The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-06-18


he had so fearlessly discharged his duty.
II so, then the money he paid advertising
for bids in the first instance was tkrorn
away-as. according to his subsequent
course, the printing was awarded man
who did not bid at all, until after. scoufu-
sionworse confounded" I" reigned in the Cap
itol. Then the board turned mournfully
out to hunt up some poor fellow who would
do the work so low that the board could
afterwards come out publicly and boast Of
an afterpiece that was not laid down in
the programme, and show that the Legisla-
ture was not as shreWd as it was; could
say, Behold the fruits Of our laborl See
what we have savedp' Again, the Governor
says: Till now his mouth had been closed
on the subject he could not enter the
fray" Has the Governor forgotten the
members of the Legislature for whom he
sent, and Others who called, and told them,
after a bill had been introduced in the
House to repeal the law, that it would be
personal reflection upon him and his admin
lstratiOn if they repealed ito Surely these
things were not done at time when the
Governor was oblivious of what was pass
ing. Then, how can he say that "Till
now his mouth had been closed on the sub
ject9" But we now come to an allegation
Of the Governor which, for the sake of one
who holds the high position of the chief
executive of noble State, we could wish
he had never uttered. He SAYS: s'Look-
ing on in silence he had seen almost the
entire press of the State follow the lead of
the two defeated aspirants that had sought
to crush him because unable eitherto buy or
bully him" So far as the STATESMAN is
concerned, we say that the above is gratui-
tous declaration, without any Foundation,
for this paper never sought to crush Cover
nor Coke, and never attempted to 6uy or
bully him. We most urgently ask him to
produce the preof. The STATESMAN did
state thefsIcts about that first great blunder
of his Excellency simply to show the pub
lie the utter want of good judgment and
foresight in a matter which should have
been managed in a way that would place
the administration above suspicion and
also to show how much we had been
wronged. The Governor knows that the
STATESMAN did not persistently assail him;
he knows that we had the very best of op-
portunities to continue the discussion after
the printing had been given to the Tsle-
graph. But because he was the Governor
of the State it was not our desire to break
down his power of doing good, and divide
the Democratic party. We were silent even
when we saw unjust attacks and un-
founded assertions of papers against the
STATESMAN. So much for attempting to
bully or buy him. But the Governor knows
that he was bitter against this Office with
out just cause, and denounced the STATES
MAN to some of his friends, saying that if he
should advertise for new bids, ''that con-
founded STATESMAN would claim that its
articles had driven him to do so.p Was
such an excuse sufficient to prevent Gov
ernor from doing his duty2 Ought such a
declaration ever fall from the lips of one
who ''dares" to do his dutyG The Governor
then states that ''now, thank God, they
(the people, and the press all over the State
had come to understand the facts of the
case, with two or three exceptions, uni
versal commendation is the result" Here
he is at fault again. Because those who
condemn him do not continue to denounce
the printing imbroglio, he believes that all,
with few exceptions, are as ardently at
tached to him as while he went over the
State proclaiming his attachment to Demo-
cratic principles, and denouncing Radical
wrongs and corruption. We tell the
Governor that he is hugging deIusion
to his breast. The wound has appar-
emily healed over but the i'll effects may
show themselves at an unexpected moment.
All is not serene.
Again, he says that st was to the country
press that he had been indebted prior to his
election Did no city papers ''cry havoc
and let slip the dogs of war" against Radi-
calism2 We're they the enemies Of the
Governora Did they do less than the coun-
try press2 All, Governor, such an attempt
to raise hue and cry from the papers in
the small towns, win not conceal the bun
eogOe of your speech; neither viii it add to
your strength or popularity. The masses
are all right; they are pure; and just
here is where you viii be most sadly de-
ceived when you shall again appear before
that august tribunal and ask for an en-
doTsement of your course.
We have not voluntarily reopened this
discussion, as we had been led to believe
that the feelings of the administration
were of the most friendly character. But
the speech of the Governor at Waco ma
ligned this Office, andwe were left no alter
native, unless we were willing to rest un-
der such monstrOus charges. And we de-
sire, once for all, that his Excellency may
know that this Office is neither to be intim-
idated by his buncombe speeches, or won By
Executive favor.
FROM eovERSoR COKE.
'ExEcuTIvE OFEIcR, STATE or TEXAS, !
ssAUsTIN, June -, 1874.