibson, displayed consid-
erable activity in New York and Chicago last Tuesday. They
say: "It sold to 63 1-8, and closed at nearly the top prices.
The bears may make a drive at it, but they will not be able to
make any serious break, in our opinion, and it is destined for
considerably higher prices before it becomes a cash commodity
instead of an option." There is another commodity that has
been hammered and pounded by persistent bears, they declare,
whose pessimistic views will not permit them to see any good,
even, in a country like ours—that commodity is cotton. It may
not move up just yet, they say, nor in the same sharp advance
that wheat has experienced, but it will show better prices, and
traders in it will do well to keep a watchful eye on it.
CROKER EN ROUTE EAST.
An Associated Press dispatch of April 7 from Chicago says:
"Richard Croker, the big Tammany sachem, passed through Chi-
cago to-day en route from San Francisco to New York. Croker
said, in an interview, that the delay of the lawmakers at Wash-
ington is responsible for the business depression, and asserted
that a majority of the Democrats are opposed to free trade. He
positively refused to talk of Boss McKane's imprisonment and
the recent entanglement of Tammany hall.
Yes, Croker is right; a majority of the Democrats "are opposed
to free trade'' and in favor of free coinage of silver, and Czar Cleve-
land will find that when he favors Wall street, to the detriment
of the whole country, he will become a "back number."
REPEAL OF THE BANK TAX.
A dispatch from Washington of April 10 says: "The Demo-
cratic caucus, after a session of two hours and a half this even-
ing, adopted the following resolution without a dissenting voice:
"Resolved, That it is the sense of this caucus that the prohibi-
tory tax of 10 per cent, on bank issues be repealed."
So we go; if Cleveland won't give us silver, we will have some
kind of stuff called money. Wonder how the gold-bugs will like
that? We think it mighty bad policy to not give us good silver,
and make us take "shinplasters," but don't Cleveland know what
is better for us than we do ourselves? Isn't he omniscient?
FOR LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR.
We note that Hon. Berry W. Camp of Fort Worth is a candi-
date for Lieutenant-Governor on the Democratic ticket. While
we cannot say unqualifiedly that we hope he will be nominated
and elected, because we differ with him politically, still we can
say that, if a Democrat is to be the next Lieutenant-Governor,
we hope Mr. Camp will be the man He has the honesty, abil-
ity and hard work in him to make as good an officer as Texas
ever had.
NO SCARCITY HERE.
There is no scarcity of corn at Halletsville, and it is selling at
55 cents a bushel.
The above we clipped from the Fort Worth Gazette. There
is no "scarcity" in this town and the price is 46 Cents, and the
Texas & Pacific Coal company is distributing about a carload a
day to this town and surrounding country. "That's part of the
'why' we are busy 'all de time.' "
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McAdams, Walter B. The Texas Miner, Volume 1, Number 13, April 14, 1894, newspaper, April 14, 1894; Thurber, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth200460/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Tarleton State University.