The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-01-31
A REVIEW AND a MORAL.


REVIEW AND a MORAL.
The people of Texas are now sub
stantially in possession of their liber'
ties once more. The chains have been
stricken from their limbs and an OPP
pressivc weight removed from their
bodies. In the governor and all other
State officers, in both branches of the
Legislature, and in the Supreme court
of the State, we find able aud consci-
entious men, chosen by the people
themselves. Places heretofore defiied
have been disinfected, purified and
placed in the keeping of good men, and
the way is open for perfecting the work
till no man shall be on the district
bench, or in any other responsible
office, whose character bears faint of
corruption.
The truth of history demands of the
people of Texas, thus relieved from
tyranny and official venality, hatthey
should award praise for these happy
changes to those who are entitled to it.
10 whom are the people indebted for
this mighty transformation in less than
twelve months time? The answer is
plain. To the last, or Thirteenth, Leg
islature is due the credit, and the
whole credit, of that series of meas
ures Which have so speedily accom-
plished such mighty md bcneflcent
results.
That Legislature struck down the in
famous registration and election laws,
and to the best of its ability, with
great obstacles in the way, enacted the
best laws it could TO enable the people
to vote fully, freely and independently
their will. The fruits are now in our
possession in the State government
filled by men of our own choice.
That Legislature proposedthe amend
ments to the constitution which have
been adopted. What is the conse-
quence? Simply tnat the late judges,
who sought TO remand us back into
slavery, have ceased to be judges, and
we now have n Supreme court COM
posed of able, long-tried citizens, in
whom the people have full confidence,
and through whom we have a guar
anty of purity, ability and justice in
the final decision of all eases before it,.
That Legislature, as far as it could,
with Davis as governor and the senate
about equally divided, did all that was
possible in other respects, TO remove
corruption, expenses and abuses, and
prepare the way for further reforms by
another body TO follow them when the
governor and both houses should truly
represent the people.
Then, in order to hasten the day of
redemption and bring the machinery
of State government back into har-
mony, the Democrats of that Legisla-
ture voted themselves out of office at
the end of one year, instead of two,
the time for which the people elected
them. TO illustrate the wisdom and
exalted patriotism of the Thirteenth
Legisla ure, let us suppose they had
not done these things, what to-day
would be the condition of things in
Texas? Listen!
Davis would have remained governor
till April, 1875; DeGress and all Radi-
cal State, district and county officers
would have remained in office as long
as Davis. Walker, Ogden and Nc
Adoo would have remained on the Su-
preme court for years to come, and
that same Thirteenthth Legislature
wuold be in session now, instead of the
Fourteenth.
The best men in that Legislature
agonized in the spirit and spent sleep
less days and nights in order to ac-
complish these great measures for the
restoration of liberty. Yet, strange to
say, thousands of Democrats sat still
and allowed the Radical press and
Radical bummers to manufacture
false public opinion, and to actually
create prejudice against that noble
body of men. Knowing the facts to
be as stated above, our cheeks have
tingled with sorrow, not unmixed with
Indignation, at beholding such injus-
tice. A disinterested, heightened man
would have predicted, without doubt,
that chivalrous people would appre.
ciate such action and return such men
to complete that which they had so
nobly begun. But, on the contrary,
scarcely had those men reached their |
homes in some counties-for instance
in Collin and Ellis-till some men,
claiming to be Democrats, were work
ing for the seat they had honored and
from which they had voluntarily re-
tired for the worthy purpose of more
and speedily restoring liberty
% the people.
II is well, in the calm hours follow
ng great triumphs, for the people to
-eview facts and render justice where
md unto whom 1t is due.
Elsewhere we speak of The duty of
he present legislature.
CONsTITUTIoSAL CONVENTION.