Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1 Page: 41
This legislative document is part of the collection entitled: Texas Senate Journals and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1969
'He shall cause the laws to be
faithfully executed . .'
"We think first of laws to preserve
public order.
"The maintenance of domestic tran-
quility and the protection of persons
and property from criminal acts and
deeds of violence will carry a high
priority in this administration.
"Just as this constitutional respon-
sibility must be carried out, the con-
stitutional guarantees of fairness and
justice must be maintained.
"We will not tolerate violence, ei-
ther in breaking or enforcing the law.
"The responsibility for law observ-
ance is not the Governor's alone, nor
the Legislature's, nor that of the
peacekeeping agents state and local,
nor of the courts-but ultimately of
every citizen. We must all want to
see the laws enforced. We must coun-
tenance no other course.
"We will say to the law violator
with once voice: 'You may break the
law, that's your choice, but you are
going to face the consequences. You
are going to face the bar of justice.'
"As your Governor, I will seek not
punishment or leniency but justice
for all.
"There are a multitude of laws, cer-
tainly, without reference to public
order. Here, too, the Governor is
pledged to 'cause' faithful execution.
"Here, too, the rules of fairness and
justice are pertinent. Here, too, the
constitutional guarantees must pre-
vail.
"All Texans, both men and women,
are guaranteed equal rights. This
is not an idle phrase. It must not be
casually interpreted.
"This is another guarantee:
'Every person shall be at liberty to
speak, write or publish his opinions
on any subject, being responsible for
the abuse of that privilege .. .'
"The Constitution says every per-
son.
"Although the Bill of Rights applies
to individuals, there is an inherent
implication in our Constitution that
corporate 'persons' and all other
groups are entitled to equal protec-
tion under the laws of Texas.
"Any realistic and understanding
approach to our future must start
with a promise of fairness and one of
justice.
"I find it possible and plausible to
apply this principle to the Governor's
duties stated in another section of
Article 4:"'The Governor shall . . . recom-
mend to the Legislature such meas-
ures as he may deem expedient .
And at the commencement of each
regular session, he shall present esti-
mates of the amount of money re-
quired to be raised by taxation for
all purposes.'
"'Fairness and justice' are not in-
appropriate terms to apply to legis-
lative programs or the levying of tax-
es.
"For one example: There are a great
many reasons for us to be continu-
ally concerned about the quantity and
quality of public education in Texas.
At the base we find what we are seek-
ing is fairness.
-We seek fairness to the youth
of Texas, individually and collective-
ly, because it is not fair to deny
them the education demanded in this
amazing industrial and scientific age.
-We seek fairness for one child
as compared to another, so that one
will not suffer unduly because of his
economic, racial, cultural or social
background, or his remediable physi-
cal or mental handicaps.
-We seek fairness for one school
as compared to another, so one will
neither be deprived of equal support
nor allowed to shirk its obligations to
the community and the system.
-And we seek fairness to the
business, industrial and professional
interests, which cannot compete with-
out access to trained and educated
personnel-and which must be will-
ing in return to pay their fair share
of the cost, on a fair basis.
"The elements of fairness and jus-
tice also must figure in the eventual
answer to another major challenge
in our future, and that is the develop-
ment of a water supply for the years
ahead.
"This is a grave and subtle chal-
lenge-to provide water for our soar-
ing population; water that is fresh,
water that is clean, and water that
will nurture our crops and provide
the food and fiber necessary to our
well-being . . . and to start pre-
paring now.
"In fairness, the Texas water plan
must distribute equitably both the
water and the cost of providing it.
"In justice to the future of Texas
and to future Texans-and even many
who are living today-we cannot fail
to provide it.
"Fairness and justice are entitle-
ments of individuals and groups that41
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Texas. Legislature. Senate. Journal of the Senate of the State of Texas, Regular Session of the Sixty-First Legislature, Volume 1, legislative document, 1969; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth145999/m1/41/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.