The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1871-09-21
suppression of Free Speech
Democratic Speakers Threat
ened.

In these days of high handed usurp.
alton, when each day brings forth
some new outrage on liberty, it is
difficult TO say what should be the
course of the respectable and peacea-
BILE citizen. Quiet submission to one
outrage only invites another and an
other. 1t is not enough that men op-
posed in political opinion to the party
in power should be dogged about
everywhere by armed spies and secret
detectives, their actions watched, their
words reported. This is not enough !;
tyranny is not satisfied with this !;
something more must be demanded.
You are not to speak your opinions
except at the peril of your lives; you
shall not, you dare not proclaim the
truth against your rulers.
The suppression of free speech,
which is continually charged upon the
Democratic party by the hired SANDER
ers of the people of this State,
comes only from the usurpers and con-
spirators composing the Radical party.
We challenge the defenders of that
Infamous and revolutionary party to
produce more glaring attack upon
personal liberty andfreedom ofspeech,
than is contained IN the circumstances
we are about to relate. We are in
possession of the facts, which can be
proven by the sworn testimony of not
less than FIVE or six witnesses. They
are as follows:
At Democratic barbecue at Noun
tain City, on the 18th inst, speeches
were made by Capt. Martin. of San
Marcos, and Gen. Shelly and ]. F. Oat.
man, Esq, of Austin. Mr.. Oatman
spoke in the afternoon, and among
other matters in the course of his
speech, he dwelt very severely on the
effect of the police act, and called the
attention of the public to the material
which composed the State police,
many of them now being sent to the
penitentiary for violations of the law,
and some having already served in the
State prison, and that the State police
were now violating the law and caus.
ing more disturbances than any other
class of people in Texas. When the
people at the barbecue grounds, about
quarter after four o'clock in the eve
ming, were leaving for their homes,
Mr.. Oatman, in company with Mr..
Charles Wolf, started to Austin, and
in about half a mile, met a body of
seven or eight State policemen, heav-
lily armed, riding in the direction of the
barbecue grounds. Mr.. 0atman and
Mr.. Wolf, travelling very rapidly, had
arrived about three miles on the road
in the direction of Austin, when they
were suddenly overtaken and stopped
by the same body of policemen who
were met near the barbecue grounds.
The policemen, unknown, accost-
ed Mr.. Oatman in the most rnfianly
style, and told him that he had made
seme very slanderons charges against
the State police in his speech that eve
ming, and that they were policemen
and would not permitany such charges
to be made against them.
Mr.. 0atman told the police he did
not know what kind of men they were
but if they were not such as he had
described in his speech, they should
not take the charges to be against
them, and they knew that he and Mr..
Wolf were unarned because of the
law against the carrying of arms,
which prevented such assaults from
being defended, and that the police
should be engaged in other business
besides ins ulting and assaulting gen.
tlemen on the road.
The police continued their abuse in
the most violent manner for some time,
threatening to drag the gentlemen
from their carriage, and threatening
their lives if they replied to the pro-
fame insults heaped upon them and
several times the police in their inso.
lent rage would take hold of their
guns or pistols, evidently intending tc
use them, and one of the police told
Mr.. Oatman that if he made any more
such speeches, he (the policemen
would get him yet, if he had to fol
low him up"
Mr. Wolf believes that if he had
not been with Mr.. Oatman, the ruff
fanly police weuld have taken his life
The gentlemen did not use any abu.
sive language to the police, who still
muttering threats, permitted Messrs
Oatman and Wolf to pass on the way
home.
The above is the statement oi
Messrs. Oatmon and Wolf, the parties
attacked.
We have additional testimony from
other parties, who had seen the police.
men before they caught up will
Messrs. Oatman and Wolf, to the eff
feet that this band of policemen had
said publicly that they intended tc
have Oatman's blood one way or an
other )" and it is confidently believed
by them that had there not been two
together in the carriage, Mr.. Oatmar
would have been murdered
The parties engaged in this COW
ardly and outrageous attack upon un
armed men were ]. Rowley, Justice
of the Peace, James Martin, Griffith
SouthwOod, Fred. Cardough, Poll
Rowley, D. Ruby, and two other
whose names are not known, all mem
bers of the State police.
Duly Appreciated.