The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1871-09-14
Ranch on 1he FrontIer.

.s
Ranck, in his letter to the Journal,
asserts that the New Braunfels con-
vention adopted the following idea of
his as to Indian scalps mi-sr II
"Suppose, then, that we boldly demand an
offer, by the State Government, of one thous-
and dollars reward for the apprehension,
dead or alive, of each and every hostile Indi-
an found within our Texas settlements, and
see to it that We stand united against every
man and measure not favorable to the pres
ervation of frontier people according to this
natural plan" On the 29th of that same
month, at a public meeting in Mason, we
elected delegate to the New Braunfels Con-
gressional Convention, to be holden sixteen
days later. We unanimously instructed our
delegate to support Mr.. Degener for re-elec-
ton to Congress, provided said Degener would
pledge himself to sustain Governor Davis in
offering liberal reward for the capture or
arrest, dead or alive, of each and every hos
tile Indian found in our settlements.
The New Braunfels Convention, by unani-
nous vote, ado tied our frontier resolution,
and then "emphatically" instructed our rep
resentatives in the Legislature to do all in
their power to secure the passage of q bill
giving full force and effect to that resolution.
The frontier plank in the New Braunfels plat
form is therefore universally conceded to be
the broadest, strongest and best frontier
plank ever introduced into political plat
form it is a plank of our own frontier
choosing, regardless Of political or personal
differences, and Mr.. Degener stands square
upon it."
The New 8raunfels Convention did
not endorse the policy of offering a
reward Of one thousand dollars for
Indian scalps. Degener will not en-
dorse RaDck's idea. The Journal
people will repudiate it. q Grants
policy is the Quaker policy. That
policy is to send three or four quiet,
elderly gentlemen, with broad brim
hats, among the Indians, to calmly ex-
pOstulate with them on the impropriety
and immortality of the hair-lifting
business. This is Grants Indian poll
cy, and this is the policy that Degener
and the New Braunfels Convention
endorse when they endorse Grants
administration.
Ranck having mis-represented the
New Braunfels Convention, proceeds
to brag as follows, concerning the
Democratic platform ioE
Have any of you found frontier plank in
the platform upon which Mr.. Degener's oppo-
nent is supposed to be standing2 Come,
now, tote fair and sing out The truth is
that, unfortunately for Mr.. Degener's oppo-
nents, ,.they didn't use any frontier timber at
all in the construction of their platform.
Now, while Ranck was thus assert.
ing that there was "no frontier timber
in the Democratic platform, the fol.
lowing extract from the resolutions of
the Democratic Convention that nomi-
mated Hancock were before his eyes:
H. E. McCulloch offered the following resi-
olutions, which were adopted:
ResoLUed, That our deepest sympathies are
with the suffering people of our frontier, to
whom the present State administration has
given such inefficient protection from Indian
outrage, and we here express our unqualified
condemnation of the employment, by the
administration, of the men and means that
should have been used, to the uttermost man
and dollar in defense of the frontier in haI-
rassment and oppression of the people in the
interior. r-r.. .....
ResolUed, That we pledge the Democratic
party to protect the frontier people, and save
their women and children from rapine, mur.
der and outrage
Who, after that, will seek to rivaI
Ranck in cheek?
The truth is that Davis and the Re
publicans have had no frontier policy
in Texas. And when we reflect upor
the hundreds who have been brutally
murdered and scalped on our Indiar
frontier, while armed soldiers ant
armed police were riding about the
interior of the country, enforcing mar
tial law and plundering our citizens
we are amazed, even, at the impu
dence OF Ranck in hawking about Da
vis's frontier policy.
Frontiersmen, if you vote for Dege
ner you sustain the Indian policy O
Grants administration. Hancock il
deadly hostile to the Quaker policy, and
stands squarely on the frontier plank
in the Democratic platform.
Let us hear no more from Ranck Oh
the Journal about Degener being il
favor of offering a thousand dollars re
ward for an Indian scalp. They favor
sending delegation of Broad brims
to the Indians, and keeping the sol
diers In the interior to use their weap
ons in driving voters from the polls
instead of fighting Indians and pro
tecting our frontier.