Legislative Messages of Hon. James V. Allred, Governor of Texas 1935-1939 Page: 212 of 263

                                
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officially,
and caused the Seal of State to be impressed hereon at Austin,
this the 22nd day of May, 1937.
JAMES V. ALLRED
Governor of Texas
(Seal)
By the Governor
(Signed) Edward Clark
Secretary of State
Executive Department
Austin, Texas
May 27, 1937
To the Forty-fifth Legislatu'e of the State of Texas: (In First Called
Session)
I regret that the State has been put to the expense of this special
session; but in simple honor and in justice to my conscience, I could
not do otherwise.  In a special message to this Legislature a month
before' adjournment, I appealed to the Members of the Senate to help
me save the cost of a special session by giving a simple, clear-cut vote
on repeal of the race track gamblling law. This a minority refused to
permit, and I had no option other than to call this extraordinary session.
As I see it, outlawry of the gambling evil presents not only a great
moral and economic need, but, in view of the peculiar, the devious course
of legislative history which has marked legalization  of race track
gambling and all efforts to repeal this law, an even greater principle is
at stake-the integrity of and respect for government itself.
In early Biblical history landmarks were of utmost importance; and
their removal a subject of constant concern to the people. Various of
the old teachers repeatedly cautioned against their removal.  Solomon,
perhaps the wisest of all counselors, in his pronouncements of moral
virtues and their contrary vices twice admonished that we "remove not
the ancient landmark."
Here in Texas we have our own landmarks-foundation laid by our
forebears in the slow but sure progress of government; foundations upon
which the welfare of the people has come to depend; foundations which
should not lightly be removed.
One of these foundations-a moral one-was established under the
leadership of the great Governor Tom   Campbell by the Thirty-first
Legislature in 1909. Serving as members of that illustrious body we
find the names of such outstanding Texans as A. T. McKinney, Sr.,
of Huntsville, a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1876; Judge
C. M. Cureton, now Chief Justice of thne Supreme Court of Texas; Judge
S. H. German, of Livingston, now   a member of the Commission of
Appeals of the Supreme Court; Hon. Sam Rayburn, of Fannin County,
now Democratic leader in the National Congress; the great Clarence
E. Gilmore, of Van Zandt County; Judge Ben Cathey, of Quitman, a
member of the present Legislature; Judge M. S. Munson, of Angleton;
Judge W. C. Davis, of Bryan; Judgre C. H. Jenkins, of Brownwood;
Senator J. J. Strickland, of Palestine; Judge N. L. Dalby, of Bowie
County; Hon. George B. Terrell, of Cherokec County; Judge Luther
Nichols, then of Hillsboro; Judge B. F. Vaughan, of Hunt County;
Senator R. E. Cofer of Travis County; Senator Tom   W. Perkins, of