The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-10-09
OF THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY or TEXAS.

I
principles and policy, ana ask for them the
popular approval. And
/. We declare our adhesion to the time
hcnored principles of the Democratic party !;
our devotion to popular liberty regulated
by law; and to Constitutional government
simple in machinery, and 10 be be admin
istered with the strictest economy.
II. We congratulate the people of Texas
on the repeal by the Thirteenth Legislature
of a number of the oppressive, odious and
unconstitutional acts, passed by the Twelfth
Legislature, in pursuance of the Radical pol
| icy to overthrow the government of the
people, and among which acts were:
1. The Militia Law, whereby the Cover
nor was authorized to suspend the writ of
hd5eas corpus and establish martial law,
thereby depriving the citizens of all legal
and constitutional protection, and subject
ing their lives, liberty and property to the
unrestrained caprice and malignity of
partisan Executive.
Q. The Police Bill, designed and intended,
among other things, to create a system of
secret espionage by hired informers, upon
the people at war with the principles of
civil liberty; odious to all freemen, and
heretofore tolerated only In the despotism
of the old world, and the execution of
which act was for the most part entrusted to
|
character.
8. The Enabling Act, under which the
Governor was authorized to appoint district
attorneys who were made elective by tho
/ Constitution; to appoint all municipal Off
GERS, and to fill all vacancies that might
occur in the offices of clerks and sherifs,
thereby designedly bestowing on him great
power and patronage, to enable him to con-
tinue Radical misrule over this people.
T. The registration and election laws,
which were framed and intended for the
purpose of preventing free and fair cleo
tions; they openly encouraged the perpe-
tration of frauds to defeat the will of the
people. and to perpetuate Radical misrule,
presenting to our people the extraordinary
and humiliating spectacle of surrounding
the places of registration and voting with
an armed partisan police with which to in
timidate and overawe the citizens.
5. The act relating to public free schools,
which, among many other bad features,
provided the means of enabling public Off
Gals to speculate in school books, in the
building and furniture of school houses, in
the salaries of teachers, and furnished high
salaries for large and useless number of
officers, which gave the Radical party the
means to pay their political missionaries
who travelled for radical purposes and frauds,
from one end of the State to the other.
III. And we further congratulate the peo-
pie of Texas that the Democratic members
of the Thirteenth Legislature, so far as it
was possible to accomplish their object, in
presence of the captious vetoes of the Gov
ernor, and the opposition of his partisans in
the Senate replaced the foregoing obnox-
ious, repealed measures, by just and whole
some laws, bearing alike on all, and which
if honestly and faithfully executed, VIII re-
dound to the lasting good of the country
and prosperity of the people.
". The Democratic party, when it
comes into the possession of the government
of the State, will administer it in the inter
est and for the benefit Of the whole people,
and not of party and, however much we
may have been provoked to hostile and re-
taliatory legislation, by the outrages COM
mitted on us by the Radical Legislature
and State government, it viii be a part of
our great mission to rise superior to our
| Just resentments, and administer the gov
eminent in such manner that every citizen,
whatever his politics, religion, nationality
or color, shall feel that he is securely pro-
tected in his life, liberty ana property.
v. The school fund, sacredly set apart
for the education of the children of the
State, has, under the operation Of the mis-
Aule of the party in power, been plundered
by peculation, squandered and perverted
to political purposes. The Democratic
party, through us, reafirms its past opin-
ion and the policy it has ever pursued, that
it is the bounden duty of the State to
maintain an efficient system of free common
schools, and secure the means of COM
NOR education to every child in the State
and we advocate the gradual sale of the
alternate sections of land belonging to the
-
and university lands, under such restric-
tions as will secure the funds arising there
from to the purposes for which they were
intended, and giving in such sales proper
preferences to actual settlers in good faith
thereon.
VI. It was the Democratic party which |
first inaugurated the wise and generous pol |
icy which has made the United States the |
asylum of all nations from oppressive gov
eminent and less favorable means Of hveli- |
hood and independence; and the Democrat
ic party of Texas, true to the early teachings /
and uniform practices Of the party, advo-
Gates the most liberal and active policy to
encourage and increase foreign immigration,
to develop the resources of our fertile State, |
as well as to perpetuate the government, |
through the intelligence and moral worth
of her citizens. And that every adopted /
freedom of thought and action in matters
of conscience, the Democracy Of Texas, in 4
Convention assembled, declare it to be our
firm conviction that legal interference with
the merely social habits Of any class Of citi-
zens, natives or Of foreign birth, IS contrary
to sound policy, to genuine Democracy, and
to the enlightened spirit Of the age.
VII. The Democratic party is and has
ever been in favor Of throwing as few i'm
pediments as possible in the way Of Euro
peans making the United States the land Of
their adoption; and to enable foreigners to
enter into citizenship without needless trou-
bic, delay or expense, we declare Il TO be
our conviction that a foreigner who desires
it should have the right to make his declare
ton Of intention to become citizen before
the clerk, IN vacation OF in open court, as
nav be to him most convenient; and we IA
for the passage Of law 70 that effect.
VII. We condemn il the strongest
terms all corruption in public officials, and
demand the strictest honesty and economy
in the administration Of public trusts, from
the highest TO the Lowest officer Of the gov
eminent.
TX. That the Democracy Of Texas adhere
to their past policy Of developing the mate
rial resources Of the State, and fostering the
best interests Of the people, BY encouraging
the construction Of slilroads That 70 is
end. and to encourage the investment Of
capital, IN such enterprises, we favor the
granting Of liberal charters TO companies
able 70 build such railroads, and Of 6oDafing
70 such companies alternate sections Of the
vacant lands, under proper restrictions. and
with such provifions Of law &c win protect
the people against oppression and unreason-
able exactions, until each section Of the
State has is equal proportion 81 railroad
facilities
2. That We are opposed 70 granting 4
money subsidies by the State 10 secure the 4
building q railroads. &c unequal "a the /
distribntfor Of burdens and bencfts, and /
uniust IN principle.
8. This convention denounces a. false /
80 sI-nier.,-.- ~. irurrf.ffnn. eorahf 70 fe 4