2
GOVERNOR'S MESSAGES.
fifth Legislature establishing a junior
agricultural college in East Texas.
A law was also enacted postponing
the construction of three normal colleges
designated as the Sul Ross Normal
College, the Stephen F. Austin
State Normal College, the South
Texas State Normal College, which
institutions were authorized during
the Regular Session of the Thirtyfifth
Legislature.
There was imminent danger in
the summer of 1917 that the Federal
authorities would impose an embargo
against all Texas cotton unless legal
steps were taken by this State to
prevent, the spread of the cotton
pest commonly known as the pink
boll worm. Accordingly, the law
on this subject was made more
stringent.
Certain laws were passed regulating
the sale of liquor in local option
territory, limiting and safeguarding
the sale of alcohol by %xholesale and
retail drugists.
The Legislature passed a law providing
for the creation and .regulatlon
of home guard companies under
the direction of the county commissioners
courts of the State
A law was enacted making certain
the procedure in impeachment trials.
This law is cumulative of all other
laws and methods pertaining to the
removal of public officials.
A law was passed defining and regulating
insurance agents, providing
for licensing such immigrant agents
and exempting from the operation of
the act all municipal employment bureaus
and employment agencies operated
for charitable purposes. This
law was enacted to protect the laborer
from imposition by unscrupulous
immigrant agents and to afford
for him the privilege of all such
agencies operated without profit and
for the sole benefit of the laborer
Early in the year 1918 it became
apparent that the Legislature should
be convened in its Fourth Called Session
for the purpose of enacting certain
laws to protect the soldiers in
training in Texas and to render the
State of Texas more efficient as an
agency for winning the war, and to
enact legislation for the relief of
citizens suffering from the severe
drouth.
To this end the Thirty-fifth Legislature
was convened in extraordinary
session February 25, 1918, and
adjourned one month later. I feel
that the record made during that session
of the Legislature may well be
cited with credit to its members and
to this administration. Mention will
be made of a few of the beneficial
laws enacted during the thirty-day
session.
Four laws were enacted designed
to protect the soldier in our midst
from the evil influence of intoxicating
liquors. Chief among them was the
law prohibiting the sale of liquor in
ten miles of any army camp or training
place for soldiers. This law practically
banished saloons from Texas.
The courts sustained this legislation
and the protection sought has been
provided.
When the Legislature had passed
these regulatory measures for the
protection of the soldier in uniform,
the same inspiration led them to pass
a law providing restrictions as applied
to civilians. Accordingly the
State-wide prohibition law was enacted.
Not only were the soldiers in Texas
protected againsc. the traffic in alcoholic
liquors, but there was immediate
need for protecting them
against the diseases which follow in
the wake of vice. Accordingly the
Legislature enacted laws to stop immoral
practices and to remove immoral
persons from around the army
camps of Texas. General legislation
was enacted along this line designed
for the improvement and preservaticn
of the public health, applicable
for the like benefit of soldier and
civilian.
Laws were enacted making it compulsory
for the teachers in the
schools of this State to teach the
pupils the principles of patriotism,
and requiring the American flag to
be exhibited on every public school.
This law has accomplished a useful
purpose in offsetting the insidious
propaganda of the enemy
Laws were passed designed to
purify the ballot, to the end that the
voter might register his will with the
assurance that it would be properly
recoided. The right of an alien to
particiate in the Texas primaries
was eliminated and hereafter only
naturalized citizens of the United
States and of this State can lawfully
participate in the primaries.
At a time when a large per cent
of our men were either in the army
