Down Rio Grande Way

Texas is ready to join the Union, but some Northern senators don't like the idea because Texas would enter as a slave state. So they make up the excuse that there's lawlessness in Texas, and send a commission to investigate. Cut to a Texas Ranger station where Charles Starrett brings in a bad guy twice. He hasn't slept in 72 hours, but Washington is sending a commission and Starrett needs to high-tail to a small, unnamed town, where tax collector Norman Willis is making up stuff to seize land. Starrett reveals his credentials to local bigwig Davison Clark, and barber Britt Wood seizes him flash his badge. Starrett talks the local ranchers into giving him until the commissioners leave before they tie Willis to a sour apple tree in a rousing speech that the audience doesn't get to hear. But it's not Willis who's in charge of making trouble. It's Clark.

There's mealy-mouthed acknowledgment of slavery in Texas, but the matter doesn't come up again -- Starrett was a popular B western star south of the Mason-Dixon line. There are some fine stunts, an exciting cattle stampede, and a rousing celebration of the Bill of Rights for anyone who's interested in that sort of thing. With Russel Haydon, Edmund Cobb, Art Mix, and Forrest Taylor.